The ascendancy of Nyarlathotep

Oskar Zasada

doi:10.18290/rh.2016.64.11-15

Oskar Zasada The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Faculty of Humanities

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18290/rh.2016.64.11-15

Keywords: cosmicism; film adaptations; H.P. Lovecraft; posthumanism; pulps; weird fiction

Abstract

Lovecraft’s posthumous eruption of fame brought about a series of transformative processes in the writer’s once wholesome vision. Such a development essentially led to the fragmentation of the initial assortment of ideas provided by the creator of the mythos, but it also spawned a handful of original interpretations of the classic material. This paper examines the specific nature of Lovecraftian horror (as well as literary horror in general) and the difficulty of its cross-media implementation. The analysis focuses mainly on cinematographic attempts, dissecting some of the more peculiar film adaptations of the Cthulhu mythos and examining their faithfulness to the source material, fear-inducing potential, and prominent posthuman aspects. The essay concludes by utilizing the above information to determine the contemporary state of weird fiction and pondering upon the future prospects of the genre.

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