Is 'Brainwyrms' A Horror Or Sci-Fi Novel?

I tore through 'Brainwyrms' last weekend, and calling it just horror or sci-fi feels too limiting. It's a brutal fusion of both, like if David Cronenberg decided to write a cyberpunk nightmare. The horror elements hit hard—body horror so visceral it made me squirm, psychological torment that lingers, and this creeping dread about identity erosion. But it's equally sci-fi, with neural parasites that hack human consciousness, tech that blurs the line between organic and artificial, and a near-future setting where bioengineering has gone grotesquely wrong. The book doesn't pick a lane; it drags you down both at once, which is why it sticks in your head like the titular brainwyrms. If you liked 'The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect' or 'The Haar', this'll wreck you in the best way.

As someone who reads both genres obsessively, 'Brainwyrms' defies easy categorization. The sci-fi framework is undeniable—it's set in a speculative future where corporations weaponize biotech, creating parasitic organisms that interface directly with human nervous systems. The descriptions of neural networks being hijacked read like hard sci-fi, with jargon that feels plausibly cutting-edge.

But the execution is pure horror. The brainwyrms aren't just tools; they're monstrous entities that twist their hosts' minds in Lovecraftian ways. One scene where a character realizes their memories are being overwritten by the parasite's instincts is more terrifying than any slasher film. The novel also explores existential dread through its sci-fi premise, asking whether we're still human if our thoughts aren't our own. It's like 'Annihilation' meets 'Tetsuo: The Iron Man', with a side of corporate dystopia. For similar vibes, check out 'The Loop' by Jeremy Robert Johnson or 'Parasite Eve' for that perfect genre blend.

Horror fans will claim 'Brainwyrms', sci-fi fans will fight for it, but honestly? It's a transgressive hybrid that uses sci-fi concepts to amplify its horror. The brainwyrms themselves are a sci-fi creation—genetically engineered organisms designed for data theft—but their effects are horror gold. Imagine waking up to find your hands moving without your control, or hearing voices that are actually the parasite's hive mind broadcasting through your synapses. The novel weaponizes scientific plausibility to make the terror hit harder.

What fascinated me most was how it mirrors real-world fears about tech eroding humanity. The parasites are literalized versions of social media addiction or AI dependency, making the horror feel uncomfortably relevant. The pacing leans more horror, with relentless tension and grotesque set pieces, but the world-building is undeniably sci-fi. If you enjoy works that straddle genres like 'The Southern Reach Trilogy' or 'Infected' by Scott Sigler, this is your next obsession.