Cosmic Horror

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A community to discuss Cosmic Horror in it's many forms; books, films, comics, art, TV, music, RPGs, video games etc.

"cosmic horror... is a subgenre of horror fiction and weird fiction that emphasizes the horror of the unknowable and incomprehensible more than gore or other elements of shock... themes of cosmic dread, forbidden and dangerous knowledge, madness, non-human influences on humanity, religion and superstition, fate and inevitability, and the risks associated with scientific discoveries... the sense that ordinary life is a thin shell over a reality that is so alien and abstract in comparison that merely contemplating it would damage the sanity of the ordinary person, insignificance and powerlessness at the cosmic scale..."

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What Is cosmic horror? Best movies + tips for playing a Lovecraftian character (www.backstage.com)

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Here, we dive into the weird worlds of cosmic horror, discuss films that define the genre onscreen, and offer tips to actors and creators looking to (love)craft their own projects.

What is cosmic horror?

At its core, cosmic horror asks the question: What if humanity is truly insignificant in the grand scheme of the universe? The genre often involves characters who seek knowledge, only to encounter creatures, concepts, or locations that are beyond human comprehension.

Why is cosmic horror scary? It erases the natural human comfort that we’re important and our lives have meaning. At the heart of every cosmic horror story is the most ancient fear of all: fear of the unknown.

These types of stories are also called eldritch horror or Lovecraftian horror—after the writer who pioneered the concept, H.P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft’s stories often involve terrors so great they defy definition, as well as a race of “Elder Gods” who view humans the way we might regard ants on the side of the road.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

The “quirk”. Something that your character does that none of the others do. Addiction to hallucinogenic substances is an easy one. Of course the shadows crawl for me! Or, specifically artistic. Painting still lifes? They alway have flies because your muse is a rotting corpse that is just off canvas. Mismatched socks because your particular demon can’t follow you for some specific reason. Obsessive compulsive when opening doors to avoid walking into the wrong dimension, or letting something crossover. An object that you fidget with that keeps you invisible to the otherworld that you’re hyper-realistically aware of. Of course you’re a manic mess when it’s misplaced. And paranoid. Heirlooms. The whatever-it-is has been a part of your family for generations, and handed down from parent to child (oh! be the oldest or youngest, or only gender of your family). The responsibility falls to the eldest son, the curse is put upon the youngest child and that’s why your poor, tired mother had 17 children before you, or, the curse is dormant as long as a daughter is born each generation. I dunno, stuff like that?