There’s a Swedish-Danish science fiction movie that I love. The adaptation is from a Swedish epic poem that I have yet to read. A failing on my part. I wish to find a physical copy of the book and reading it online feels like cheating somehow. I can’t explain it, but that’s neither here nor there.

The poem and its 2018 movie, called Aniara, don’t particularly fit in the horror genre in a general sense. There’s no real selling point that would attract a typical horror fan, and, frankly, the typical presentation of it didn’t appeal to me either. It was the poster and its unorthodox presence on the streaming platform Shudder that piqued my interest. A non-horror movie on a horror only streamer? Weird. I like weird.

Aniara is front to back a horror story. Albeit an extremely subtle and bleak one. There are no demons, ghostly apparitions, or even a lingering evil presence. There’s only the humanity that you’re forced to watch fall apart.

The reason I love this story is that the horror elevates and intensifies all the other present genres. It’s the broth in a hearty soup. I can empathize with every decision a character makes, no matter how horrible their circumstance may seem. I don’t wish to spoil anything, so I’ll refrain from giving any details, but I implore you to give it a watch.

Now what does this mean for me as an aspiring writer? A good question, but a difficult one to answer. I think it’s quite an admirable goal to want to make a name for yourself as a horror master, wanting to settle on a patch of grass on the hill where King sits at its top. It’s fertile land, but overcrowded. I only wish to explore.

I hope to find a different way to tell a horror story. One that sits deep in your mind and won’t let go, the way Aniara has done for me. If I could have that effect on just one person, I’d have achieved my goal.

I sit here in the past, unsure of the outcome of my future. I may look back and sink deep into myself as reread my hubris, making a face like I’ve just eaten a lemon, skin and all, or wish for a simpler time, when this dream seemed so sure. Hell, I might delete this thing in a month.

One thing is for sure. I see a path and I’m visualizing a goal. I have the wrong equipment, but I’ll find better ones along the way. Hopefully.

Don’t expect many updates, just come back every once in a while. There might be something. Or not.