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A review by bearded_ginger
At the Mountains of Madness: And Other Tales of Terror by H.P. Lovecraft
4.0
This book puts the evolution of horror/fantasy as a genre into world building context.
There is so much content i experienced growing up (even outside the world of 'horror') that is influenced by Lovecraft, and to read the source material brought a lot of culture into perspective. Ridley's Alien is a prime example of something that wouldn't exist without stories like this.
I actually see a lot of similarities to this story and Tolkien's Middle Earth - the lengthy descriptions of the surreal and the fantastic help provide context to a place that was completely new territory when this story came out. Lovecraft set so many standards, and a whole lot of groundwork for an entire genre. Of course, when description fails that's where madness starts and Lovecraft's unique brand of horror begins.
I'm sure i'll have more thoughts on this when i finish the complete collection.
While this isn't 'scary' per say (thought i imagine it was when it first came out) the dread and uncanny feelings it produces when reading are timeless. Plus, there are no signs here of his problematic personal opinions which show up in his other works.
I think this story is timeless, and I really wish Guillermo del Toro got to make the film adaptation he'd been working on. This is primed for his unique vision in that medium
There is so much content i experienced growing up (even outside the world of 'horror') that is influenced by Lovecraft, and to read the source material brought a lot of culture into perspective. Ridley's Alien is a prime example of something that wouldn't exist without stories like this.
I actually see a lot of similarities to this story and Tolkien's Middle Earth - the lengthy descriptions of the surreal and the fantastic help provide context to a place that was completely new territory when this story came out. Lovecraft set so many standards, and a whole lot of groundwork for an entire genre. Of course, when description fails that's where madness starts and Lovecraft's unique brand of horror begins.
I'm sure i'll have more thoughts on this when i finish the complete collection.
While this isn't 'scary' per say (thought i imagine it was when it first came out) the dread and uncanny feelings it produces when reading are timeless. Plus, there are no signs here of his problematic personal opinions which show up in his other works.
I think this story is timeless, and I really wish Guillermo del Toro got to make the film adaptation he'd been working on. This is primed for his unique vision in that medium