How to Write Cosmic Horror Stories: 5 Lovecraftian Examples

Cosmic horror, also known as Lovecraftian horror, is a literary horror sub-genre created by H.P. Lovecraft, who himself described it as weird fiction. Cosmic horror generally explores the insignificance of human existence compared to the vast universe. Lovecraftian horror stories generally explore these themes through familiar characters or entities like the Great Old Ones, a set of destructive god-like figures outside the realm of full human comprehension, and the Elder Gods, divine entities representative of natural elements. The discovery of these figures thrusts the characters in a Lovecraftian horror story into a place where they must confront their lives' futility and utter insignificance.

Howard Phillips Lovecraft is widely considered the creator of the cosmic horror genre. At the beginning of his career, Lovecraft was aided by publisher Laird Barron who championed his work and published most of his early writings. Lovecraft’s work was influenced by gothic horror writers like Edgar Allan Poe, Algernon Blackwood, Bram Stoker, Robert W. Chambers, and Arthur Machen. Lovecraft’s work went on to influence other cosmic horror writers, including Thomas Ligotti, Jorge Luis Borges, and Joyce Carol Oates, who edited a compilation of Lovecraft stories called Tales of H. P. Lovecraft (2007).

Lovecraft’s work explored new territory in the horror genre and brought elements of existential dread and cosmicism to the horror genre. Some of his most influential novellas and stories include:

• “The Call of Cthulhu”: H.P. Lovecraft first introduced the abomination known as Cthulhu, a horrifyingly destructive monster with tentacles and a squid face, in this short story. The story appeared in the science fiction and horror periodical Weird Tales in 1928.
• “The Dunwich Horror”: The mysterious grandson of a cosmic entity hides something terrifying in a rural New England farmhouse in this short story published in 1929. Like many of Lovecraft's works, it taps into the Cthulhu mythos.
• “The Dreams in the Witch House”: This short story, published in 1932, follows Walter Gilman, a student living in an attic rumored to be haunted and has out-of-body experiences while dreaming.
• At the Mountains of Madness: This 1936 novella details the story of an Antarctic expedition gone wrong when the team encounters signs of extraterrestrial beings.
• The Shadow Over Innsmouth: In this novella, published in 1936, a student explores the primarily abandoned town of Innsmouth, finding it to have been decimated by a mysterious race of fish people and the cultists who serve them.

Cosmic horror has influenced countless other subgenres of horror fiction and horror movies, like body horror. Additionally, elements of Lovecraft’s writings appear in modern genres as diverse as sci-fi and manga. Examples of cosmic horror in pop culture include:

• The Unnameable: This 1988 horror film is based on H.P. Lovecraft’s short story of the same name and follows a group of college students who spend the night in a haunted house.
• The Thing: This 1982 science fiction film, directed by John Carpenter, is based on John W. Campbell Jr.’s novella Where Goes There? about the discovery of an alien spaceship by science researchers in Antarctica.
• The Call of Cthulhu: H.P. Lovecraft’s 1926 short story “The Call of Cthulu” inspired the 1981 table-top game and 2018 role-playing video game of the same name.
• Black Paradox: The 2009 manga series by Junji Ito follows four people who meet in an online suicide group and explores human virtues and feelings of longing.
• Lovecraft Country: Matt Ruff’s 2016 dark horror novel Lovecraft Country brings Lovecraftian themes to the Jim Crow era. The novel was adapted into a television series.
• Annihilation: This 2018 psychological horror film, written and directed by Alex Garland, was based on author Jeff VanderMeer’s trilogy of the same name. The film follows explorers in a zone of mutating plants and animals.

If you find the common themes and motifs of cosmic horror engaging, nothing can stop you from trying your hand at a story. Below are some tips on how to approach your first cosmic horror short story or novella:

• Aim for cosmic truth and revelation. Cosmic horror is first and foremost a genre about change and discovery. A protagonist discovers profound, often unsettling, existential truths throughout the story. The discovery process is part of what makes the genre so active and engaging.
• Read other cosmic horrors. It’s essential to have a deep knowledge of the genre to write cosmic horror. Cosmic horror writers often employ themes and characters from Lovecraft’s Necronomicon or other stories. Whether or not you are planning on referencing the same characters and operating within the larger Lovecraft mythos, you should still read as much cosmic horror as you can get your hands on. It’s also helpful to expose yourself to traditional horror writers and suspense storytellers like John Carpenter and Stephen King.
• Remember that not everything is as it seems. Cosmic horror often explores the unknowable existence of nebulous entities from beyond. As you start working on your novella or short story, think about the sense of instability and disorder inherent in the human condition; how can you play up a fear of the unknown in the characters and motifs you explore?
• Tap into the futility of human existence. An oft-explored theme in cosmic horror is the futility of human existence. Cosmic horror writers use supernatural characters to highlight these themes, but ultimately, they comment on the existential emptiness and futility that underscores human experience in the real world.

Become a better writer with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by literary masters, including Joyce Carol Oates, Neil Gaiman, Dan Brown, Margaret Atwood, David Baldacci, and more.