Arts and Humanities Commons^™

“Hell Is Only A Word. The Reality Is Much, Much Worse”: Black Holes As Fantasy Gateways To Hell, Kristine Larsen

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

While the genre of space horror is generically defined as simply space-based horror, there exist specific tropes that can be used to identify representative works. Among these are: (i) a relatively small ensemble cast, (ii) many of whom die over the course of the story; (iii) a secret corporate/political/military agenda and (iv) physical and psychological stresses due to the arduous process of space travel and related isolation. A subset of space horror adds metaphysical elements, drawing connections to Hell, more specifically a liminal space that Victor Turner terms the “betwixt and between.” As the region around and within the event …