Horror Literature

Lesson 8: Conclusion: Horror Effects

Horror and Culture

This section deals with two effects of horror literature on modern culture. The first is subcultures and the second is occultism.

H.P. Lovecraft particularly spawned a culture where horror fiction is taken deadly seriously. It is hard to say why this author particularly has been thus singled out. Perhaps it is the general feeling of hopelessness and annihilation that appeals to young people in a world where they are constantly bombarded with pressures and repression. The gothic subculture is said to particularly find an affiliation with the subject-matter of the author, and with vampire literature as well.

Members of the Gothic subculture wear black most of the time. Both men and women (or boys and girls) heavily make up their faces. The primary emotion experienced by them is depression or sadness. Many of them also fancy themselves or try to in effect be vampires.

In Brite’s Lost Souls for example the gothic subculture features prominently. Like a ritual, the teenaged devotees gather at a bar every night where the band begins with the words “We are not afraid…”, and by this very profession it is clear that they are. Members of this culture as mostly teenagers whose fears are not properly addressed by society. Their love for living in the world that they create from imagination and horror literature help them to deal with this fear.

It is rumored that many Goths are also occultists or heavily involved in occultism. There is no proof for this. Many of these people are attracted to this subculture simply because they think it is cool. They like the sadness and nihilism of the gothic mindset. So although goth and occultism are not necessarily interchangeable, it is possible that occultism has found a certain affiliation with some members of this subculture.

Occultism involves a very wide range of traditions ranging from the extremes of Christianity to the wildest of modern breaks with the norm. The influence of horror literature, and especially H.P. Lovecraft’s fiction on occultism is especially prevalent in the newest form of occultism called “Chaos Magic”. Chaos magic is a mixture of every religion and every occult viewpoint ever existing in time. The magician is supposed to find what works best and discard the rest. However, there are a few points of focus which gives the tradition its unique edge in the occult world. One of these is the fiction of H.P. Lovecraft, and particularly his “Call of Cthulhu”. According to the Chaos Magician, Cthulhu can be contacted with dreams and thus add power to a spell. Some have even gone as far as attempting to recreate the “barbaric rituals” mentioned by Lovecraft.

The above are two effects of horror literature on contemporary culture.

Optional Project
Please read Chapter VIII: “American Gothic” by Clemens and think about other effects, however mild, of horror literature in culture today.

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