巫邪儀式、輻射能與天文學：論西蒙東技術文化如何重塑洛夫葵之宇宙恐怖

Cult, Radioactivity, and Astronomy: How Simondonian Technical Culture Reshapes Lovecraft’s Cosmic Horror

所謂的輻射能，指的是原子核從中心向外擴張的微分子振動，而輻射能的發展與二十世紀初業餘電磁學、天文學，無線電文化有著密不可分的關係。在這篇文章當中，我把洛夫葵創作放在當時的技術脈絡裡，突顯洛氏小說中非常獨特的太空、科技、業餘文化的面向，說明除了看得見的恐怖怪物，洛氏作品也常以聽得見或聽不見的聲音來營造恐怖的氣氛。換句話說，洛氏的「怪」其實不是「物」，而是來自外太空異能量的傳導。
我試著透過西蒙東在《技術物之存在模式》中對技術物及寰宇教育的闡釋，討論幾篇克蘇魯神話的磒石輻射、無線電、光譜鏡，借此重新定義洛夫葵的宇宙恐怖，並且試著指出，洛氏作品中的巫邪儀式其實是一種技術操作，是現代人在面對宇宙浩瀚時處理焦慮的策略，同時也允諾新媒體時代新的肅懾經驗。

Radioactivity involves molecular vibrations spreading outward from atomic nuclei and their consequential reactions. The development of radio technology is closely related to the amateur cultures of electromagnetism, astronomy, and radio at the turn of the twentieth century. In this article, I examine Lovecraft’s weird tales against the backdrop of the technical history of radioactivity, emphasizing the aspects of outer space, technology, and amateurism in his works. I argue that, besides Lovecraft’s expertise in portraying formless monsters dreadful to the eye, he is also adept at creating an atmosphere of horror through sounds, whether audible or inaudible to the human ear. This means that the monstrous phenomena in his tales may also result from the transduction of alien energy from outer space.
I aim to redefine Lovecraftian“cosmic horror”by investigating the implications of radioactive meteorites, radio transmitters, and spectroscopes in terms of the technical objects and encyclopedism proposed by Gilbert Simondon. I thus argue that the cult in the Cthulhu Mythos can be regarded as a kind of technical operation aimed at dealing with the emotion of anxiety when modern man confronts the immensity of the universe, promising a new experience of the sublime in the age of new media.