“Canceling,” the act of rejecting a person or piece of media because of beliefs or actions promoted, has become the go-to solution for dealing with potentially controversial individuals. Sometimes, canceling can be the right course of action, while other times it negates the possibility for change and personal growth of the individual. Additionally, when the art a canceled person has created is widely appreciated and respected, a social dilemma of whether or not to reject their creations comes into play. J.K. Rowling, the creator of the internationally beloved Harry Potter series, has been canceled by many due to her position as a TERF (trans exclusionary radical feminist). Those who believe that trans people exist and have rights find Rowling’s beliefs unsupportable, but find it challenging to abandon the Harry Potter books, which poses the question of whether or not artists can be separated from their art. This conundrum occurs in the case of Howard Phillips Lovecraft, the infamous creator of books such as The Call of Cthulhu, At the Mountain of Madness, and The Shadow over Innsmouth; and the founder of the Lovecraftian horror genre. Lovecraft is now widely considered to have been a terrible person. His racist, xenophobic, and anti-semetic remarks – some of which can be seen in his writings – has led him to be canceled in today’s society. However, there is now a debate over whether the genre of Lovecraftion horror should be canceled along with its creator due to its historical association with bigotry. Hello from the Hallowoods, a queer Lovecraftian horror podcast written and produced by William A. Wellman, challenges the belief that Lovecraftian horror must contain bigotry in order to truly exist within the genre. Focusing on inclusion and representation as well as a terrifying main plot, Wellman is able to create a new environment in which listeners are able to enjoy Lovecraftian horror without feeling as though they are maintaining the legacy of a horrible man. Hello from the Hallowoods is able to be successful both as a work of Lovecraftian horror and queer media as it alters the problematic ideals Lovecraft held while still remaining true to the feeling of the original stories.
Altering the ideals that were embedded in Lovecraft’s original works while keeping other crucial aspects of the genre the same allowed “Hello from the Hallowoods” to invite minority groups to enjoy the piece of media. There are several key themes that define the Lovecraftian genre. Several key themes define the genre. These include seclusion, a shifting understanding of reality, and insanity inducing knowledge (Jozefa Pevčíková, 320). The podcast is set in a dangerous forest called the Hallowoods in which a myriad of cryptids and small communities of apocalypse survivors dwell. The Hallowoods stand between a deserted version of the United States and Canada, and a region referred to as the “Endless North.” All cities in the US and Canada are deserted and decaying, emphasizing isolation and the lack of any community or connection between people. The “Endless North” is a frozen expanse of land where direction is meaningless, stars glow green, and is home to an Eldritch entity that seeks to destroy all those who come near. The apocalyptic versions of the US and Canada, and the eerie “Endless North” are perfect examples of Lovecraftian settings because of the feelings of discomfort and abnormality they bring the audience. In addition to the previously listed themes, creatures are also central to the Lovecraftian horror genre, most notably the cosmic deities that lurk beyond human comprehension. Called the “Old Ones” in Lovecraft’s works and “Indescribables” in Hello from the Hallowoods, the all-seeing, unknowable beings that loom over the universe, indifferent to the fate of humanity. On the surface, it may seem that there are no inherent differences between Hello from the Hallowoods and the original works by H.P. Lovecraft. However, Hello from the Hallowoods podcast follows characters that find communities accepting of their identities, opposing the values of exclusion and oppression Lovecraft expressed through his works. The presence of characters diverse in race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexuality, and background undermines the bigotry Lovecraft held, proving that “Lovecraftian” stories can be made inclusionary.
Queer people are particularly drawn to Hello from the Hallowoods because of its depiction of supportive communities and families. Many queer individuals are unable to have positive family experiences due to their identities and are kicked out of their homes or forced to live life as someone they are not. The Trevor Project, a non-profit dedicated to assisting queer youth, reports that nearly twenty percent of LGB and a third of trans and non-binary children and teenagers attempt suicide. This horrifying rate of poor mental health in queer youth is both due to external harassment and rejection, and internalized homo/transphobia. A large factor in the stigmatization of queer people leading to the poor mental health in queer youth comes from a lack of family support. According to a paper investigating mental health in queer teenagers, it is stated that “Studies have shown that family rejection is a significant predictor in reported levels of depression and suicidal thinking in LGB youth,” (McDermott et al.). However, positive family experiences improve the mental health of queer people, and McDermott posits that families don’t necessarily need to be biological. She defines the ideal family as “supportive, caring, close,” and “Materialized through sets of practices rather than as a consequence of fixed social categories” (McDermott et al.) Most queer narratives in the media revolve around the rejection many queer people experience instead of the possibility for acceptance in their communities.. Hello from the Hallowoods depicts several different kinds of devoted families, some related by blood, but most chosen. Humans, undead beings, and cryptids form nurturing connections with each other and become able to accept each other for who they are in the terrifying world around them. Where Lovecraft’s stories focused on people slowly becoming ostracized or othered from their homes, Hello from the Hallowoods places emphasis on characters finding nurturing communities.
Hello From the Hallowoods uses the correlation between the queer experience and the themes of Lovecraft’s original work to inform its own content. Understanding an individual’s identity takes time, especially when an identity contradicts what is socially accepted as “normal.” Queer people in particular have to come to terms with an identity they feel they need to hide or fight for acceptance by those around them. Anthony Gramuglia, an opinion columnist for several websites and blogs, asserts that queer people are able to deeply connect with the “unknown” present in Lovecrafian horror due to their identity being positioned beyond the societal norm. Much of the suspense and tension in Lovecraft’s stories stem from his intense phobias of all things unlike himself and his home. Main characters in Lovecraft’s work attempt to expunge the unknown from their worlds and realize their efforts are futile. These characters are broken by the communities that once held them and consumed by terrible, cosmic secrets. Gramuglia says that, in both queer exploration and Lovecraftian horror, “The thing you’re fighting might be a reflection of what you are on the inside,”(“[Pride 2020] Lovecraft, Horror…” 2020). Fighting to remain oneself as one knows it is a concept that many queer people are intimately familiar with, and thus find themselves relating to the character in this genre of horror. Exploring the connections between the innate characteristics of the Lovecraftian horror genre to the lived experience of queer people generates a story many queer individuals are able to relate to and enjoy.
Placing a mainly queer group of characters in a genre that almost alway ends in tragic death could be taken as a new tactic to negatively represent queer characters. The “kill your gays” trope, stories in which the queer characters present die, plagues popular culture and hinders quality representation. Hello from the Hallowoods may appear to be utilizing this trope as only a handful of characters in the series are not queer. Only a handful of characters in Hello from the Hallowoods are not queer, and the deaths that occur through the story may appear reminisent of the “kill your gays” trope. By making their characters mostly LGBTQIA+, Wellman fights the supposition that queer characters should be defined first by their gender or sexuality rather than by their position in a story. In apocalypse and Lovecraftian horror media with predominantly (if not exclusively) straight characters, the deaths of people are not assumed to be part of a larger social conspiracy. Although queer people certainly benefit from Hello from the Hallowoods queer take on Lovecraftian horror, they may not be the community that would gain the most from a more inclusive extension of the genre. While Lovecraft openly spoke of his hatred towards many different marginalized groups, queer people were not among them. It is widely accepted that Lovecraft thought ill of them as well (or, as theorized by some, that he couldn’t even conceive of their existence), but communities of color, non-Christian religions, immigrants, and disabled people were direct targets of his attacks. While Hello from the Hallowoods focuses mainly on queer narratives it also includes stories of intersectional identities and diversity. Throughout the story, listeners are presented with many characters who are racially and religiously diverse, disabled, neurodivergent, immigrants, and from a myriad of other backgrounds. Wellman uses a queer narrative to drive their focus on inclusion of all in their podcast. Skepticism of works that repurpose originally hateful pieces is to be expected, but Hello from the Hallowoods is able to successfully remove the bigotry while keeping the environment from the source material.
H.P. Lovecraft was not a good person. His novels are filled with reminders of the antagonism he held toward others. He also created a greatly influential genre of horror fiction which inspired countless masterpieces. The line between reimaging Lovecraft’s works and accidentally reinforcing the hate within them can be difficult to perceive, but Hello from the Hallowoods expertly navigates it, changing exclusionary into a safe space for queer individuals. It not only succeeds in representing a marginalized community, Hello from the Hallowoods sets a hopeful precedent that art can be repurposed to reflect positive change. Hello from the Hallowoods has proven it can be done by remixing old out of date works with problematic ideals, and shows how people can take the contributions of authors to genres even if the authors were terrible people.
Bibliography
“Cthulhu Mythos: History of H.P. Lovecraft’s Monstrous Presence in Popular Culture.” Literatura i Kultura Popularna, vol. 29, Jan. 2023, pp. 317–34. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.19195/0867-7441.29.19.
This article explains the origins of the “Lovecraftian” horror genre, the elements that go into creating a Lovecraftian horror, and how Lovecratian horror has been presented and appreciated throughout recent history. The author describes some of the key elements of Lovecraftian horror as in-human monsters from different dimensions, forbidden knowledge, indescribable monsters, tomes, and main characters that are frequently driven to madness. Lovecraftian horror has become a well-known genre in popular culture, but people are beginning to question whether or not media and be Lovecraftian if they don’t share the bigoted values that Lovecraft had and embedded in his works. H.P. Lovecraft was extremely racist, xenophobic, and anti-semetic, frequently writing about his disdain for those who disliked him in race, religion, nationality, and economic status. Yet the genre Lovecraft is credited with creating is still gaining popularity despite its unfortunate origins.
I plan on using this piece to explain how “Hello from the Hallowoods” meets the criteria for being a piece of Lovecraftian horror while also opposing the flawed ideals Lovecraft had. The podcast creates an eerie atmosphere, and checks off every requirement of Lovecraftian fiction that the article presented. Additionally, “Hello from the Hallowoods” has a strong emphasis on inclusion and representation – nearly every single character in the show is canonically queer, and the characters are also racially, religiously, and able-ly diverse. Although Lovecraft did not express a disdain for queer people in his works or life, it is accepted that he simply had no understanding of “what” queer people are, and would have been vocal about disliking them if he had. By directly keeping diversity and inclusion in mind while creating the podcast, the creator was able to subvert the hateful beliefs Lovecraftian works were originally written with.
Gramuglia, Anthony. “[Pride 2020] Lovecraft, Horror and Questioning Sexuality.” [Pride 2020] Lovecraft, Horror And Questioning Sexuality, Gayly Dreadful — Bursting out of your closet with the latest horror reviews, 1 June 2022, www.gaylydreadful.com/blog/pride-2020-lovecraft-horror-and-questioning-sexuality.
This blog post analyzed the interest many queer-identifying people have with Lovecraftian horror media. Despite Lovecraft basing all of his works from places of bigotry which can be easily seen in countless of his works, queer people in particular seem to be drawn to this subsect of horror. The author speculates that this is due to motifs of questioning and the unknown both within and around oneself in the genre. Because queer people often spend time exploring their identities and, in many cases, try to suppress their understanding of who they truly are in order to fit into the community they are surrounded by. This connects the eerie genre to the lives of many queer people.
This article details many things that I feel will support my argument. First of all, it talks about Lovecraft’s hateful beliefs and how they often spill over into his writing, so I could claim that “Hello from the Hallowoods” remixing the monsters and themes found in Lovecraft’s original stories with more positive messages makes the genre more accessible. Second, the article details Lovecraftian horror’s focus on the unknown and internal struggles that are highly relevant to the lives of many queer people, and I could explain how those themes, when put together correctly, create meaningful stories for queer people. Lastly, the article explains a creature in a story by Lovecraft called “the Deep Ones.” After some research, I learned that these creatures are extremely similar to creatures referred to as “froglins” in “Hello from the Hallowoods.” This could be another example of the remix of parts of Lovecraft’s original stories.
Kiang, Jessica. “‘All Shall Be Well’ Review: A Found Family Is Lost in a Tender But Tentative, Queer-Themed Grief Drama.” Variety Movie Reviews, Feb. 2024, p. N.PAG. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=87dda61b-d64b-3d6d-8c25-30ca1b04bac8.
This article is a case study of a movie called “Suk Suk” in which the unfair treatment of queer partners within the legal systems is displayed. The article argues that social normalities – not just social interactions but legal interactions as well – attacks queer people and were not designed for their existence.
This article is helpful to me because it shows both how queer people are treated in the real world as well as how they are displayed in the media. While “Suk Suk” isn’t necessarily a poor display of queer people, it is interesting to note that it ends in tragedy for both of the queer main characters (one dies and the other has her livelihood taken by people she loved). It is interesting to consider if and where positive queer representation is seen and what makes that representation “good.”
McDermott, Elizabeth, et al. “Family Trouble: Heteronormativity, Emotion Work and Queer Youth Mental Health.” Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Study of Health, Illness and Medicine, vol. 25, no. 2, Mar. 2021, pp. 177–95. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1177/1363459319860572.
This article is a sociology paper detailing the impact that negative family relationships have on the mental health of young queer-identifying kids and teens. The authors were able to survey several queer-identifying highschoolers about their various family experiences, tracking the emotions of the participants and the interactions they have with their families. The authors found that there is a direct correlation between positive family experiences and the overall happiness of the queer highschooler. People within the LGBTQIA+ community have a severely heightened risk for mental health issues and are far more likely to contemplate and commit suicide than straight people. The authors of this paper argue that this could be due in part to the lack of a supportive and caring family, and stresses the importance of having a family that works to accept LGBTQIA+ people.
I plan on using this article to explain the draw that “Hello from the Hallowoods” has on people by presenting the listeners with several depictions of communities that accept all people no matter their religion, past, sexual or gender orientation/presentation, age, or aliveness (supernatural beings are accepted into many of the communities shown, most of which are undead). These depictions of found families that love and accept each other draw in listeners who haven’t always (or come from communities that historically haven’t) had families that are supportive of their identities. Not only are queer listeners able to access a story where they are represented, they are also able to see people like them (even though they’re fictional) reside within communities that respect people with their identities.
Richard, Moriah. “What Is Cosmic Horror in Fiction?” Writer’s Digest University, 18 Aug. 2023, www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/what-is-cosmic-horror-in-fiction. This article is an overview of the concept of “cosmic horror.” It explains that “cosmic horror” is a modernized/redone version of Lovecraftian horror – media that fits the description of Lovecraftian horror without the bigotry. It covers the hallmarks of the genre and provides examples of each.
I will use this article to introduce the fact that Lovecraft’s work is littered with racist, xenophobic, and sexist remarks. I believe I can also use this article to display how flawed pieces of work can be redone to match different values or to serve a new audience without changing the form of the piece.
The Trevor Project, United States, 2006 This is a non-profit organization that is committed to helping LGBTQIA+ youth struggling with mental health. They provide up to date statistics about mental health and its relation to LGBTQIA+ children and teenagers.
I will be using the statistics they provide about queer mental health, depression rates, and suicide attempts in queer youth. I feel that this will assist me in proving my point that found family is important to LGBTQIA+ youth.
Wellman, William A. Hello from the Hallowoods. William A. Wellman, 2020-2024, https://www.hellofromthehallowoods.com/