Surreal, Cerebral & Potent: The SCP Fictionverse

Written by: Aaron Wong Jielun (21-I4), Chen Jiulin (20-E1), Elizabeth Khoo (21-U1), Jace Bong (20-E1), Leia Ong Rui En (20-U1)

Designed by: Liew Yi Xuan (21-E1)

Item #: SCP-001

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: The information in this article is limited to personnel of the O-5 council; reading on will result in immediate termination of breacher.

Description: Welcome to the Foundation. We are a secret organisation operating in the shadows, and we seek to Secure, Contain, and Protect all anomalous beings within our world. However, before you scan your surroundings for shadowy figures in suits, or start hunting for unnatural phenomena, we must admit one important fact: the SCP Foundation does not truly exist.

Instead, the SCP Foundation is the website of an online community that creates supernatural horror stories about a fictional organisation of the same name. From having its very own United Nations to biblical allusions of Abel & Cain, the SCPverse has lit the path for creepypasta (horror fiction generated by internet users) writers around the globe, and has solidified its position in popular internet culture. 

So, what exactly are the factors that have made the SCPverse so popular among millions of internet users?

Escaping into a Real, Fictional World

The SCPverse contains boundless creativity that provides respite from the mundanity of real life as it creates an immersive experience that pulls readers into its fictional world. 

This is in no small part achieved through the unique style of SCP stories; they are consistently written in a clinical, professional tone and obey standardised conventions mimicking that of a research report. While you may expect such a writing style to be dry and monotonous, in reality, the stark contrast between the cool, clinical writing and the disturbing, unsettling subject matter instead brings out palpable tension, suspense and horror that would even make the likes of great horror writers like H.P. Lovecraft jump in their graves. 

Additionally, SCP articles have no limits to their creativity; popular stories have included an IKEA retail unit that houses an alternate dimension (SCP-3008), a dangerous statue-like entity that can only move when not under surveillance (SCP-173), and a simple sheaf of papers that possibly causes new SCP entities to come into existence whenever it is read (SCP-001). As SCP entities are neither confined by the laws of reality, nor are their stories restricted to specific genres or themes, virtually any idea can form the basis for a SCP story. Mr Kevin Martens Wong, an EJC GP teacher-cum-science-fiction writer, observed, “The boundlessness of it … really appeals to people that have divergent imaginations.”

As such, the SCP fictionverse primarily builds itself on escapism for its readers through its uncapped potential for creativity and inventiveness regarding lore and grotesque scenarios. The adaptive value of creepiness allows for various reconstructed fantasies that elicit effects of eeriness and shock value, which many followers of the SCPverse crave. Ultimately, the effect created is that readers aren’t just casual readers browsing stories for entertainment. Instead, they enter the shoes of Foundation members carefully studying the reports of Foundation researchers in order to prevent a catastrophic containment breach. In this way, the SCPverse serves as an escape for readers.

Surprisingly, the SCP fiction verse also finds itself occasionally rooted in the real world, be it stories based on ancient folklore or contemporary happenings. When writers tap on such relatable contexts, it value-adds another dimension to these stories where readers can see for themselves things they are familiar with unfold into unfamiliar horror.

In an interview with creepypasta enthusiast Sarah Ang (21-A1), she mentioned that what draws her to said creepypastas are also the “context that are relevant to reality”. “I like that the stories have context that are relevant to reality, making the stories more realistic and hence scarier.” It is also such contexts that give her an adrenaline rush since the contexts make her picture the supernatural things happening around her.

For Budding Writers: An Attractive Verse with Low Barriers to Entry

Similar to every other social media platform, the SCP Fictionverse also prides itself on the anonymity accorded to each of the writers - writers no longer need to fear being judged and attacked by other netizens because well, they are writing under an alias! It should also be acknowledged that posting SCP stories, while time-consuming at times, comes at no posting fee which would be greatly appreciated by many new writers just starting out. 

In addition to this, the verse has also been instrumental in encouraging budding fiction writers via honing their writing as well as enjoying the writing process. For Mr Wong, he saw the verse as an interesting starting point for one to write, where writers can attempt to incorporate “the fairly mundane and unexpected” as well as the “relatable” into their stories. 

Mr Wong shared, “The scariest horror movies are the ones where you can totally imagine yourself in that situation, you can totally feel how you could relate to that.” Indeed, there are many practical considerations for fiction writers in the SCP verse to test their mettle against; at the same time, there are many unexplored possibilities within the verse that makes the SCP verse an attractive starting point for new writers.

According to Mr Wong, the reading and writing process within the SCPverse is also “somewhat cathartic” where both readers and authors are constantly interacting with “the boundaries of how we tell stories and how we experience things” and eventually “connecting to other people through it”. Indeed, other than just being a fountain of escapist creepypasta content, the verse has also established itself as a beacon of fiction-writing that assures new writers both accessibility and excitement in the crafting of their stories.

Reflecting upon the Future Direction of the Verse

The above said, it is still undeniable that the verse is at times still unappealing to the general population. For one, as the verse developed over the years, there has also been an ostensible increase in stories that are based majorly on the aspect of Scaregore. One prominent example would be SCP-597, a “blob of flesh approximately 5.8m (19ft) high, and 10.67m (35ft) wide” which would understandably be a turn-off for readers with weaker stomachs.

In addition, the vast majority of narratives that have been written are unfortunately rooted mainly in Western and European mythology and culture. These include Western cultural references like IKEA stores (SCP-3008), Nazi bunkers (SCP-108) and even Biblical figures (too many to count). While these have given rise to some of the most iconic and memorable SCPs, the lack of cultural diversity greatly inhibits their potential and scope. 

The SCPVverse originated from the American website 4chan, and thus are written presumably for dominant American audiences. However, the reach of SCPs has evidently spread internationally (hence this article), and now SCPs can be penned — and are penned — by anybody of any culture.

Despite this, most SCP authors have nevertheless followed in the stead of their predecessors, causing a proliferation of stories hinging on European lore. Imagine more SCPs rooted in Southeast Asian, South Asian, or even African folklore — how much more colourful and creative the SCP universe would be! Other SCP enthusiasts would also be able to learn more about cultures other than their own. 

As a whole, the SCPverse would be greatly more dynamic and enjoyable if it could also appeal to a larger audience, be it through less Euro-centric or Scaregore-oriented content.