Are you struggling to make sense of today's overwhelming global challenges? You might find strange comfort in the work of H.P. Lovecraft, whose century-old tales of cosmic horror feel relevant to our modern anxieties. A new interview from Five Books explores why this old-timey pulp fiction writer has become a cultural phenomenon.
In the interview, scholar Carl Freedman discusses Lovecraft's enduring appeal and recommends five essential works that showcase the author's unique brand of existential dread. As Freedman explains, Lovecraft's philosophy of "cosmic indifferentism" — the idea that humans are insignificant against the vast expanse of space and time — resonates powerfully today:
It's the idea that in the larger scheme of things, in light of the vast expanse of deep time and interstellar space, we as human beings really don't amount to very much. That was a philosophy that's embedded within his fiction in the 1920s and the 1930s, and I think we may have caught up to that at this point, thinking about ourselves in relation to larger cosmic forces.
Among Freedman's recommendations is "The Call of Cthulhu," Lovecraft's most famous story, which introduced readers to the monstrous entity that would anchor his shared fictional universe. As Freedman describes it, Cthulhu is "a tentacle-faced extraterrestrial entity so powerful that human beings can't resist, so much as just try to keep our heads down and not attract its attention."
The interview doesn't shy away from addressing Lovecraft's notorious racism, which Freedman argues is unfortunately central to understanding the author's work. Rather than canceling Lovecraft, howeSergjver, many contemporary creators have chosen to engage critically with his legacy. Freedman points to works like Victor LaValle's "The Ballad of Black Tom" and HBO's "Lovecraft Country" as examples that "take that racism that was central to his fiction, and highlight that as being what the true horror actually is."
For those curious about Lovecraft's lighter side, Freedman also recommends "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath," part of the author's fantasy-oriented Dream Cycle. Unlike the bleak cosmic horror of the Cthulhu Mythos, these Lord Dunsany-inspired tales have "a sense of whimsy to it that I think is really enjoyable."
Why has Lovecraft's star risen so dramatically in recent decades? Freedman suggests our growing awareness of existential threats like climate change may have made his cosmic perspective more relatable: "In Lovecraft's fiction, we are just the playthings of cosmic forces that we can't really comprehend fully or resist."
Previously:
• This true crime podcast is actually a cool modern adaptation of Lovecraft
• The Miskatonic Papers – an experiential letterpress-printed book inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's work
• Lovecraft meets Atlas Obscura
• Dan Hillier on working with Alan Moore on a gorgeous limited edition of 'The Call of Cthulhu' for the Folio Society
• Matt Ruff's 'Lovecraft Country' adapted for TV by Jordan Peele and HBO
• Interview-by-postcard that HP Lovecraft filled in with a sewing needle dipped in ink and a magnifying glass
