Lichenthropy: Possibility Space and the Chthulucene in <i>The Last of Us</i>

Abstract Traditionally, ecoGothic narratives have ended with “man” overthrowing the environment and securing his position as the dominant species. However, American zombie video games, such as The Last of Us, have challenged this outcome, collapsing distinctions between humans and the environment. This collapse engenders what Donna Haraway has called “response-ability.” Response-ability, however, requires a shift from Anthropic thinking to Chthulucentric living, and for fungal zombie video games, this takes the form of lichenthropy. Lichenthropy proposes a multispecies form of ecological being by way of Haraway’s concept of the Chthulucene in place of the Anthropocene to argue that the environmental storytelling potential of ecoGothic video games, through their interactivity, can efface the button-pushing harmful effects of climate change. Possibility space in The Last of Us can enhance the lichenthropic potential of the video game, but in many ways, it also limits it, suggesting that American citizens may not be ready to accept response-ability for their contributions to contemporary climate issues.