Weird fiction is a genre that blends horror, fantasy, and supernatural elements to create stories that are unsettling, strange, and often cosmic in scope. These works typically feature unexplained phenomena, otherworldly creatures, and scenarios that challenge characters' understanding of reality. Weird fiction often evokes a sense of cosmic dread - the feeling that humanity is insignificant in the face of vast, unknowable forces. The genre emphasizes atmosphere and mood over explicit violence, creating a sense of unease through the suggestion of the impossible and the inexplicable. What makes weird fiction unique is its ability to evoke fear and wonder simultaneously, exploring the boundaries between the known and unknown.

Weird fiction emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with authors like Algernon Blackwood and Arthur Machen, reaching its peak with H.P. Lovecraft in the 1920s and 1930s. The genre experienced a revival in the 1980s and has seen a renaissance in the 21st century with the "New Weird" movement, which incorporates contemporary concerns like environmentalism and globalization while maintaining the genre's core emphasis on the strange and unknowable.