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High Strangeness [Discussion]
(lemmy.ml)
H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos is a shared universe far larger and more terrifying than that of humanity, where ancient, malevolent beings known as the Great Old Ones slumber in the depths of space or time. After Lovecraft's death, the Mythos has been expanded and developed by many authors, including August Derleth, Clark Ashton Smith, and Robert E. Howard. These and many other authors have helped to flesh out the Mythos into a rich and complex Dark Universe.
Rules:
๐ For more cosmic horror: !cosmichorror@lemm.ee ๐
HP Lovecraft invented cosmic horror and the concept of "High Strangeness" talked about here. To me, they're hand in hand. If it doesn't have incomprehensible beings, events, or even colors, then it isn't cosmic horror.
and the lasting feeling that you'll never understand it, and any serious effort to learn more will inevitably drive you to insanity. to me, staring into the uncaring abyss and feeling hopelessly lost and powerless, is a key feature of cosmic horror.
Strictly speaking the concept itself is an ancient archetype. Strangeness is just an human interpretation to the unknown or the unexpected. There's also the "Das Unheimliche," which translates to "the uncanny." This concept, extensively discussed by Sigmund Freud in his 1919 essay "The Uncanny," refers to experiences that evoke a sense of discomfort or eeriness when something familiar becomes strange or unsettling.