At the Mountains of Madness and Other Novels by H. P. Lovecraft
*At the Mountains of Madness and Other Novels* is a collection of H. P. Lovecraft's longer works, first published in 1964 by Arkham House. The title novella follows a scientific expedition from Miskatonic University to Antarctica, where the explorers encounter ancient and otherworldly beings known as the Old Ones. Lovecraft is renowned for his unique approach to horror, particularly through the lens of cosmic indifference, where these ancient entities are not malevolent in the traditional sense but rather indifferent to human existence. This collection also includes other significant stories, such as *The Case of Charles Dexter Ward* and *The Dreams in the Witch-House*, each exploring themes of forbidden knowledge and the insignificance of humanity within a vast and uncaring universe.
Lovecraft’s works often feature ordinary characters, typically scientists or antiquarians, whose encounters with the unknown highlight humanity's fragility. His distinctive style combines elaborate descriptions with a complex narrative structure, creating a unique atmosphere of dread. The pervasive sense of cosmic horror in Lovecraft's tales has established him as a pivotal figure in American horror fiction, influencing countless writers and creators in the genre. This collection serves as a vital entry point for readers interested in exploring Lovecraft’s contributions to the realm of horror, particularly his Cthulhu Mythos and its implications for human existence.
On this Page
At the Mountains of Madness and Other Novels
First published: 1964 (corrected edition, 1985; contains At the Mountains of Madness, 1936; The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, 1941; “The Statement of Randolph Carter,” 1920; “The Shunned House,” 1937; “The Dreams in the Witch-House,” 1933; “The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath,” 1948; “The Silver Key,” 1939; and “Through the Gates of the Silver Key,” 1934, written with E. Hoffman Price)
Type of work: Collected works
Type of plot: Science fiction—occult
Time of work: The 1920’s and 1930’s
Locale: New England and Antarctica
The Plot
At the Mountains of Madness and Other Novels, which contains the title novella and several of H. P. Lovecraft’s longer tales, was first published in 1964 by Arkham House, the Sauk City, Wisconsin, publishing house created in 1939 by Donald Wandrei and August Derleth for the primary purpose of making Lovecraft’s work generally available to the American public. Until then, Lovecraft’s tales had appeared only in the pages of such “pulp fiction” magazines as Weird Tales and were known to relatively few readers. By the 1950’s, however, thanks to the efforts of Wandrei, Derleth, and other loyal members of the Lovecraft “circle,” Lovecraft generally was recognized as the finest twentieth century American writer of horror fiction.
Although Lovecraft tried his hand at many kinds of horror story, he is best remembered for his tales of cosmic horror based on the so-called “Cthulhu Mythos.” These dozen or so tales, which include both At the Mountains of Madness and The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, employ a common background: the idea that Earth was inhabited for eons before the appearance of humans by a race of extraterrestrial/other-dimensional beings whose tremendous powers dwarf those of humankind. These beings, which Lovecraft calls the Old Ones, continue to exist both outside the earthly dimensions inhabited by humans and, more threateningly, in crypts hidden deep within the planet’s surface or below the oceans’ waters. Under the right circumstances, with the aid of forbidden knowledge gained from such books as the dreaded (but wholly fictitious) Necronomicon, they can be called back.
Although Lovecraft’s linguistic style—with its excessive use of adjectives and arcane spellings—might well be termed idiosyncratic, it is difficult, even among those tales employing the Cthulhu Mythos, to identify any “typical” Lovecraft plot. At the Mountains of Madness tells of a scientific expedition sent by Lovecraft’s fictional Miskatonic University to explore Antarctica, whereas “The Dreams in the Witch-House” is the story of a college student’s macabre dreams while rooming in a reputedly haunted house. The Case of Charles Dexter Ward concerns a student in Lovecraft’s hometown of Providence, Rhode Island, who is possessed by the malevolent spirit of his ancestor, a seventeenth century wizard.
Certain threads do seem to run through most of Lovecraft’s fiction. There is, for example, the nature of the “cosmic” horror on which he so often depends. Rather than being actively evil, Lovecraft’s Old Ones are more frequently indifferent, oblivious to such insignificant creatures as humans and completely uncaring. The creatures in At the Mountains of Madness, for example, are certainly repulsive—in fact, they very nearly defy description—but what makes them truly horrifying is their seeming disdain for human life. This aspect of his creations sets Lovecraft apart from other writers of horror fiction. The Old Ones’ behavior toward humans usually lacks either calculation or ill will. They behave exactly as humans might toward ants: Those that get in their way are crushed, without explanation or apology. Traditional religious symbols offer no protection, nor do prayers or more conventional weapons.
The characters in Lovecraft’s tales seem, for the most part, to be cut from similar fabric. With very few exceptions, they are decidedly ordinary and nonheroic. By profession, they are often scientists and antiquarians, who often are stereotyped as cold and emotionless. Whatever victories they achieve seem at best equivocal and temporary. Lovecraft’s universe, in which humanity’s role is so minor as to be irrelevant, allows for little more.