What does Eldritch Horror mean to you?

1. What does Eldritch Horror mean to you?

   #1

   Going to the dictionaries tells us "Eldritch" (adjective) means, 'strange and sinister', 'weird and malevolent' or just plain 'eerie'. Horror (noun) can mean an object that induces horror: something repulsive or terrifying. By these definitions, if you use the term "Eldritch Horror" to describe a style of writing or storytelling it would be synonymous with the descriptions of gothic literature.
   
   Gothic: of or relating to a style of fiction characterized by the use of desolate or remote settings and macabre, mysterious, or violent incidents
   
   Clearly Lovecraft was writing in the gothic tradition, and since he tended to be a 'teller' not a 'shower' he used every synonym for strange the English language has. But I feel that the current cultural definition of Eldritch Horror is something more specific than just something eerie and terrifying. Has the ghost of Lovecraft claimed the adjective Eldritch as his own? I would really like to hear the opinions of other Strolenesians on this topic.

2. Re: What does Eldritch Horror mean to you?

   #2

   Pure Lovecraft.

3. Re: What does Eldritch Horror mean to you?

   #3

   Elric of Melnibone perhaps?

4. Re: What does Eldritch Horror mean to you?

   #4

   To me, Eldritch carries the connotation of wrongness. The tentacles and nameless horrors are just thematic elements and arc words. Something that is eldritch is wrong, it's a person with a gaping head wound smiling and giving you a cheerful hello wave, or a girl bending over to pick a flower and her knees move the opposite direction from what they should. For a long time, the tentacle was an alien fixture, a boneless writhing thing, something of horror. It's now so prevalent in hentai and anime that it's lost it's shock and horror.
   
   Eldritch is something that you feel in your gut, something you see but you can't believe. It is the supernatural, and hyper sensitivity to the mundane, or a sense of perspective knocked so far out of whack that grains of sands are the size of mountains, or galaxies can be used as sprinkles on a cake.
   
   

5. Re: What does Eldritch Horror mean to you?

   #5

   Eldritch makes me think of something ancient AND otherworldly. As for horror, I'm always leaning towards psychological horror being the more severe form as opposed to something you can visibly see. Just my personal association but maybe it would help someone. *shrugs*

Cavern of Inane Natter · All categories · Guildhall