This podcast contains a content warning for a discussion of Lovecraft racism and horror tropes

I'm not keen on mincing words on this one.

HP Lovecraft was a racist, and before you go making an argument for separating the art

from the artist, let's be clear on another point, so are his stories.

They encompass other problematic elements too, of course.

Misogyny, Mafobia, right down to their core, right down to the very themes that recurred

throughout his works, he'll find the hateful perspective he had of the world.

The ignorance of someone who viewed anything unlike himself with revulsion.

While he drew inspiration from works predating him, what Lovecraft gave to the genre of

Cosmic Horror was his hate.

Which is no video games problem.

For decades, video games have been regurgitating the themes, plots, and aesthetics of his

stories with not one ounce of scrutiny.

The half-breed monster is that embody the very essence of Lovecraft's revulsion, the

troubled white male heroes that contain his arrogance and his gross simplification and

mental illness, are recreated in video games with no subversion, no critical thinking.

And doing so, they're breathing life again and again into Lovecraft's hate.

At least, Bloodborne had the decency to suggest that his protagonist could be the real

villain of the story.

That was from Sam Greer in a Eurogamer piece entitled Games Really Need To Fall Out of Love

with Lovecraft.

I'm Danielle Riendo, and this is Waypoint Radio, episode 199.

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