Unleashing the Horrors of Black Meta: A Cronenbergian Exploration of Humanity and Technology
As the founder of Black Meta, I am proud to say that I have been heavily influenced by the works of David Cronenberg, who is arguably the king of body scifi horror. His unique approach to exploring humanity, technology, and society through visceral bodily transformation has served as a major inspiration for our project, particularly when it comes to the evolution paths of our NFTs.
The scifi horror genre has always been a place where filmmakers and creators can explore daring and provocative themes, and that is exactly what we have sought to do with Black Meta. The passengers of the Research Facility floating in space are experimented on and exposed to the Dark Shards, a powerful cosmic element originating from a dark star. This exposure leads to a series of bodily transformations that are both horrifying and thought-provoking.
One of the ways that we have explored these transformations in Black Meta is through the creation of new species, each with their own unique evolution paths. Take for example the ENHANCED, a race of fully integrated machine/human hybrids who identify as neither man nor machine, but rather the inevitable pinnacle of evolution. Their biohacking and technological advancements have allowed them to make the most out of their humanity and their environment, and they have rebelled against the idea of “purity” espoused by the increasingly isolated Human population.
On the other end of the spectrum are the CORRUPTED, once fully human but now mutated by prolonged exposure to the Dark Shards into pale approximations of moral creatures driven by the relentless need to consume. Their boundaries opaque, their skin translucent, even the Corrupted themselves do not know the limits of their powers. They pursue Dark Shards with every waking thought, pushing them further and further into a contorted interphase between life and death, between power and destruction.
Then there are the CHIMERA, creations of the geneticists on board the ship who sought to create a more robust human population capable of withstanding harsher climates and higher gravity. These scientists let their egos run rampant, each attempting to outdo the other in creativity and boldness, resulting in a generation of self-sustaining, biologically-cohesive Human/Animal hybrids. From the Reptilians to the Avians to the more dangerous Predator Hybrids, each offshoot quickly became genetically independent, able to reproduce only with others of their species.
And finally, there are the PURE, the elite from each race who have undergone extensive upgrades to their core architecture to become perfect specimens of dark horror. Machinery has been replaced, genes mutated, claws sharpened, and gray matter folded again and again. When individuals reach this level, they have reached the limits of their race, evolving into their purest forms.
While the evolution paths of these NFTs may seem fantastical, they are rooted in the same philosophical questions that David Cronenberg’s work explores. What does it mean to be human? How does technology shape our lives? What is the role of evolution in our existence? Black Meta seeks to grapple with these questions through the lens of scifi horror, just as Cronenberg has done throughout his career.
Read more about the Evolutionary Paths as part of the Black Meta world.
