MattW03

“The Nameless City” occupies a peculiar and revealing place in H.P. Lovecraft’s oeuvre. Written in January 1921 and first published later that same year in the amateur journal The Wolverine (before appearing Donald Wolheim's Fanciful Tales), it fits comfortably in neither his Dunsanian dream fantasies nor his later cosmic horror tales. Instead, it stands astride both, blending several strands of Lovecraft’s evolving imagination into a single narrative. The result is a story that feels simultaneously archaic and forward-looking, poised between decadent fantasy, pulp archeological adventure, and the nascent Cthulhu Mythos that would soon define his mature fiction.

Session 9 is one of those horror films that stay with you long after you have finished watching it. The film uses paranoia and dread to sink its teeth into you. Honestly, there are very few films that pull off the slow burn sensation in the same way as Session 9. However, the film still flies mainly under the radar. If you are one of the people who somehow missed this gem, settle in; things are about to get wild.

Some people are scared of chainsaw-wielding maniacs in masks; others get chilled from dramatic revelations about unassuming but ultimately dark figures; then there are those who are scared of humanity’s place in the universe, that people are more insignificant than they are and are more susceptible to powers bigger than they can imagine, like internet algorithms.

This is cosmic horror which, as the name suggests, could suggest space, other dimensions, or other places entirely. All it needs to make people paranoid is to make them feel weak next to phenomena they can’t and would never understand. It’s inspired classic novels, movies, TV shows, and manga.

Summary

• Cosmic horror explores humanity's insignificance in the face of unknown and powerful forces, like internet algorithms, creating feelings of paranoia and fear.
• Manga like Soil, Gantz, and Parasyte delve into cosmic horror themes, blending genres like crime drama and action to explore humanity's helplessness against unknown threats.
• Renowned horror mangaka, like Junji Ito, have crafted terrifying stories that embody cosmic horror, with themes of unpredictable futures, survival in desolate settings, and the manipulation of reality.

https://www.deviantart.com/loneanimator

Lovecraft and Barlow

I Have Seen the Dark Universe Yawning

The 28 Years Later franchise is back on the big screen in less than two months with Nia DaCosta’s (Candyman) 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, a sequel to this year’s 28 Years Later. It’s the second installment in a planned trilogy, and it’s releasing in theaters January 16, 2026.

Check out a brand new official UK poster from Sony below!

The titular bone temple is a primary location in Danny Boyle’s trilogy-starter, and the title of DaCosta’s sequel makes it clear we’ll returning to that location. The Bone Temple will focus on Jack O’Connell’s “Sir Jimmy Crystal” and his merry band of evil-doers, with young hero Spike (Alfie Williams) also returning. Here’s the brand new official synopsis from Sony:

Expanding upon the world created by Danny Boyle and Alex Garland in 28 Years Later but turning that world on its head – Nia DaCosta directs 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

In a continuation of the epic story, Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) finds himself in a shocking new relationship – with consequences that could change the world as they know it – and Spike’s (Alfie Williams) encounter with Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell) becomes a nightmare he can’t escape. In the world of The Bone Temple, the infected are no longer the greatest threat to survival – the inhumanity of the survivors can be stranger and more terrifying.

Imagine a story set in a future of abundance, with flying cars and brain implants, yet people still casually die of smallpox. Or a tale of interstellar travel where characters don laser guns yet also call each other on wired telephones. When I read or watch stories taking place in high-tech futuristic societies with space travel and intelligent robots, and yet characters still age, it feels as if they could still catch smallpox. A cringe-inducing anachronism, like an astronaut on Mars listening to music from a cassette player. While aging is currently inevitable, advances in biomedical research and our understanding of aging processes point towards a future where we can design our own biology and define how long we live.

Aging Fast and Slow (and Not at All)

We can already slow the aging process in animals. For example, in the microscopic roundworm C. elegans, tweaking a single gene can extend its lifespan more than tenfold, allowing animals that normally only live for a few weeks to live for more than six months. If we could apply such discoveries to humans, it would mean people living for over one thousand years. Of course, worms are simple organisms whose adults are mostly composed of nondividing cells, yet scientists can also slow aging in more complex mammals. In the workhorse of biomedical research, the house mouse, dietary and genetic manipulations can extend lifespan by up to fifty percent, postponing age-related diseases and allowing animals to be healthier for longer.

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https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0264508/