Abstract:
This study examines the evolution of the American cosmic horror canon, starting from its
Lovecraftian roots during the early twentieth century to its contemporary post-millennial
mutations. More precisely, this study analyses how the canon has transformed in response to
cultural, socio-political and philosophical developments across the span of more than a century.
While tracing its evolutionary analysis, this study argues that cosmic horror is an overwhelming
emotional experience that profoundly transforms/affects the existential condition of the human
subject. The subject is inescapably drawn into an inward state of existential angst when it is
horrified by the absolute indifference of the cosmos that does not care, rendering humanity
insignificant and impotent. This study uses the notion of the “Dark Epiphany” to isolate the exact
moment of absolute surrender in the narrative. In simpler terms, the objective is to examine the
existential import of a cosmic horror experience that inevitably wrecks the human condition in
emotionally negative and debilitating terms. Furthermore, this study examines the treatment of the
Natural world across the cosmic horror canon, investigating if Nature acts as a mere conduit for
cosmic insurgencies or if it becomes an autonomous cosmic entity that eludes human recognition
and understanding. This study dissects the canon’s treatment of Nature through a parallel analysis
of twentieth and twenty-first century cosmic horror literature. In the process, this study explores
the convergence between the canon’s corruption/liberation of Nature and the severity of existential
turbulence it (cosmic horror experience) entails.
