Exploring Cosmic Horror in Science Fiction

Cosmic Horror is a concept that has exploded in popularity in recent times. But of course, this is a type of horror that great authors have been utilizing for many decades. More than anyone else, HP Lovecraft is associated with this concept. He is in fact, as many of you already know, considered to be the father of cosmic horror, which is often referred to as Lovecraftian horror. Many authors since Lovecraft's death have written stories within his universe continuing the tradition of cosmic horror. Others like Stephen King, have adapted these concepts in their own works. In this video we will be looking at cosmic horror from one specific angle, we Will discuss the usage of cosmic horror in science-fiction specifically.

I would argue that many of Lovecraft’s works are actually science fiction, to begin with, as any of them have ideas traditionally associated with the science fiction Genre. Beings from outer space, strange technology, Machines capable of flying through space.

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[frankb]

One of the things I really like about Lovecraft is he has some truly alien representations of aliens. Not just humans with some bumps on their heads or whatever.

[faltigeralexandro]

George R.R. Martin also wrote a short story called "The Stone City", where archeologists discover a vast labyrinth (similar to the ones described in the Hyperion books) on a distant planet. When one of the reseatchers studying the ruin starts walking its hallways, he find that the labyrinth is so vast and non-euclidian (another Lovercraft-trope), that he can visit other worlds without the need for a spaceship.

However, he quickly becomes so engrossed in the sights the city has to show him, that he goes mad, never actually leaving the city at any point, just walking it forever, because he doesn't want to give up the possibility of the next world he sees being even better than the ones he saw before (basically, the cosmic horror equivalent of any Netflix-playlist ;-P ).

[dreal]

One of the best cosmic horrors is "Event Horizon."

[wordsofcheresie]

Lovecraft wrote a true science fiction story "In the Walls of Eryx". It is unusual in that it is definitely science fiction, but also in that Lovecraft shows a lot of sympathy for the aliens.

[jlworrad]

Not only was Lovecraft's writing often science fictional, it was becoming increasingly so (Compare early Poe-inspired work like The Outsider to his last work The Shadow Out Of Time for instance). Had he have lived a couple more decades he would have been writing in the era of Clarke and Asimov and Heinlein and it's fascinating to think what that would have been like.

[katmannsson]

The Real Cosmic Horror was the Friends we made along the way

[andrewkawam]

Have you ever read William Hope Hodgson? He was a cosmic horror writer from before Lovecraft’s time who Lovecraft himself even acknowledged as a major influence on his work. The complexity and originality to which he took that cosmic horror and tied it up with some flawed but floorlessly deep intimate relationships in a way that was
mostly unsentimental and had really Miltonian undertones, most obvious in The House on the Borderland and The Night Land, is really unparalleled and a must for cosmic horror fans.

[exoblivione]

Please talk about Robert Chambers “The King in Yellow” written in 1895. It influenced Lovecraft massively.

[tomkerruish]

4:45 The French have the term _fantastique_ which overlaps science fiction, fantasy, and horror.

[controlvoice]

"The House on the Borderlands" by William Hope Hodgeson is an early example of Cosmic Horror that predates Lovecraft and a gripping read.

[happyhammer]

You should check out Stephen Kings short story _Jerusalems lot_ . It's a prequel to Salems lot that explains why the town is evil and why evil beings like Vampires are attracted to it. Aside from _It_ it's the most Lovecraftian story King has done. Even down to the story being told through Journal entries.

[polishedpebble]

If you read Lovecraft chronologically, you can see him exploring and expanding the "unkown". First it's life after death, then dreams, family histories, pre history civilizations, magic beyond science, science actually able to explore more, subterranean dwellers, deep sea dwellers, and then deep space dwellers.
He's exploring the Unknown foremost, and paranoia can spin that into horror.

[T-jd]

You've been on fire lately. Love it!

[jimtroeltsch]

Stanislaw Lem is a fantastic sci fi writer who often features creatures, beings, forces that are completely alien to our human understanding and so unknowable. Solaris is his most well known book.

[johnpretorius]

I can remember reading Lovecraft as a teen and thinking, 'this is closer to sci fi than horror'. That said, I feel that Ridley Scott's Prometheus wanted to be a Lovecraftian / cosmic horror story and being sunk by script and plot problems.

[Snakie]

I won't pretend I've read a lot of cosmic horror, but the line "In his house at R'Lyeh dead Cthulu waits dreaming" gave me goosebumps when I read "The Call of Cthulu". And still gives me goosebumps when I think about it today. Just so evacuative.

[kokepasu]

Would you ever discuss The Left Hand of Darkness? I haven't seen anyone else really do it, and it would fit so well with your channel's content. It's one of my favorite books 🙏

[HArryvajonas]

For me, as much as lovecraft's ideas, his prose contributes such a great deal to his stories.

[ArAnXx]

I think the main thing that makes Cosmic Horror so interesting is that everything about it comes from a very primal place in our minds, it digs deep in the part of our thoughts that we've been trying to forget and pretend it never existed and Lovecraft goes to that place and explores it and you as a reader don't really want to know more about it but you can't help but feel curious, like a dark terrible curiosity.

[cmmosher]

I always liked the term Weird Fiction that came from the crossover of horror sci fi and fantasy from the times of the pulps.