Unveiling Existential Dread in Cosmic Horror: A Comparative Study of At the Mountains of Madness, The Thing, The Mist, and Prometheus
Authors
Jensen, Emma Vestby ; Nielsen, Cecilie Emilie Bjørn
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2023
Submitted on
2023-05-31
Pages
124
Abstract
Gysergenren har i århundreder fascineret mennesker og har udviklet mange undergenrer, heriblandt kosmisk horror, der ofte forbindes med H. P. Lovecraft. Denne afhandling undersøger, hvad der kendetegner både horror og kosmisk horror, hvorfor kosmisk horror fortsat er relevant, og hvordan dens forbindelse til cosmicism og eksistentialisme bidrager til dens gennemslagskraft. Undersøgelsen bygger på en sammenlignende analyse af fire værker: Lovecrafts At the Mountains of Madness, John Carpenters The Thing, Stephen Kings The Mist og Ridley Scotts Prometheus. Først skitseres den gotiske genre med fokus på det sublime, altså en blanding af ærefrygt og rædsel i overvældende omgivelser. Derefter beskrives grundtræk ved horror: dens foranderlige natur, monstrenes rolle, og den langsomme opbygning af suspense. Kosmisk horror defineres som fortællinger, der konfronterer menneskets ubetydelighed i et ligegladt univers, og cosmicism forklares som denne idé i filosofisk form. Eksistentialismen præsenteres med udgangspunkt i Kierkegaard, Heidegger og Sartre, særligt forskellen mellem konkret frygt og eksistentiel angst. Analysen viser, at både karakterer og publikum oplever angst gennem uhyggelige stemninger, sublime scener og uforståelige væsener, der forstyrrer den naturlige orden. Horror og kosmisk horror er afhængige af spændingsopbygning, der både skaber effekt og styrer læserens eller seerens reaktion. Fordi kosmisk horror søger at fremkalde psykologisk og eksistentiel uro, er forbindelsen til eksistentialismen tæt; de nævnte teorier understøtter dette sammenfald. Afhandlingen diskuterer også genrens paradoks: hvorfor bliver vi ved med at opsøge horror, selvom den skræmmer? I stedet for at opløse paradokset antydes det, at noget af genrens tiltrækning netop ligger i denne dobbelttydighed.
Horror has fascinated audiences for centuries and has branched into many subgenres, including cosmic horror, most closely associated with H. P. Lovecraft. This thesis examines what defines both horror and cosmic horror, why cosmic horror remains relevant, and how its ties to cosmicism and existentialism help explain its lasting impact. The study uses a comparative analysis of four works: Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness, John Carpenter’s The Thing, Stephen King’s The Mist, and Ridley Scott’s Prometheus. It first sketches the Gothic tradition with attention to the sublime, meaning the mix of awe and terror in overwhelming settings. It then outlines core features of horror: its changeable form, the role of monsters, and the slow build of suspense. Cosmic horror is defined as storytelling that confronts human insignificance in an indifferent universe, with cosmicism introduced as the philosophy expressing this idea. Existentialism is presented through Kierkegaard, Heidegger, and Sartre, emphasizing the difference between concrete fear and existential dread. The analysis finds that both characters and audiences experience dread through eerie atmospheres, sublime environments, and incomprehensible creatures that disrupt the natural order. Horror and cosmic horror rely on gradual suspense to produce effects and guide readers’ and viewers’ responses. Because cosmic horror aims to provoke psychological and existential unease, its alignment with existentialist thought is strong; the theorists named help explain this fit. The thesis also addresses the genre’s paradox: why we seek out horror despite the terror it induces. Rather than resolving the paradox, it suggests the genre’s allure may lie in this very ambiguity.
[This summary has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
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