What Is The Thing? | The Evolution of Science Fiction
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 Published On Sep 16, 2024

If you’ve heard of HP Lovecraft then you might know about his novella, At the Mountains of Madness. It tells the story of a group of scientists on an expedition in Antarctica, where they discover the remnants of something ancient, and incomprehensible, something not of this earth.

HP Lovecrat’s story went on to inspire many works of science fiction, including John Campbell’s “Who Goes There?”, a science fiction horror story about an isolated group of scientists in Antarctica who discover a buried alien spaceship. “Who Goes there?” itself went on to inspire several adaptations, 1951’s The Thing From Another World directed by Christian Nyby and produced by Howard Hawks. 1982’s The Thing, directed by John Carpenter, this is without a doubt the most famous adaptation of this story, and the most famous version of the story in general.

Peter Watt’s story however has a take on the story that is different from all the others, It takes place entirely from the perspective of the lifeform itself. Throughout the story you view the world through its alien mind, you listen to its alien thoughts.

Stories and their interpretations are born out of the times we live in. The particular society or culture at any given time is going to affect how the same stories are presented. You can trace this story all the way back to Lovecraft and each time that it is presented a unique element is added. This is what we will explore in this video. What Does The Thing Represent? What is the thing? What is each version of this story trying to say and how are they different from each other? In this video we will explore how shifting societal fears such as paranoia, fear of the unknown, identity, and empathy shape the themes and interpretations of the story over time.

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🎥 Mentioned Videos:
At the Mountains of Madness Podcast:    • Ancient Astronauts and The Old Ones |...  
Mountains of Mandess Video:    • HP Lovecraft: The Ultimate Horror at ...  

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