Cosmic Horror
Cosmic horror explores the terror of existential insignificance. Unlike traditional horror, which features tangible threats like monsters or killers, cosmic horror reveals a universe where morality, purpose, and reality itself are illusions. The horror doesn’t stem from an external intrusion but from realizing the world has always been indifferent, vast, and incomprehensible. This truth isn’t just terrifying—it is maddening.
H.P. Lovecraft
H.P. Lovecraft, its most influential figure, depicted god-like entities so alien that mere knowledge of them shatters the mind. In cosmic horror, knowledge isn’t power—it is a curse, revealing an existence so overwhelming that sanity becomes a fleeting illusion before the abyss.
The Beginnings of Cosmic Horror
As much as Lovecraft wrote of nameless ones in space, his writing did have influences. Many of these influences started the cosmic horror concept that he ultimately defined.
Listen to Cosmic Horror
Would you like to know more?
Our own Lothar Tuppan gives us a deep dive into what makes cosmic horror so cosmic—and so horrible.
Every thing labeled Cosmic Horror
Date Modified: 11-03-2025
