There is tension between two of the most popular genres in literature: horror and romance. Some of the tension is run-of-the-mill geekdom, similar to Trekkies vs. Star Wars fans. Other readers, though, believe there should be a sharp line drawn between horror and romance. Sex and love don’t belong in horror - and if either show up, it’s no longer horror, but romance.

Dark romance is a real genre, one I’m happy to have work included in. However, the above still applies, that there needs to be no signs of tenderness, love, or good sex in a horror novel for it to be “true” horror. I disagree, and I also think that good sex in horror can actually strengthen a story and its characters.

Sex is actually quite prevalent in horror. However, it’s usually one or more of the following:

• Rape or molestation

• The male gaze (ie, the male character drooling over a woman’s sex appeal, usually by noting how her breasts look)

• Teenagers having sex then getting killed

In order to be effective horror, sex must either be nonconsensual, punishable by death, or gross. How funny that a genre obsessed with pushing limits and being against the grain is so puritanical and, dare I say, conservative when it comes to sex.

If horror really wants to push boundaries, then why not include more consensual, non-punished sex? Sex is a part of many people’s lives. It’s healthy, it’s normal, and it’s fun. It can be all of these things in a horror novel and still be part of a horror novel.

I also think that when done well, it’s a necessary part of a horror novel. If the story doesn’t call for sex, then don’t squeeze it in just because (hell, I see the three instances I describe above being squeezed in almost all the time without nearly as much ire). But if it fits the story, include it. Show it’s a part of everyday life. Show how it affects the characters and thus how they feel when various horrors happen to them or their partners.

Sex, especially with someone we feel strongly about, is a willing placement into vulnerability. It’s sharing your most intimate parts with someone else, leaving you at their mercy. It’s a choice someone makes to be vulnerable, and that vulnerability can be even scarier than the most crazed killer. I think horror would do well to explore that. Don’t be afraid of good sex in your story. Go ahead: make us scream.

Sonora Taylor is the award-winning author of several short story collections and novels, including Little Paranoias: Stories, Without Condition, and Seeing Things. Her short stories have been published by Camden Park Press, Kandisha Press, Cemetery Gates Media, The Sirens Call, Tales to Terrify, and more. The sex scenes in her work have been described as “hot” by multiple horror reviewers. She lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband and a rescue dog.