H.P. Lovecraft's novella At the Mountains of Madness contains elements of both horror and science fiction but not enough that it should exclusively be considered either. Instead, Lovecraft omits certain elements of both genres while incorporating other elements to create something uniquely Lovecraftian. This discussion will briefly outline horror and science fiction as literary genres before exploring At the Mountains of Madness as a possible work of both. The exploration will address arguments for and against classifying the novella into each genre before concluding with the suggestion that it is neither exclusively, rather something unique. It is important to acknowledge that genres often overlap and it is rare to find a work that is entirely …show more content…
The very purpose of the account, as stated by the narrator, is to stop further antarctic exploration. Dyer claims both he and Danforth have "constantly worked to discourage antarctic exploration" (19), insisting that it is "imperative that further exploration be discouraged" (33). Advances in technology only serve to facilitate this dangerous exploration. Dyer talks at length about the revolutionary technology of Pabodie's drill, calling it "remarkable", and "unique and radical" (1). The planes, too, were "designed especially for... the antarctic plateau" (1). The drill gave them cause to go explore and the planes gave them a means of achieving it. A clearer depiction of the dangers of too much scientific curiosity is Lake's story. He was consumed by a desire for discovery which lead him to find and dissect the Old Ones. The consequences were the death of his entire camp, the dissection of a man and a dog, and even "the ruin of [their] drilling machinery" (19). The swiftness of the consequences is almost parabolic in its warning against antarctic exploration. At the Mountains of Madness is built around the dangers of scientific advancement, however it does not contain any of the other traits of science fiction and therefore cannot exclusively be labelled as
Gothic literature, such as The Night Circus, “The Devil and Tom Walker”, “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment”, and “Masque of the Red Death”, are known for incorporating gothic elements such as the supernatural, death, and fascination with the past.
Dark romantic literature has delved into the pits of man’s soul, through the use of psychology, to showcase a new take on the horror one can experience. It is this literature that touches all who reads it with a cold hand through exploiting a common fear shared by most. In Edgar Allen Poe’s “Fall of the House of Usher” Poe creates an ominous and eerie set of circumstances that incites pure fear into the narrator through his use of the Gothic Elements and Psychology to exploit the narrator’s fear of insanity to create the single effect of fear.
Edgar Allan Poe’s life was one of many sorrows and difficulties, filled with deaths of close family and many broken loves. Men disappointed him throughout the entirety of his life, and he saw women as angels that had come to redeem him from the depths of his depression and alcoholism. These occurrences, along with many others, especially those of his childhood, led Poe to become one of the greatest authors of his time. He is called “the father of horror and mystery”, as well as the father of science fiction (Wilson Par. 4).
In this case, knowing the ocean can be unpredictable these mean still chose to go through with their journey. Even though the probability of dying is low, taking a risk that could mean losing a life is not worth it. Therefore, people need to be knowledgeable about the activities that they are going partake in. For example, In “To build a Fire,” a man went on an expedition to map out a pathway and he went all alone, along with his dog. This man did not learn enough about his expedition until he got himself involved in the life or death situation. “That man from Sulphur Creek had spoken the truth when telling how cold it sometimes got in the country. And he had laughed at the time!” Consequently, the man had died on this journey, for making decisions that were risky. Another example of getting involved in a life-or-death situation is volunteering to go to war. Although these people want to protect their country, they need to know that there is a risk involved in going to war. For example, In the story “Moral Logic of Survival guilt,” it talks about soldiers who choose to go to war, and either come out dead or
Lovecraft, H.P.. “The Beast in the Cave.” The Transition of H.P. Lovecraft: The Road to
The definition of the Horror genre differs completely to the Gothic genre. This idea of how the Gothic novel transformed from various architectures based around impending castles and morality tales, to the idea of monsters, fear, and repugnance. Therefore, it is interesting to notice the change from how the genre has developed from arguably the 17th century to the 20th century, where vampires, werewolf’s, and other monsters are very popular with teen audiences especially.
Through the use of imagery Lovecraft has manufactured a poem that creates a quite impressive feeling of fright when read. Obviously, as with any work of literature, the intensity with which one responds to “The Messenger” will differ between individuals. Not all will find the piece terribly horrendous, and it is safe to assume that some will not find it creepy by any stretch of the imagination. Regardless, no one can deny that H. P. Lovecraft forged “The Messenger” into a memorable poem, which relegates itself among some of his greatest works.
Edgar Allen Poe was an English short-story writer whose work reflects the traditional Gothic conventions of the time that subverted the ambivalence of the grotesque and arabesque. Through thematic conventions of the Gothic genre, literary devices and his own auteur, Edgar Allan Poe’s texts are considered sublime examples of Gothic fiction. The Gothic genre within Poe’s work such as The Tell-Tale Heart, The Black Cat, and The Raven, arouse the pervasive nature of the dark side of individualism and the resulting encroachment of insanity. Gothic tales are dominated by fear and terror and explore the themes of death and decay. The Gothic crosses boundaries into the realm of the unknown, arousing extremes of emotion through the catalyst of disassociation and subversion of presence. Gothic literature utilises themes of the supernatural to create a brooding setting and an atmosphere of fear.
Discoveries can embody experiences of uncovering the unknown for the first time, which can often broaden and question the knowledge that we already own, as well as challenge the values we possess. In Simon Nasht’s documentary “Frank Hurley: The Man Who Made History (2004),” Hurley captures images on expeditions such as the Douglas Mawson and the Ernest Shackleton which allowed him to illustrate the beauty of nature as well as to display the harsh reality he faced when trying to capture these images. On the other hand, Robert Frost’s poem, “Road Not Taken” (1920) is metaphorical for the decisions individuals are faced with
One of H.P. Lovecraft’s many short stories, “The Outsider” has been praised since its publication as his most profound and meaningful. This story has been interpreted many different ways, varying from an autobiography of Lovecraft himself to several different philosophical analyses. One such interpretation, by Dirk Mosig compares the plot and settings of “The Outsider” to Lovecraft’s own doubtful views of religion and an afterlife. Mosig supports his interpretation with many facts from the story, I believe he pinpoints one very possible meaning of the story. His argument successfully uses the plot and details to convince the reader that his hypothesis is correct.
Edgar Allan Poe, renowned as the foremost master of the short-story form of writing, chiefly tales of the mysterious and macabre, has established his short stories as leading proponents of “Gothic” literature. Although the term “Gothic” originally referred only to literature set in the Gothic (or medieval) period, its meaning has since been extended to include a particular style of writing. In order for literature to be “Gothic,” it must fulfill some specific requirements. Firstly, it must set a tone that is dark, somber, and foreboding. Next, throughout the development of the story, the events that occur must be strange, melodramatic, or often sinister. Poe’s short stories are considered Gothic literature because of their eerie atmosphere and atypical plot developments. Consequently, in “The Fall of the House of Usher,” Poe is distinguished as an author of unique, albeit grotesque ingenuity in addition to superb plot construction via his frequent use of the ominous setting to enhance the plot’s progression and his thematic exploration of science versus superstition.
Edgar Allan Poe is one of America’s most celebrated classical authors, known for his unique dealings within the horror genre. Poe was a master at utilizing literary devices such as point of view and setting to enhance the mood and plot of his stories leading to his widespread appeal that remains intact to this day. His mastery of aforementioned devices is evident in two of his shorter works “The Black Cat” and “The Cask of Amontillado”.
However, it is not the fear of the unknown which is presented within the texts. Fear and anxiety is created through the acquisitions, possession and dissemination of knowledge as well. This can be seen in ‘Cthulhu’, Dunwich and ‘Casting the Runes’. Lovecraft’s work demonstrates the effect of certain knowledge on the ‘human psyche’, a key idea he was interested in exploring through his work (Joshi, 44). Cthulhu highlights this exploration well.
Lovecraftian stories are undoubtedly known for their willingness to traverse through territories often viewed as taboo by more traditional authors. Herbert West – Reanimator, Lovecraft’s magazine periodical of the 1920s, is of no exception. Although lacking in what some may call the Lovecraftian theme of powerful demi-god like beings, cults worshiping these beings, and other unique mythos, the themes of an obsession with the supernatural unknown, the obtaining of life-shattering knowledge and an unnamed narrator dragged into it all are still present throughout the work. Herbert West – Reanimator, in itself, through its description of the ‘reanimated’, the mental and physical regression of both West and the narrator, and its questioning of the
From across the continuum of history we therefore embrace the Gothic in an act of faith so as to legitimate our own age (Vijay, 1994, p. 257). Therefore, taking this in, the sublimity of both Roerich and Lovecraft’s works is undeniable. In Roerich’s painting, Tibet Himalayas, a scene of ancient, colossal mountains is presented, mountains that upon sight invoke feelings of deep existential unease within the viewer. Nestled amongst the mountains are stone buildings that leer together archaic and ominous, as if they were the last vestige of a civilization for many aeons now abandoned to the cold wastes of the surrounding landscape.