Nebula Magazine

Cosmic Horror Writing Prompt

Our theme is Cosmic Horror—a subgenre of horror that emphasizes humanity’s insignificance in an incomprehensibly vast, indifferent universe, where ancient and unknowable forces defy understanding or control.
All stories for this prompt will take place in a shared writing setting called Aldrich. This is our nod to H. P. Lovecraft and his associated writers who made places like Arkham and Innsmouth come alive with their shared, interconnected stories.
ALDRICH
Aldrich is a small town somewhere in New England nestled among rolling hills. Main Street runs east to west, and a railroad runs north to south. The town is laid out in a grid with streets running parallel and perpendicular above and below Main Street. Aldrich Lake is to the northeast with a single road running up to the waterfront. The town is surrounded by old-growth woods and high hills. Aldrich has five roads connecting the town the adjacent towns which are many miles away.
There is no modern commercialization in Aldrich. No chain restaurants or big box stores. Everything here is still small business driven with unique New England character. Despite the presence of cell towers, the town doesn’t have good cellular service, and most people still rely on land lines. There are a few churches, two large graveyards, and a few small ones, as well as an asylum on the west side of town, various stores, and curiosity shops. There is a roadhouse, a boarding house, and a big hotel on the east side of town.