{"id":1952,"date":"2018-05-09T16:53:48","date_gmt":"2018-05-09T20:53:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/?p=1952"},"modified":"2018-05-09T16:53:48","modified_gmt":"2018-05-09T20:53:48","slug":"at-the-mountains-of-madness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/at-the-mountains-of-madness\/","title":{"rendered":"At The Mountains of Madness"},"content":{"rendered":"

At The Mountains of Madness<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>is one of H.P. Lovecraft\u2019s most influential novels. Written in 1931, it presents the first-person narration of Dr. William Dyer, a geologist at Miskatonic University. Dyer is a survivor of a paleontological drilling expedition to the Antarctic and he tells the reader that he is telling his story in order to dissuade another group of adventurers and scientists (the Starkweather-Moore expedition) from visiting the icy continent lest they accidentally unleash ancient horrors on modern humanity.<\/p>\n

In the course of the story, Dyer reveals that their leader Dr. Lake took men ahead in search of fossils and found a massive mountain range taller than the Himalayas. They also discovered an underground cavern system filled with strange creatures (the Old Ones) that the scientists think are fossilized but which are actually in a state of suspended animation. The scientists take the Old Ones back to their camp for examination despite their sled dogs reacting violently towards them; Dyer and his companions get their reports via radio. When Lake\u2019s party goes ominously silent, Dyer\u2019s party goes to investigate. They find Lake and his men gruesomely dead and the Old Ones either carefully buried or missing. A man named Gedney is also missing; Dyer and his companion Danforth go searching for him in an airplane.<\/p>\n

Past the huge mountains, they find the vast, ancient stone city of the Old Ones and glimpse an even taller mountain range beyond it. They explore the ruins and find murals depicting the Old One\u2019s alien origins and long reign on earth before humans evolved, Gedney\u2019s body carefully stowed as a scientific sample, giant albino cave penguins, and a fearsome shoggoth that kills the surviving Old Ones and pursues Dyer and Danforth out of the city.<\/p>\n

It really does read like the travelogue of a pedantic college professor, and we get pages and pages of descriptions of fossils and geology and landscape and history. The emphasis on the world building sells the reader on the believability of the story through the exhaustive details \u2026 but that in combination with Dyer\u2019s academic diction saps the tension from parts of the novel. It might be a bit of a slog\u00a0for those used to faster-paced narratives. (But this novel would be a good piece to compare and contrast\u00a0with Dan Simmons\u2019\u00a0The Terror<\/em><\/a>, which features an elaborate, frightening arctic setting described masterfully.)<\/p>\n

That said, I found it tremendously useful precisely because of its elaborate back stories. It\u2019s an encyclopedia of the histories of many of the Lovecraftian monsters I\u2019m working with in my own fiction.\u00a0So my take is that this novel is a must-read for any writer\u00a0who wants to work with Lovecraft\u2019s themes.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At The Mountains of Madness\u00a0is one of H.P. Lovecraft\u2019s most influential novels. Written in 1931, it presents the first-person narration of Dr. William Dyer, a […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1954,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[31],"tags":[131,9,99,96],"class_list":["post-1952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-review","tag-dan-simmons","tag-horror","tag-lovecraft","tag-setting"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Roerich_GradObr.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8qT6f-vu","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1978,"url":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/the-horror-at-red-hook\/","url_meta":{"origin":1952,"position":0},"title":"The Horror at Red Hook","author":"Lucy A. Snyder","date":"June 6, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cThe Horror at Red Hook\u201d is a short story by\u00a0H.P. Lovecraft\u00a0that first appeared in the January 1927 issue of\u00a0Weird Tales. The\u00a0protagonist\u00a0of the story is Detective Malone, who investigates a series of kidnappings linked to a mysterious recluse named Suydam. The recluse has been involved in shadowy dealings with gangsters and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "book review"","block_context":{"text":"book review","link":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/category\/book-review\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/H._P._Lovecraft_June_1934-e1528320012630.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":774,"url":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/the-portrayal-of-scientists-in-science-fiction\/","url_meta":{"origin":1952,"position":1},"title":"The Portrayal of Scientists in Science Fiction","author":"Lucy A. Snyder","date":"March 7, 1995","format":false,"excerpt":"Introduction Authors such as Marcel LaFollette and Dorothy Nelkin have documented how the mass media has portrayed scientists and how these portrayals have affected public perceptions and government policies. But comparatively little research has been done on the portrayal of scientists in science fiction. Many people dismiss or ignore science\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "media theory"","block_context":{"text":"media theory","link":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/category\/media-theory\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1995\/03\/1838622.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1995\/03\/1838622.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1995\/03\/1838622.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1995\/03\/1838622.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/1995\/03\/1838622.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1816,"url":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/dead-but-dreaming\/","url_meta":{"origin":1952,"position":2},"title":"Dead But Dreaming","author":"Lucy A. Snyder","date":"March 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"That is not dead which can eternal lie, And with strange aeons even death may die. In his house at R\u2019lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming. \u2013 \u201cThe Call of Cthulhu\u201d by H.P. Lovecraft \u00a0 So, I was at a party discussing rum and elder gods, as one does, and we\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "humor"","block_context":{"text":"humor","link":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/category\/humor\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/drinks.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/drinks.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/drinks.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/drinks.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2171,"url":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/hath-no-fury\/","url_meta":{"origin":1952,"position":3},"title":"Hath No Fury","author":"Lucy A. Snyder","date":"August 23, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"My story\u00a0\u201cA Hero of Gr\u00fcnjord\u201d was published today in Outland Entertainment's new anthology Hath No Fury.\u00a0The book was edited by\u00a0Melanie R. Meadors and features a foreword by\u00a0Robin Hobb and an introduction by\u00a0Margaret Weis. My story is an epic Lovecraftian science fantasy adventure. Nicol\u00e1s R. Giacondino created a great illustration for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "fiction"","block_context":{"text":"fiction","link":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/category\/fiction\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/hathnofury.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/hathnofury.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/hathnofury.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/hathnofury.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/hathnofury.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/hathnofury.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2702,"url":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/a-secret-guide-to-fighting-elder-gods\/","url_meta":{"origin":1952,"position":4},"title":"A Secret Guide to Fighting Elder Gods","author":"Lucy A. Snyder","date":"May 29, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A Secret Guide to Fighting Elder Gods is a new YA anthology edited by Jennifer Brozek. It contains my story \u201cVisions of the Dream Witch\u201d along with new stories by Seanan McGuire, Jonathan Maberry, Tim Waggoner, and other great writers. Cover art by Peter Tikos Here's the full Table of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "publishing"","block_context":{"text":"publishing","link":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/category\/publishing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/ElderGods.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1416,"url":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/the-king-in-yellow\/","url_meta":{"origin":1952,"position":5},"title":"The King in Yellow","author":"Lucy A. Snyder","date":"July 5, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The King in Yellow (first published in 1895) is a collection of short stories written by author Robert W. Chambers. Most of the tales in the collection are supernatural, and the first four \u00ad\u00ad\u2014 \u201cThe Repairer of Reputations\u201d, \u201cThe Mask\u201d, \u201cIn the Court of the Dragon\u201d, and \u201cThe Yellow Sign\u201d\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "book review"","block_context":{"text":"book review","link":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/category\/book-review\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/kinginyellow-e1499276717364.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/kinginyellow-e1499276717364.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/kinginyellow-e1499276717364.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/kinginyellow-e1499276717364.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/kinginyellow-e1499276717364.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lucysnyder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/kinginyellow-e1499276717364.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1952","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1952"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1952\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1955,"href":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1952\/revisions\/1955"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1954"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lucysnyder.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}