Today is a sad day for horror fans around the world as one of the most iconic artists and creature creators of all time has passed away. H.R. Giger passed at the far too young age of 74 years old. His work was not only unique and original, but will stand the test of time. It is with great sadness that we have to announce that his passing occurred in a hospital where he was being treated for serious injuries that he had sustained from a fall over the weekend.
I first encountered Giger’s work far too young when I stayed up late and watched ‘Alien’ when I was roughly 8 years old. What should have scarred me as a child (and did give me nightmares for months) opened my eyes and appreciation to horror. Due to my first real scare by the Xenomorphs that H.R. Giger created, the horror genre has become a focal point to much of my love of media from books to film. This man’s work is the single most reason that I love horror the way that I do.
H.R. Giger was responsible for quite a bit of amazing visual effects in his time. From the Xenomorphs and everything else from the ‘Alien’ franchise (which he won an Oscar for in ‘Best Visual Effects’) to his work on Sil for ‘Species‘ to the amazing designs used in ‘Prometheus‘ as well as the work that he did for ‘Jodorowsky’s Dune’. His art and style are just amazing and it is a shame that we will no longer see his unique style on the big screen. While he is most recognized for the ‘Alien’ franchise, Ridley Scott had first come across his work in the illustrated book ‘Necronomicon’. Prior to that Giger had already released many pieces of artwork and had been commissioned for a multitude of album covers. His surreal style will always be an inspiration to his fans.
All of us at ScienceFiction.com send our heartfelt condolences to Giger’s family, friends and fans.
RIP H.R. Giger (1940-2014)
