Synopsis
After a deep chasm is opened up by blasting at a mine, one of the miners, apparently driven mad by sound from the pit, falls in and a change happens.
History
First publication: Marginalia, Arkham House, 1944
Review
A very early story which starts to show Lovecraft’s imaginings of something powerful and horrible lying hidden, in this case under a mineshaft in the mountains. The story doesn’t get into details, but hints at a powerful presence that lies in wait to take control. Well written and again showing the influence of earlier writers in not giving the reader much detail, but instead maintaining the mystery. Lovecraft would later break with this and describe the monsters that are hiding in our world. This is not one of Lovecraft’s best, but it is an enjoyable short read.
Videos
We have the story in these editions:
Dagon and Other Macabre Tales, edited by S. T. Joshi, hardcover, Arkham House, 1987-01-00
The New Annotated H. P. Lovecraft: Beyond Arkham, hardcover, Liveright, 2019-09-24
