OT: what part does "reactive uncleanliness" play in weird horror?
Posted by:
Sawfish (IP Logged)
Date: 14 February, 2021 10:54AM
I had an interesting thought: in much of the weird fiction I've read, there is an element of instinctively repugnant content, and by this I mean that reading the passage(s) is very likely to inspire a sort of ingrained reaction to something that the reader has been conditioned to see as "unclean" or in some fashion repellent. I mean this as an almost subliminal response, and those of you who have seen Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" will understand what I mean when I relate what I'm talking about the the sequence with the supposed "stink spirit" in the bath house.
So for CAS we have a sort of direct description of rotting corpses, as in The Isle of the Torturers, in HPL, some of his descriptions conjure a sense of repugnance, as well, but really, both CAS and HPL are the veriest tyros when compared to Ligotti or Barker, some of whose work makes me want to vomit, then bathe immediately.
Fortunately, I'm able to master this impulse and plow steadfastly forward to complete the piece--but not without cost. ;^)
It seemed to me that the use of this sort of material can be orchestrated by a skillful author to achieve a desired effect--whether in weird fiction or otherwise--and I wonder if others have noticed this, or read something scholarly about this stylistic device.
Thoughts/opinions, fellow CASers?
--Sawfish
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"The food at the new restaurant is awful, but at least the portions are large."
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 14 Feb 21 | 11:13AM by Sawfish.