Cosmic Horror is a sub-genre that deals with the existential dread of being insignificant in the scope of all things. In an unfathomable universe filled with vast and dangerous powers, you are nothing.
Psychopathic killers and supernatural elements might fill your mind with fear and set your heart racing, but these things fall short compared to the unknowable horrors of the cosmos. Instead of jump-scares and single-element terrors, cosmic horror takes on larger and less tangible fears like the darkness of space, the deepness of the ocean, and the vast expanse of the sky.
In cosmic horror, these fears are virtually inescapable. Characters that confront these fears rarely find a happy ending; rather, the sheer weight of those fears often drives them to insanity. The only true hope is blind ignorance.
What Defines Cosmic Horror
Cosmic Horror expresses itself in a number of ways. Whether in film, literature, art, or any other medium, these are some of the common things you’ll find in cosmic horror stories:
1. Sanity
Characters in cosmic horror often ignore rationality and sanity to the point that others identify them as odd or creepy. Their knowledge of the incomprehensible horrors of reality drive them to madness, often irreversibly.
2. Cosmic Indifference
Humans are so insignificant in the scope of cosmic reality that most cosmic horrors are indifferent to our actions. At best, we’re footnotes in the history of the universe, and at worst, we merit no attention whatsoever.
3. Alienation
In most cosmic horror stories, there’s a pervading feeling of being alone. Central characters are often separated from society due to their peculiar traits, history, or behavior. People are unwelcoming, suspicious, and quick to discriminate against things that they do not understand. The world itself is hinted at as a “paradise” compared to the nightmares that fill the rest of reality.
4. Indescribable Evils
The evils that permeate cosmic horror stories are so alien in appearance and mentality that characters struggle to even assign them a simple description. This alien quality is so destructive in fact, that knowing them, seeing them, or simply being near them can drive people to madness.
5. Secret Knowledge
Most often, what leads a character to their destruction is the pursuit of forbidden knowledge. This forbidden knowledge reveals the truth of the universe to the character, leading them to discover the existence of a cult, or giving them a glimpse of eldritch abominations. At this point, there is no turning back, and the character’s doom is almost certainly guaranteed.
6. Cults and Secret Societies
Another common antagonistic element is the existence of agents working for any number of indescribable evils. They often take the form of hidden cults with a wide network and are often populated by powerful men and women.
Cosmic Horror Books
Cosmic horror can be a complex genre to explore. We’ve made it easier for you with a few suggestions to get you started.
1. The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen
For lovers of Classical stories.
The novel starts with an experiment that allows a woman named Mary to see the supernatural world. Not long after, a series of mysterious deaths and other strange events surround a woman called Helen Vaughan. Cornered by the protagonists, she is forced to kill herself, and then undergoes a series of disturbing transformations.
2. Songs of a Dead Dreamer by Thomas Ligotti
For those who love stories that tackle the existential.
This short story collection is divided into three sections: Dreams for Sleepwalkers, Dreams for Insomniacs, and Dreams for the Dead. Each story tackles the insignificance of our world and the madness that exists in the human condition, all written in a cold, clinical voice.
3. The Imago Sequence and Other Stories by Laird Barron
For fans of New Weird fiction.
The titular story of this anthology chronicles the narrator, Marvin, and his developing obsession with the final photo of the Imago Sequence, a three-piece photographic art whose final piece remains a mystery. Having never been displayed in public and rumored as non-existent, the final photo might not be what Marvin expects it to be.
4. White is For Witching by Helen Oyeyemi
For those who love female-centered stories.
The Silver family mansion in Dover, England has been home to four generations of Silver women. Its hidden passages and dark corners hold a supernatural connection to each of its female inhabitants. With the sudden death of of her mother, Miranda Silver begins to suffer from abnormal ailments, and the Silver family must finally confront the darkness hidden in their history.
5. The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
For those who love retellings.
Tommy Tester is a hustler who makes a living in the streets of 1924 Harlem. He’s always kept a low profile, content in the anonymity of being a street magician. But when a wealthy recluse offers him a job he can’t pass up, he suddenly finds himself in the sights of things best left sleeping.
6. The Fisherman by John Langan
For those who fear deep waters.
Dan and Abe are widowers who bond over their mutual interest in fishing. They become interested in Dutchman’s Creek, a fishing spot where the fish are bountiful and easy to catch. Will they be dissuaded by a local who knows the truth about the creek, or will they ignore the warnings?
7. What the Hell Did I Just Read by David Wong
For fans of horror comedy.
All Dave Wong knows is that Maggie Knoll vanished due to a shape-shifting supernatural entity. But then someone that looks like him reveals where Maggie was held. Worse, she identifies Dave as her kidnapper. Things get weirder when time-traveling cops, ghouls, and false memories somehow enter the mix.
H.P. Lovecraft’s Enduring Influence and Controversial Legacy
Cosmic horror owes much of its history thanks to H.P. Lovecraft, who is generally credited as the genre’s founder. He’s written and influenced so many of these stories that “Lovecraftian horror” has become interchangeable with cosmic horror.
Some of his famous novellas are The Shadow Over Innsmouth, At the Mountains of Madness, and The Shadow Out of Time. His short story, The Call of Cthulhu, has become a central mythos for the genre.
But let’s not ignore the big, cosmic elephant in the room: H.P. Lovecraft was undeniably racist, classicist, and xenophobic. He was a brilliant and influential writer whose legacy is complicated by his white supremacist views. Most of his stories contain elements of fear from non-Anglo-Saxons, channeling it into horrible monsters and fear of the unknown.
Reading his works can be shocking and disturbing not only for their horror, but also the clear, racist overtones that pervade them. But if you can (temporarily) get past his racist tendencies, his stories are a worthwhile read in discovering how he shaped modern horror.
Is Cosmic Horror for You?
If you’re already a hardcore horror fan, then this is definitely the next subgenre you should explore. Take a break from the tangible horror that frequents the genre and check out a whole other kind of nightmare.
If you’re not much of a horror fan, cosmic horror might be a difficult genre to get into right off the bat, but it does offer a philosophical outlook on the universe more than other horror sub-genres.
It touches on the risks associated with human advancements, religion, superstition, and the inevitability of fate. If you’re interested in these kinds of things, then cosmic horror may just be right up your alley.
Reading Cosmic Horror
Cosmic horror has since evolved from the pessimistic outlook of Lovecraft’s works. Today, cosmic horror writers bring in a diversity of perspectives to the genre, tackling it from every direction.
Frequently subverting and re-assembling the genre, these writers offer fresh ideas that are not only horrifying but also deeply contemplative.
There’s a disorienting terror to discovering things that you don’t understand. That’s the fear that lies in the center of cosmic horror.
These are the basic things you’ll need to know before you dive deep into this genre’s pool. Hopefully, you’ve learned something new, and discovered a few recommendations to boot! Enjoy your reading!
What was your first reading experience with cosmic horror? Share it in the comments below!
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Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
