Hi all! Pretty much exactly what the title says. I'm looking for a book that has a dark fantasy setting with cosmic horror themes and elements. I've read a lot of Lovecraft's work, and the dark tower series. But nothing I've seen online seems like it will scratch that itch. I'm looking for something that has a similar vibe to Bloodborne. Ant recommendations? Or is this a lost cause?
by Mattchoolio0311
1 Comment
Clark Ashton Smith was a contemporary of Lovecraft, and imo a better writer. The two of them dealt with similar themes of eldritch horror, but Clark was more fantasy than sci-fi. He’s the Dark Souls to Lovecraft’s Bloodborne lol.
Arthur Machen was a forefather of cosmic horror. I’ve only read The Great God Pan so far, and I was surprised by how unsettling it was, and I plan on reading more.
But the ultimate “soulslike” book is easily Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe: it can be a challenge to read, but rewarding; it’s cryptic, and you won’t understand everything; it’s expertly crafted and different from everything else in the genre; the atmosphere is unmatched; it doesn’t hold your hand; it’s deeply thematic; and while it’s not explicitly horror, there are a couple moments that I found unsettling. To top it off, I think Gene Wolfe is quite arguably the best writer in the genre. No other writer’s prose makes me feel the way his does.