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Falstaff Infection posted:Maybe I'm alone in this, but I sort of feel like Lovecraft just isn't scary to modern audiences. It seems that so much of the horror in his works relies on a belief in a well-ordered universe in which humanity is important. Nobody really believes that anymore, so I dunno if HPL can really have the same impact as he did in the 20s. That said, I still enjoy reading his works from time to time-- I dig the rich, musty early-20th-century flavor. Pickman's Model is probably my favorite. I actually think that Algernon Blackwood was better w/r/t "weird" fiction, though. anilEhilated posted:I imagine most fans are in it for the mythology; Lovecraft's imaginary worlds and gods still inspire awe and kind of an otherworldly beauty. His monsters are genuinely cool even nowadays. I think this is quite true. My personal favourites are the Dream Cycle stories, which are Dunsany pastiche fantasy rather than straight horror. It's worth noting that when Lovecraft was writing the boundaries between horror, fantasy and sci-fi weren't as defined as they are today, particularly with regard to fantasy and horror. HPL's stories are much better if you're in it for Weird rather than straight scary.
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Dec 25, 2014 22:07
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navyjack posted:Germane to the HPL and Racism topic, I'm working out some ideas for a cosmic horror-themed group of fantasy stories, and I've tripped over a few land mines like the Tcho-tcho and the miscegenation issues with the Deep Ones already. Most of the time, you can keep the cool aspects and jettison the problematic baggage (or at least replace it with your OWN problematic baggage), but what else should I look out for? Focus on environmental catastrophe and the possibility of western progressive politics imploding under the pressure of resource depletion. Write monsters and evil humans as fascists, white supremacists and other modern day bads. Work out what you are your audience value and under what circumstances those values might be destroyed. Personify that threat in supernatural, alien evil.
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Sep 2, 2015 20:05
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