How H. P. Lovecraft Scares You

H. P. Lovecraft is the writer of some of the scariest horror stories. His creations are an immutable part of our popular culture. But what actually makes his stories so scary?

Come with me as I explore how H. P. Lovecraft uses the idea of the uncanny to make his stories absolutely terrifying.

Amazon Affiliate Link:

* To Support Me: *

[jacobmcdonald]

Generic positive comment to assist with the algorithm of a creator that I enjoy.

[CZsWorld]

I love how you broke down the human-level reasons behind Lovecraft's unsettling-ness. I analyse horror for a living and I actually learned a lot! Great video.

[SamGarcia]

Zoe: We trust the apple
Doctors: *sweats profusely*

[suzannecooke]

I once lent an anthology of Lovecraft stories to a friend. He called me at 2am waking us up. He told me he had been reading the stories non-stop and now couldn't sleep. He just wanted me to talk him back ro reality. ( we played D&D with the same group and so had a great sense of imagination). Instead I told him To KEEP ON READING! I told him that eventually the stories will become a bit absurd due to Lovecraft's love and over use of certain phrases and words. Batrachian, gibbous, shambling are examples. This worked for him.

[maloryfunction]

Can't get over the fact that you're a college educator talking about lovecraft.
As a junior in college, I would absolutely take an entire class on studying him and his works

[BeautifulEarthJa]

Lady, I need you to do more Lovecraft reading against that musical background. ugh. heavenly.

[CossackGene]

Honestly the description of The Whisperer in Darkness here is scarier than the story itself, because the way it's written, you already know how it's going to end just a couple of pages in, and you spend the whole story going "YOU AREN'T TALKING TO AKELEY! WILMARTH YOU INCORRIGIBLE DUMBASS". The reader's main emotion is irritation.

[aeixo]

I hate it when an apple betrays my trust.

[IAmNumber]

"We _TRUST_ the apple."

Felt like I got hypnotized a little bit by that sentence.

[TheDoctor.]

Anyone whose intro is Erik Satie or other beautiful composers and then transitions into reading Lovecraft deserves a sub for sure... I'm really excited to see what else comes out of this channel.

[ArmchairEgyptology]

I think the thing about Lovecraft's awfulness is that it is itself uncanny. To most reasonably progressive folks nowadays, his talent as a writer, his insightfulness, makes his awful views on.... everything... really jarring. The creative, open minded man we think we infer simply isn't there, replaced by a monster we didn't see until it was upon us.

Lovecraft was haunted by a feeling that he didn't fit in, and he turned that onto the world in anger. I get it. I wish I didn't, but I do. And I think when we say "Lovecraft was an awful person" we need to stare that inner conflict in the eye. He was more introspective about his regressive nature than, say, Tolkein. And, in the end, at least on paper, he showed some remorse. Not enough! But some.

[rachelk]

When psychologists are dealing with phobias, they use exposure therapy, the basis is that familiarity will teach them that the thing they fear won't cause them harm.

With PTSD it is different. You know the terror of the familiar, exposure just causes further trauma, reminders trigger panic. Sometimes the known is worse than the unknown.

[Lycandros]

Those extra subtle video edits thrown in really enhanced the experience. 18:07 was the first I noticed. Wonderful

[illusoryjoys]

“Our brains are lazy”
Me, procrastinating: didn’t need to be attacked rn

[johnlastname]

The first time that my grandfather ate a tomato he was tricked into believing that it was an apple. He refused to eat tomatoes for the rest of his life because he associated the taste with rotten apples.

[CristalianaIvor]

Honestly the first ten minutes of the video made me think about it being one reason for transphobia:

We have those two boxes: men and women.
Now there come trans people and we put them into a box, but they say "no, I belong into the other box!". As long as they "pass" and people can agree on putting them into the other box, ok. But now come nonbinary people, or trans people mid transition that don't pass:
They threaten the whole concept of the gender binary, they refuse to fit into either of the boxes...
Our brain doesn't like this, hence the transphobia (can also be internalized!).

[GoopyDuperdaughter]

The shadow-Clad skull in the background. Nice touch. Consider moving it slightly at intervals. And Lovecraft is literally using fear itself. In such a precise way, riding that perfect line between known and unknown. And you describe his craft better than evidently he did. Very well done

[lalas]

Lovecraft stuff from someone who _doesn't_ go on endlessly about how "The Left is trying to CaNcEl Lovecraft stuff!!!!11!!1"? Hell yes! I can actually engage with cosmic horror without feeling unwanted. I love this. Good stuff! Definitely watching the other two videos in this series.

[athavulf]

You have amazing storytelling skill. I've heard of and been intrigued by Lovecraft in the past, but you make me want to actually read it for myself, and I am an avid reader. Thank you.

[denglish]

I love how the concept that horror is derivative of uncanny, kind of like a twist on the known, parallels with, in the words of jimmy carr, humor as the simple twist of unexpectedness. It reminds me a lot of the parallel between tragedy and comedy.