Member-Sponsored Unspeakable Horror Contest
Details
| Deadline: | Oct 31, 2018 |
| Fee: | Free |
“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.”
– H. P. Lovecraft
This Halloween, we invite you to tell us a story featuring Cosmic Horror. Cosmicism (or Cosmic Horror) is the literary philosophy originated by the American writer H. P. Lovecraft in his weird fiction tales. The primary theme of his stories was the insignificance of humanity and the inconsequential nature of our existence in the grand scope of the cosmos. According to Lovecraft, the universe is vast and filled with terrors, and we are but tiny specks spiraling helplessly toward our doom.
With your story, we encourage you to explore some of the tropes that make Cosmic Horror such a popular and enduring subgenre! Push your characters to the brink of insanity, force them to face off against the eldritch abominations—creatures so monstrous, they are beyond human comprehension. Perhaps you’d like to delve even deeper and explore the indifferent nature of the Old Gods—impossibly powerful creatures spreading chaos throughout the universe—or their malevolent cultist worshippers who wish to subvert society through the secret rites and rituals of their ancient mythos.
Come share your tales of unspeakable horrors and unfathomable terror. Drown us in your endless sea of madness and despair!
Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn!
Prize money for this contest is provided by the Scribophile Writing Contest Prize Fund.
Winning entries
Winners have been announced! Log in to see them.
Prizes
| 1st prize: | $100 cash via PayPal |
| 2nd prize: | $75 cash via PayPal |
| 3rd prize: | $50 cash via PayPal |
| 4th prize: | 20 karma points |
| 5th prize: | 10 karma points |
Rules
Entries must be received by 11:59:59 PM, October 31 2018 (UTC)
Entries must be 3,000 words or less.
Multiple entries are not allowed.
Fiction only, please.
No poetry or novel chapters.
Work must have Public visibility on Scribophile until winners are announced.
If you have placed in a contest in the past with a piece, you may not resubmit that piece to this contest.
Submission guidelines
To enter the contest, post your work on Scribophile and check the box that says “Enter this work into the Member-Sponsored Unspeakable Horror Contest.”
Entry is free, but you’ll need karma points to post your work. You can earn karma points by writing critiques of other member’s work.