At the Mountains of Madness

At the Mountains of Madness is a science fiction-horror novel written by American author H. P. Lovecraft in February/March 1931 and rejected the same year by Weird Tales editor Farnsworth Wright due to its length. It was first serialized in Astounding Stories in February, March, and April 1936. It has been reprinted in a number of compilations.

The plot follows the events of a catastrophic voyage to Antarctica in September 1930, and what a party of explorers led by the narrator, Dr. William Dyer of Miskatonic University, discovers there. Dyer recounts a succession of previously unreported occurrences throughout the novel in the hopes of discouraging another set of explorers from returning to the continent. Among these occurrences are the discovery of an ancient civilisation older than the human species, as well as the realization of Earth's past as told via numerous sculptures and paintings.

Lovecraft's interest in the Antarctic expedition inspired the narrative; the continent was still unexplored in the 1930s. Lovecraft directly references Edgar Allan Poe's classic The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket, and he may have drawn influence from other works. Many tale motifs, like the formless "shoggoth", appear again and again throughout Lovecraft's works. The plot has been adapted into graphic novels, video games, and musical compositions.

Detailed information:

Author: H. P. Lovecraft

Language: English
Genre: Science fiction, Horror

Link to buy: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/103768/at-the-mountains-of-madness-by-h-p-lovecraft/