Cosmic Horror

We’re back and we’re and we’re contemplating the secrets of the universe. People have warned us that it isn’t good for the human psyche to truly understand its insignificance in the wider cosmos. Luckily, as podcasters, our egos are robust enough to withstand such a spiritual winnowing. Cosmic horror is only genuinely horrific if your place in the universe isn’t secured by the occasional appearance towards the bottom of a niche podcast chart! Main Topic: Cosmic Horror This episode is our long-overdue look at cosmic horror. The term “cosmic horror” is often used as a synonym for Lovecraftian horror. Is there more to this relationship, however? For all his passion for the genre, how effective was Lovecraft at writing cosmic horror? How can we bring cosmic dread into our games of Call of Cthulhu? And what the hell is cosmic horror anyway? Once again, the pandemic means we recorded this episode remotely. Although, on a cosmic scale, we’re practically in the same room. Links Things we mention in this episode include: * Alien (1979)* The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy* Trebuchet Magazine* Buffer overflows* “The Rats in the Walls” by HP Lovecraft* “Supernatural Horror in Literature” by HP Lovecraft* WB Yeats* The Quatermass Experiment* Azathoth* The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by HP Lovecraft* Yog-Sothoth* The Gods of Pegāna by Lord Dunsany* “The Music of Erich Zann” by HP Lovecraft* Body horror* The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay * “Nyarlathotep” by HP Lovecraft* “The Nine Billion Names of God” by Arthur C Clarke* Solaris by Stanislaw Lem* Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky* Solaris (1972)* Solaris (2002)* Arrival (2016)* “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang*