Winter at Infocult

A strong winter storm has finished dispensing seasonal color to those of us in New England.  I've documented the snow, ice, and wind at Flickr.

But as the longest night of the year draws nigh, how best to respond?  In a Gothic fashion, of course.  We should contemplate the wendigo, classic winter horror deity, or Ithaqua.  Steven Kaye draws our attention to the classic Conrad Aiken story "Silent Snow, Secret Snow" (1934).  The text doesn't seem to be on the web, but there's the library, and the excellent Night Gallery version (two YouTube parts: 1, 2).  Any suggestions for wintry Gothic, for snowy horror?

Coming up next week: Christmas and ghost stories, a fine English tradition.

Comments

[HP]

Winter gothic? The first thing that comes to mind are the arctic and glacier chapters in Frankenstein.

Ooh, wait: Ambrose Bierce, "Charles Ashmore's Trail," and the first light snow of a prairie winter.

[Wolf]

Here's a link to "Silent Snow." The story begins on page 93 (click on my user name to get to it)

[Steve B]

I just finished rereading _The Ithaqua Cycle_ compilation from Chaosium.

For winter horror - *stops, reads other comments* - ok, _Frankenstein's been mentioned.

Film, there's the John Carpenter version of _The Thing_. Oh, and also _Ravenous_, speaking of the wendigo.

Print, I often come back in mind to Charles Grant's winter in Greystone Bay story "Caesar, Now Be Still".

[Bryan Alexander]

Great examples, folks.

For The Thing, remember that the short story, "Who Goes There?", is also polar.

Ravenous is hilarious.

Steve, anything to recommend from that colleciton?

Thank you for the smooth link, Wolf.

[Steve B]

I'm honestly surprised no one's mentioned HP Lovecraft's _At the Mountains of Madness_ for ice and cold.

Bryan, from _The Ithaqua Cycle_ anthology, I'd say Algernon Blackwood's "The Wendigo" for historic reference, and Vance and Urban's "The Wind Has Teeth" for nicely handled creepiness.

I was more interested in Ithaqua than most of the other of HPL's fictional myth cycle from early on, and have been overall disappointed in the slim selection of stories over time.

[Bryan Alexander]

Excellent. All part of my plan. Thank you, gentlemen.

[Steve B]

Oh, and speaking of _At the Mountains of Madness_: del Toro really, really wants to film it.