So apparently, the late H.P. Lovecraft has gained new-found popularity with younger generations, even though he was about as politically correct as Archie Bunker. Over at Suggested Reads, a new site for discovering quality literature, I had the opportunity to at last dive into the works of Lovecraft and ink out a map for the first-time Arkham tourist.
I tend to mildly roll my eyes whenever I hear people describe horror fiction as “Lovecraftian.” This is because there almost isn’t any horror fiction that isn’t Lovecraftian; the guy invented or codified some half of all horror tropes still in use today, even if you ignore the Cthulhu Mythos. There’s a lot more to him than squirmy tentacle-puss. For one thing, he was a fervent letter-writer, with a body of correspondence almost outweighing his published fiction. If Lovecraft were alive today, he’d probably be an avid blogger – and be cherished by the alt-right for his racism, of course.
So why is Lovecraft so popular right now? I’m willing to embrace the fringe and say that his chaos-ridden, Eldritch brand of horror fits in well with the unpredictable climate in the United States right now. We’re minutes from every disaster scenario at once, it seems, and furthermore that seems to be how the majority of citizens want it. We might as well have Cthulhu on our flag right now.
If you’re looking for something creepy to wash this New England horror chowder down, may I suggest my archive of creepy black and white images gallery?
