Persephone's (Gothic) Insights

My blog concerns the Gothic, but also sex, metal and videogames (not quite sex, drugs and rock 'n roll, but certainly healthier). I'm also an atheist, and write about that in this post . In any case, I wanted to briefly cover these areas of interest—why they're so important to me, but also how they tie into the Gothic according to my overlapping tastes. If anyone's wondering what the Gothic is, here's a useful (and funny) guide ; it's not totally how I view the Gothic as a mode of expression, but it's a good place for the uninitiated to start. Here's another. Update, 1/4/2025: My focus has shifted onto Metroidvania, sex work, and Gothic poetics, which I've written multiple books on, since this post (which I quote in my book series). To it, I've decided to release the entirety of my work on Metroidvania in one single place: " From Master's to PhD (and Beyond): My Entire Work on Metroidvania " (2025). This includes my master's the...

I frequently write about Gothic horror on this blog, as well as metal, videogames and sex . In relation to those topics, I've never written about my religious views. I wanted to do that, here. Before I do, a shoutout to the YouTuber TheraminTrees, whose videos on atheism are an effective and stylish introduction to the topic. Update, 1/4/2025: My focus has shifted to Metroidvania, sex work, and Gothic poetics, which I've written multiple books on, since this post (which I cite in my book series). To it, I've decided to release the entirety of my work on Metroidvania in one single place: " From Master's to PhD (and Beyond): My Entire Work on Metroidvania " (2025). This includes my master's thesis and early postgraduate work (re: "Mazes and Labyrinths"), my PhD (released in 2023), further essays released after my postgraduate work in my larger book series,  Sex Positivity . You can also ask me questions about Metroidvania on the r/Metroidvania sub...

What follows is my interview with State of Mercury, a YouTuber who reinvents Metallica songs. Check out his channel,  here . I often analyze Mercury's work (which is superb),  and you can read about that in my Two Cents compendium  (which also has all of my interviews about metal remixers).  Check out  a similar interview with Ahdy Khairat , and another interview with Bryce Barilla . If you like our work (mine, State of Mercury's et al), you can find us on  State of Mercury's Discord server ! Nick: Hi, I'm Nick van der Waard, aka "the two cents guy" on YouTube . On YouTube, I write comments on heavy metal remixes/remasters. This interview is for my blog, where I write about metal, but also horror, videogames, and sex in media . State of Mercury, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Mercury: So my name is Calvin Cox. I'm a guitar player from Canada. Right now, I guess I'm mostly known for my " Metallica What if... " series on YouTube...

This piece examines Metroid , specifically how Samus Aran is a phallic woman; how the space she explores is weaponized and vaginal; and how its overseer, Mother Brain, is an Archaic Mother. To summarize those terms, a phallic woman resists sexist conventions by behaving in a masculine (often war-like) fashion in Gothic stories. An Archaic Mother is a powerful, ancient, female mythic figure tied to abject images of motherhood and/or numinous authority. Her power is womb-centric, stemming from her actual womb, or the womb-like space she uses to attack the hero.  Update, 1/4/2025: I've decided to release the entirety of my work on Metroidvania in one single place: " From Master's to PhD (and Beyond): My Entire Work on Metroidvania " (2025). This includes my master's thesis and early postgraduate work (re: "Mazes and Labyrinths"), my PhD (released in 2023), further essays released after my postgraduate work in my larger book series,  Sex Positivity . You can...