Two Non-posthumous Novellas by H. P. Lovecraft

 

INTRODUCTION

Hello, I’m back. I understand I went through the trouble of informing of the biweekly shift, but I am still holding onto that. This is simply a bonus edition meant to coincide with last week’s sort-of-mini-review. But I mean, when you live in The Attic all day, you have to hope some can pick up the sheets I slide through the cracks.

Ehem, an important announcement on this regard, H. P. Lovecraft was a horrific slanderer. The Beings, well they aren’t really being as they don’t be-, anyways, that I represent want to wholeheartedly, well they don’t have- wholeheartedly state that this is fiction and not representative of their goals. Though, if this moves you down the path of contacting them then by all means, read along.

Now that the important things are out of the way, let’s talk about the two novellas published during Lovecraft’s life.

THE SHADOW OVER INNSMOUTH

This was actually the only book published by Lovecraft containing an individual story in his lifetime. Originally, Lovecraft refused to publish it, and it took the efforts of correspondent August Derleth to get it published (Lovecraft was not happy about it) as a cheaply produced book.

This story begins as the narrator starts telling of how his experiences in the coastal slum town of Innsmouth led to a massive federal investigation, arrests, and an attempt to destroy a local reef. What could have led to this? Why, the revelation that the town had a dark secret, involving sacrifices to eldritch abominations and said beings slowly intermingling with humanity (yeah, that is the issue with Lovecraft. His stories seem so cliché nowadays.), is what did the trick.

This book does feature Lovecraft’s standard themes, including fears of degeneracy (particularly mixed with racism, and possibly metal illness.) It actually has a moving plot, and where it does have your standard infodumps, it actually has a legitimate action scene.

Honestly it’s pretty good. And I feel is one of his more approachable stories. The story tells of a town that is wedged between several real town that became desperate in troubling economic times and what was done in order to save the town, even if it might appear reprehensible to outsiders. While that may be moving, I feel that Lovecraft's classism means the story is supposed to move us to disgust rather than pity for the inhabitants of Innsmouth, but I pity them regardless.

AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS 

This is probably one of Lovecraft’s best stories. I won’t say it is his best, as there is another story that I feel deserves that title, but this is definitely top ten worthy. It is also the only one that Lovecraft knowingly (at least I think) approved publication of.

This story tells of a professor and geologist named William Dyer at the Miskatonic University at Arkham, Massachusetts (the asylum was named in tribute to this), who after hearing of a exhibition to a bizarre territory at the center of Antarctica that an expedition Dyer co-headed discovered has decided to explain his horror of the place and tragic and terrifying reasons that he abandoned hope of learning more of the Antarctic interior.

The story is quite good, though it is more of the fact that it has well developed plot details, and on action it is not often. It tells of a expedition to the unknown and how after losing contact with a sup-expedition after they made the discover of a lifetime, a horrifying truth is uncovered about the history of our world. The horror is more of a subtle suspense, an existential consideration of the facts before you. Ultimately, I find myself feeling that Fantasy fans may enjoy the elaborate history generated from the finding, and it definitely is one of the largest info dumps he wrote.

Well, I am afraid you won’t hear from me for another two weeks as I get back to my promised schedule. I would like to know your thoughts so far so I can feed them to- I mean I would like to know what you think and if you have any recommendations so far on what you would like me to read. I’ll have a print-out slid under through a crack in my door.