Talk:Between Ice and Stars/@comment-25428589-20180903211159

This was a real treat to read. You cover so many of the classic Lovecraftian tropes so well, without ever crossing the line into aping their sources. You've built up the classic existential dread we'd expect from cosmic horror without having to delve headfirst into the monsters/gods - the distortion of free will that you've implied is really effective at doing this. I can't fault the atmosphere of the pasta at all; it would feel at home alongside many classics of the genre.

I actually differ from Helel with regards to the plot. While the initial premise of the pasta is definitely quite unique, the plot did feel too similar to some of Lovecraft's classics to me. The cult scene & ending of The Call of Cthulu especially spring to mind. However, your decision to focus some more on the human aspect of your story was definitely the correct one, and means that the pasta still felt fresh. As Helel has said, the characters were very well written. To me, it feels like the characters in cosmic horror often just devolve into vehicles for the plot (which I guess is intentional, given that it highlights their insignificance), but it's nice to have a "way in" to emotional investment in the story.

I think I can deal with having to wait another year for you to release something else if it turns out as good as this did :) Thank you very much for sharing.