Lovecraftian Horror
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What is the Lovecraftian Horror Subgenre?
H.P. Lovecraft's tales of terrifying, ancient gods and monsters so captivated imaginations that many horror writers co-opted his style, his themes, and even his creatures until a new horror subgenre came about, comprised of work that paid homage to Lovecraft. Anyone who knows about H.P. Lovecraft will know that his name is synonymous with Cthulhu, perhaps one of Lovecraft's most popular creations, but Lovecraftian horror contains much more than eldritch tentacled monsters, although plenty are present. Instead, as in noir horror, there is a sense of overwhelming pessimism in Lovecraftian horror.
Lovecraft frequently wrote stories in which the reality of human existence was so horrific that protagonists were often driven insane, such is the case in Lovecrafian horror. The real terror is whatever lurks behind the thin veneer of reality. It is the unknown and unknowable and uncaring. In Lovecraftian horror, old and mysterious creatures abound, controlling humanity's destiny, and the all too human protagonists can do little, if anything, to stop it.
Lovecraftian Horror Characteristics
Level of Characterization: The level of characterization in Lovecraftian horror is very low, particularly for the human protagonists. Much more effort is given to characterizing the supernatural antagonists.
Level of Plot: In Lovecraftian horror, layers of mystery are common, and so, the plot is level is moderate to high.
Level of Supernatural: A staple of Lovecraftian horror is ancient monsters or aliens who control the fate of humanity. Expect the level of supernatural to be moderate to high in these tales.
Level of Scary: The level of scary can vary in Lovecraftian horror as the scares, here, come from what is unknown, and therefore rely on the reader's imagination.
Level of Violence: The level of violence in Lovecraftian horror is low to moderate since it is not violence and gore which supply the scares in this subgenre.
Typical Setting: Similar to Lovecraft's tales, the settings in this subgenre are rural and isolated, allowing secrets to fester.
Related Horror Subgenres
Because of its relentless pessimism, Lovecraftian horror can be related to noir, which shares a similarly dark view of the world.
Weird tales, which Lovecraft himself wrote, would also be related to Lovecraftian horror, as well as supernatural horror, the genre of monsters.
Cthulhu Mythos: this is another term for Lovecraftian or Lovecraftian inspired horror.