The New Weird

"Weird" in this sense, refers to a subject that the general population perceives as taboo or unexplainable. Often times, the subject matters of the “New Weird” involve mind-bending and logic defying events of the supernatural being dealt with by the main protagonist. Something in their world has significantly changed and this change challenges their world view to the point where, even despite protest, they can not help but uncover the truth behind the phenomena. 

In “Annihilation”, the reader follows a character only known as “the Biologist” as she is sent out into a mysterious new region known only as “Area X”. The choice here to follow the Biologist specifically brings a new perspective to the work, as rather quickly, we see her try to apply her previous knowledge of biology to the world surrounding her, only for this knowledge to fail her. When trying to explain a wall of organic, seemingly plant-based lifeforms to her party, she says, ‘“Some sort of fungi,’ I said finally, taking a deep breath so I could control my voice. ‘The letters are made from fruiting bodies.’ Who knew if it were actually true? It was just the closest thing to an answer…” In this world, the biologist is supposed to be in her element, to know about and research her environment is what makes her useful to the team, and yet here she finds herself lying about the events surrounding them in order to instill some sense of calm. 

Herein lies a major difference of stories being told in “The New Weird” as opposed to traditional horror, it is not strictly the characters that shape the events of a story, but the changing environment itself. In some ways, the setting of a work can almost be counted as a character in of itself in the New Weird. It is this lack of answers about the world surrounding the main characters that seem to spur on events and create conflict amongst the main cast, as a sense of panic ensues. 

As horror moves forward in history, it seems that this sense of vague unease and misunderstanding is emerging as a common motif in many new stories. Perhaps this is because as society goes forward, each of us feels more and more like a stranger in our own home, surrounded by things we thought we knew. The actions of our leaders confuses us, social power structures are being criticized, and the environment seems to be dissolving at an unprecedented rate, all seemingly within a few generations of people. The world is changing, and for many, they feel as though they are surrounded by a New Weird world.