Kobalt’s Reviews > Foundations of Fear > Status Update
Kobalt
is on page 197 of 660
Blue Rose - 3.75/5
This kid sucks. Like, really sucks. Oh, the mom too, and most of the kids actually. Dad could be worse.
Anyways, here I finally encounter the sadistic, murder child trope with a helping of hypnotism. Candy for creepypastas, I kind of forgot how visceral this stuff can be. Tbh I think I get stronger reactions out of reading in this subgenre than most other horror types. Could be cliché for moderns?
— Aug 05, 2025 12:00AM
This kid sucks. Like, really sucks. Oh, the mom too, and most of the kids actually. Dad could be worse.
Anyways, here I finally encounter the sadistic, murder child trope with a helping of hypnotism. Candy for creepypastas, I kind of forgot how visceral this stuff can be. Tbh I think I get stronger reactions out of reading in this subgenre than most other horror types. Could be cliché for moderns?
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Kobalt’s Previous Updates
Kobalt
is on page 163 of 660
The Moonstone Mass
This one is hard to rate, and it feels a bit... unique. The prose is decidedly gothic and stands right next to stuff by Poe. It's difficult to read, but the length is just right. But the way the story plays out is more like cosmic horror, and then sort of the opposite? There's the encounter in the far reaches, the loss of sanity, yet the culmination is not horrific, but beautiful. Surprising.
— Jul 28, 2025 09:51PM
This one is hard to rate, and it feels a bit... unique. The prose is decidedly gothic and stands right next to stuff by Poe. It's difficult to read, but the length is just right. But the way the story plays out is more like cosmic horror, and then sort of the opposite? There's the encounter in the far reaches, the loss of sanity, yet the culmination is not horrific, but beautiful. Surprising.
Kobalt
is on page 154 of 660
Passengers - 3.25/5
Not sure this technically classifies as horror honestly, unless you have acute, reoccurring existential dread about the idea of free will... But yeah, it's alright. My take is that it's about letting the drive for pleasure (via love or substances here) take over your conscious, intelligent side. I like the dry perspective of the narrator, there's some fine ideas, but it's not quite a sure hit.
— Jul 26, 2025 04:33PM
Not sure this technically classifies as horror honestly, unless you have acute, reoccurring existential dread about the idea of free will... But yeah, it's alright. My take is that it's about letting the drive for pleasure (via love or substances here) take over your conscious, intelligent side. I like the dry perspective of the narrator, there's some fine ideas, but it's not quite a sure hit.
Kobalt
is on page 145 of 660
The Shadowy Street - 3.25/5
This one is a bit conflicting. On one hand, there's a really cool proto-liminal space aspect to the horror, and it's interesting to see the consequences of one guy abusing what he finds. On the other hand, it's split into 2 "manuscripts" with the better content (imo) taking place in the latter, while the former is written in a more cliché, amateurish style that's not as interesting.
— Jul 26, 2025 04:18PM
This one is a bit conflicting. On one hand, there's a really cool proto-liminal space aspect to the horror, and it's interesting to see the consequences of one guy abusing what he finds. On the other hand, it's split into 2 "manuscripts" with the better content (imo) taking place in the latter, while the former is written in a more cliché, amateurish style that's not as interesting.
Kobalt
is on page 132 of 660
The Little Room - 3.5/5
Vaguely unsettling in a way that's hard to put a finger on. Not sure what's going on underneath this one to be honest, but from the foreword, I might guess something about female expectations and putting on faces...?
— Jul 07, 2025 08:46AM
Vaguely unsettling in a way that's hard to put a finger on. Not sure what's going on underneath this one to be honest, but from the foreword, I might guess something about female expectations and putting on faces...?
Kobalt
is on page 115 of 660
Mountains of Madness - 4/5
I wasn't sure what to think of this mid-way through, but after finishing, I can see why Lovecraft became such a phenomenon. His way of portraying the unthinkable—through vivid, detailed, academic description—is enough to convince someone that the horror, the phenomena, and the implied mythos in question could really exist.
— Jul 06, 2025 04:18PM
I wasn't sure what to think of this mid-way through, but after finishing, I can see why Lovecraft became such a phenomenon. His way of portraying the unthinkable—through vivid, detailed, academic description—is enough to convince someone that the horror, the phenomena, and the implied mythos in question could really exist.
Kobalt
is on page 52 of 660
They - 3.85/5
'STUPID HUMANS'
Welp that was fun.
It's interesting how the little elements—the crazy-or-not, loner intellectual, genuine sophist, disillusioned with humanity, 'it's all a conspiracy,' STUFF—mixes in this equation to get this paranoia inducing setting. Classic. And my gosh the conclusions he makes. Literally starts with, 'I am the center of the universe,' and thus goes right to "I am immortal."
Ok.
— Dec 23, 2024 12:59AM
'STUPID HUMANS'
Welp that was fun.
It's interesting how the little elements—the crazy-or-not, loner intellectual, genuine sophist, disillusioned with humanity, 'it's all a conspiracy,' STUFF—mixes in this equation to get this paranoia inducing setting. Classic. And my gosh the conclusions he makes. Literally starts with, 'I am the center of the universe,' and thus goes right to "I am immortal."
Ok.
Kobalt
is on page 41 of 660
Don't Look Now - 3/5
Decently written story about a man unable to come to terms with his wife coming to terms. Lil psychic superstition and some nice suspense halfway in, but doesn't really "do" a whole lot until its bizarro ending—which it calls attention (maybe to point out MC's fixation with the intangible?).
Doesn't really pull on any deeper discomforts or hidden uncertainties though, so it's just kinda okay.
— Dec 14, 2024 08:02PM
Decently written story about a man unable to come to terms with his wife coming to terms. Lil psychic superstition and some nice suspense halfway in, but doesn't really "do" a whole lot until its bizarro ending—which it calls attention (maybe to point out MC's fixation with the intangible?).
Doesn't really pull on any deeper discomforts or hidden uncertainties though, so it's just kinda okay.
