Lovecraftian horror

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Lovecraftian horror is a sub-genre of horror which emphasizes the psychological horror of the unknown (in some cases, unknowable) over gore or other elements of shock, which may still be present.[1]

Contents

[edit] Origin

H. P. Lovecraft refined this style of story-telling into his own mythos that involved a set of supernatural, pre-human and extra-terrestrial elements.[2] His work was informed by and similar to that of previous authors such as Edgar Allan Poe.[3] The hallmark of Lovecraft's work was the sense that ordinary life was a thin shell over a reality which was so abstract in comparison that merely contemplating it would damage the sanity of the ordinary person.

Lovecraft's work was also steeped in the insular feel of rural New England, and much of the genre continues to maintain this sense that "that which man was not meant to know" might be closer to the surface of ordinary life outside of the crowded cities of modern civilization. However, Lovecraftian horror is by no means restricted to the countryside; 'The Horror at Red Hook', for instance, is set in a crowded ethnic ghetto.

[edit] Themes of Lovecraftian horror

Several themes found in Lovecraft's writings are considered to be a component of a "Lovecraftian" work:

  • Anti-anthropocentrism, misanthropy in general. Lovecraft's works tend not to focus on characterization of humans, in line with his view of humanity's insignificant place in the universe.
  • Preoccupation with viscerate texture. The "horror" features of Lovecraft's stories tend to involve semi-gelatinous substances, such as slime, as opposed to standard horror tropes such as blood, bones, or corpses.
  • Antiquarian writing style. Even when dealing with up-to-date technology, Lovecraft tended to use anachronisms as well as old-fashioned words when dealing with such things (e.g., he used the term "men of science" rather than the modern word, "scientist") and often spelled "show" as "shew".
  • Detachment. Lovecraftian heroes (both in original writings and in more modern adaptations) tend to be isolated individuals, usually with an academic or scholary bent.
  • Helplessness and hopelessness. Although Lovecraftian heroes may occasionally deal a "setback" to malignant forces, their victories are temporary, and they usually pay a price for it. Otherwise, subjects often find themselves completely unable to simply run away, instead driven by some other force to their desperate end.
  • Unanswered questions. Characters in Lovecraft's stories rarely if ever fully understand what is happening to them, and often go insane if they try.

[edit] Collaborators and followers

Much of Lovecraft's influence is secondary, as he was a friend, inspiration, and correspondent to many authors who would gain fame through their creations. Many of these also worked with Lovecraft on jointly-written stories. His more famous friends and collaborators include Robert Bloch, author of Psycho; Robert E. Howard, Conan the Barbarian; and August Derleth, who codified and added to the Cthulhu Mythos.

Subsequent horror writers also heavily drew on Lovecraft's work. While many made direct references to elements of Lovecraft's mythos, either to draw on its associations or to acknowledge his influence, many others drew on the feel and tone of his work without specifically referring to mythos elements. Some have said that Lovecraft, along with Edgar Allan Poe, is the most influential author on modern horror. Author Stephen King has said: "Now that time has given us some perspective on his work, I think it is beyond doubt that H.P. Lovecraft has yet to be surpassed as the Twentieth Century's greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale."

By the late 20th century, Lovecraft had become something of a pop-culture icon, resulting in countless reinterpretations of and references to his work. Many of these fall outside the sphere of 'Lovecraftian horror' proper and are not discussed here; see instead Cthulhu Mythos in popular culture.

[edit] Literature and art

Lovecraft has also had a profound influence on what is considered more "highbrow" literature. The fantasias of the Argentinian short story writer and essayist Jorge Luis Borges display a marked resemblance to some of Lovecraft's more dream influenced work, and Borges was known to be an admirerer of Lovecraft. The controversial French novelist Michel Houellebecq has also cited Lovecraft as an influence and has written a lengthy essay on Lovecraft entitled H.P. Lovecraft: Against the World, Against Life in which he refers to the Cthulhu cycle as "the great texts."

Lovecraft's penchant for dreamscapes and for the biologically macabre has also profoundly influenced visual artists such as Jean Giraud Mobius and H.R. Giger. Giger's book of paintings which led directly to many of the designs for the film Alien was named Necronomicon, a clear reference to Lovecraft. Dan O'Bannon, the original writer of the Alien screenplay, has also mentioned Lovecraft as a major influence on the film.

[edit] Movies and television

With the advent of film, Lovecraftian horror truly became a sub-genre, fueling not only direct adaptations of Poe and Lovecraft, but providing the foundation upon which many of the horror films of the 1950s and 1960s were constructed. One notable movie-maker to dip into the Lovecraftian well was 1960s B-movie maker, Roger Corman, though in 1965 Die, Monster, Die! (an adaptation of The Colour out of Space so loose that it was nearly unrelated), caused movie makers to re-consider the value of Lovecraftian horror.

Rod Serling's 1969-73 series, Night Gallery, adapted at least two Lovecraft stories, "Pickman's Model" and "Cool Air." The episode "Professor Peabody's Last Lecture", concerning the fate of a man who read the Necronomicon, included a student named "Mr. Lovecraft". Another five minute short was called "Ms. Lovecraft Sent Me", about a babysitter and her strange client.

In the late 1970s a revival of the horror movie genre was based on the success of Stephen King and Brian de Palma's Carrie; John Carpenter's Halloween; and Dan O'Bannon and Ridley Scott's Alien. All three movies bore Lovecraftian influences to one degree or another, and their authors were deeply influenced by Lovecraft's works. As the 1980s and 1990s played out, Lovecraftian horror became a recognizable film staple in such varied films as the self-referential In the Mouth of Madness, the comedic Re-Animator, and Carpenter's Antarctic horror The Thing.

Past 2000, the genre continues to grow in influence. 2004's Hellboy, for example, is an adaptation of the comic book of the same name. Its creator Mike Mignola has described the books as being influenced primarily by the legend of Dracula and the works of H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard.[4]

[edit] Games

Lovecraft's characters and settings have appeared in many video games and role-playing games. Some of these used Lovecraft's creations chiefly for 'name value' (again, see also Cthulhu Mythos in popular culture), but others have embraced Lovecraft's characteristic mood and themes.

[edit] Roleplaying

Roleplaying games and Lovecraftian themes have had a complicated history.

Dungeons and Dragons features several monsters (e.g. the illithid and aboleth) inspired by Lovecraft's works; in October 2004, Dragon magazine published a lengthy article titled "The Shadow Over D&D: H. P. Lovecraft's Influence on Dungeons & Dragons" discussing these influences. The first edition of Deities & Demigods featured a section on the Cthulhu mythos, but that section was removed shortly thereafter for copyright reasons. The Manual of the Planes features a set of planes that feature alien and incomprehensible (for mortal) themes and creatures much like those of the Cthulhu Mythos.[5]

While Dungeons and Dragons is chiefly a heroic fantasy game, linked to Lovecraft more by its creatures than its themes, the Ravenloft setting draws heavily on Lovecraft as well as other horror authors.

Call of Cthulhu, a role playing game which has seen many revisions, conversions and adaptations, is directly based on the Cthulhu mythos and strives for Lovecraftian horror. In keeping with its source material, and unlike most other role-playing games, characters who attempt to confront its monsters directly are likely to die or be driven insane rather than succeed. This is reinforced by the game's best-known feature, a mechanic by which knowledge about mythos entities can only be gained at a permanent cost to one's sanity.

Steve Jackson Games' GURPS, a genre-neutral game system, makes frequent references to elements of the Cthulhu mythos, but does not usually adopt a Lovecraftian mood. As an exception, one GURPS setting, Cthulhupunk, was a licensed adaptation of Call of Cthulhu into a cyberpunk setting.

[edit] Video games

Video games, like films have a rich history of Lovecraftian elements and adaptations.[6] In 1987, The Lurking Horror was the first to bring the Lovecraftian horror sub-genre to the multiple computer platforms. This was a text based adventure game, released by Infocom, who are best known for the Zork series.

As 3-D computer graphics games developed, so too did the Lovecraftian influences. In 1992, Alone in the Dark was published for the PC, claiming to be inspired by the works of Lovecraft on its retail box. In the seminal 3D first person shooter, Quake in 1996, environments, creatures (including names such as Shub-Niggurath), and the atmosphere of the game were very Lovecraftian, with the architecture of the otherworldly dimension resembling many of Lovecraft's descriptions of ancient ruins and alien worlds. The three sequels, as of 2005, contain no Lovecraftian elements, however, and have opted for a more typical science fiction approach.

Console games also felt the influence of Lovecraft's works. The Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth game for the Xbox in 2005 is directly set in the world of Lovecraft, largely based around the short story "The Shadow Over Innsmouth". The game contains many settings of "Lovecraft Country", as well as alien worlds and planes of existence.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Harms, Daniel (2006). The Encyclopedia Cthulhiana: A Guide to Lovecraftian Horror. Chaosium.
  2. ^ Lovecraft, H. P. (1992). Crawling Chaos: Selected works 1920-1935 H. P. Lovecraft, introduction by Colin Wilson, Creation Press.
  3. ^ Bloch, Robert (August 1973). "Poe & Lovecraft". Ambrosia (No. 2).
  4. ^ Fassbender, Tom. Interviews: Mike Mignola. Dark Horse.
  5. ^ Jacobs, James (October 2004). "The Shadow Over D&D: H. P. Lovecraft's Influence on Dungeons & Dragons". Dragon (#324).
  6. ^ Zenke, Michael. Dreading the Shadows on the Wall. The Escapist.

[edit] References

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