Synopsis
An expedition from Miskatonic University to the Antarctic discovers a mysterious range of mountains deep in the frozen continent, and then discovers the frozen bodies of very strange creatures in underground caves in the foothills of the mountains.
History
First publication: Astounding Stories, serialized February to April 1936
Review
This is a cornerstone of both horror and also science fiction, having likely influenced John W. Campbell with Who Goes There? The writing is classic Lovecraft, with all of his style and description. It seems to have been mainly inspired by the paintings of Nicholas Roerich. This is longer than most other Cthulhu Mythos stories. It fits a tradition of fantastic stories set in Antarctica, starting with Poe’s Arthur Gordon Pym, continuing with Burrough’s and the Land That Time Forgot and continuing with a number of 1930s SF stories, like the first serial in Astounding by Victor Rousseau. This story does remind me of the Rousseau story, except that this is really well written in comparison.. Lovecraft does not hold back and gives us a clear picture of his Elder Gods and their infernal city built in the black mountains deep in the Antarctic. For horror lovers, this one is a MUST READ!
Videos
We have the story in these editions:
The New Annotated H. P. Lovecraft, hardcover, Liveright, 2014-10-13
At the Mountains of Madness and Other Novels, hardcover, Arkham House, 1985-12-00
The Antarktos Cycle, edited by Robert M. Price, trade paperback, Chaosium, 1998-08-00
All of the stories in the Cthulhu Mythos series:
The Dweller in Darkness
Shaft Number 247
The Ballad of Black Tom
The Return of the Deep Ones
The Tugging
Sticks
Dark Awakening
The Mark of Yig
The Gathering
Cement Surroundings
Than Curse the Darkness
The Sister City
The Mind Parasites
Rising with Surtsey
The Lady of Shalott
Haggopian
The House of Cthulhu
The Black Tome of Alsophocus
I Had Vacantly Crumpled It into My Pocket ... But By God, Eliot, It Was a Photograph from Life!
Born of the Winds
The Fairground Horror
The Unthinkable
The Children of the Night
The Black Stone
The Return of the Lloigor
Black Man with a Horn
The Freshman
The Shadow from the Steeple
The Thing on the Roof
The Tomb of the Old Ones
Notebook Found in a Deserted House
The Second Wish
At the Mountains of Madness
The Tower from Yuggoth
The Lurker at the Threshold
The Star Pools
The Call of Cthulhu
My Boat
The Barrens
The Challenge from Beyond
The Nameless City
On the Slab
24 Views of Mt. Fuji, by Hokusai
The Space-Eaters
The Hound
The Hounds of Tindalos
The Seal of R’lyeh
The Festival
The Colour Out of Space
Jerusalem’s Lot
Discovery of the Ghooric Zone — March 15, 2337
The Fire of Asshurbanipal
The Terror from the Depths
Dig Me No Grave
The Return of the Sorcerer
The Whisperer in Darkness
The Dreams in the Witch-House
The Changeling
The Dunwich Horror
The Shadow Over Innsmouth
The Shadow Out of Time
The Haunter of the Dark
The Thing on the Doorstep
The Thing That Walked on the Wind
Fat Face
Nether Station
The Truth About Pickman
Usurp the Night
Lord of the Land
The House in the Oaks
The Shambler from the Stars
Beneath the Beardmore
The Mine on Yuggoth
The Black Bear Bites
Crouch End
Beyond the Threshold
The Shadow on the Doorstep
