Science and Religion in H.P. Lovecraft’s Works: Case Study The Shadow over Innsmouth

Abstract

Religion and science have been a source for inspiration for many ages, going back to the Sumerians. Even prior to that, mankind has always been and always will be terrified and fascinated by the unknown and the incomprehensible. Lovecraft, one of the most terrifying writers in history, tackles this issue in his essay “Supernatural Horror in Literature” by stating “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown” (1). Religions and Gods have always represented both the unknown and the most powerful plot devices and characters in fiction. On the other hand, science and its practitioners are the investigators and the discoverers of truth, armed with ceaseless curiosity and hunger for knowledge. Lovecraft’s The Shadow over Innsmouth perfectly encapsulates this battle between science and religion and the effect of this battle on the human psyche in a way that is not researched on often. The purpose of this work is to focus on science and religion in literature, not as contradicting connotations, but on how each of them influences our aesthetics individually. The second aim is to introduce an author who’s considered a titan of horror, H.P. Lovecraft, the father of cosmic horror, and how he depicts science and religion in one of his most seminal novellas The Shadow over Innsmouth.