Good Thing For Your Ears Alert

So a little while back, I wrestled with the dilemma of H.P. Lovecraft, and how his particular brand of cosmic horror has largely been overshadowed either by cutesy pop-culture reduction or the legacy of his truly awful beliefs. I really like cosmic horror, and appreciate seeing expressions of it that get out from under his shadow whenever I can. Well, over the holiday weekend, I was introduced to a horror anthology podcast called Old Gods of Appalachia, and I am here to tell you that it is well worth your time and the use of your ears. The episodes so far are short (I think the longest one tops out at 24 minutes), but they work in accumulation to build up a vision of life in the Appalachian hills, mountains, valleys, and hollers that connects the world we know to something much darker. Root workers make bargains with ancient things, coal miners dig too deep and free things intended to be forever imprisoned. It's cosmic horror emerging organically from a specific place with a specific history and specific traditions, not just a slapdash pasting of tentacles and cults onto hillbilly stereotypes. The people telling these stories live in those woods, come from those woods, and the result is highly compelling. My one complaint would be that the next episode isn't up yet because dammit, I want more. GO GET THAT SHIT.