At the Mountains of Madness Book Review

H. P. Lovecraft’s book At the Mountains of Madness might be one of the most important additions to early science fiction. Like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, which effectively created sci-fi as a whole, At the Mountains of Madness introduced an entirely new kind of science fiction. I’m really excited to get into this review.

H. P. Lovecraft wrote the story between February and March 1931. Published in three parts in 1936 through Astounding Science Fiction, the story primarily follows Dr. William Dyer. The novella acts mostly as a recounting of past events, specifically a past expedition Dyer made to Antarctica. Dyer attempts to convince other explorers not to venture where he and the others on the exploration went. During their expedition, they came across an ancient civilization that existed long before humans, populated by cosmic beings that eventually died out. However, something picks off the members of Dyer’s expedition one by one as they explore.

I want to start by remarking on how this story influenced science fiction regardless of H. P. Lovecraft himself. In this case, I want to acknowledge that Lovecraft wasn’t the greatest person, but At the Mountains of Madness acts as the foundation of cosmic/eldritch horror. And the story itself has so much merit to it, including how it presents ideas that hadn’t previously been explored. The story exhibits spectacular tension, for one. The description of the eldritch beings that were uncovered and their backstory that develops gripped me from the beginning. Additionally, framing the story as a firsthand account gives the impression that these things really happened.

I also enjoyed how the horror behind the story works. You almost can’t imagine something that big or that old, and that’s where the dread and horror come in. I think this story makes for effective horror in that it provides the blueprint for that kind of dread, even if the subjects of the story feel distant. I also thought it was interesting how there was no dialogue in this story, but it acts as a past account. If anything, that adds to the dread. You’re hearing this from someone who witnessed something impossible, and if the story had been told with dialogue, it wouldn’t have been as effective.

Another book on my TBR is down! I managed to read a bunch of smaller books over the weekend, so stay tuned next week for more. Happy reading!

You can get a FREE LIST of 100+ science fiction and fantasy literary journals to submit to when you subscribe!

I have a freelance editing service now! Contact me about book editing, beta reading, and brainstorming book titles. Use the contact form below to ask for a free 15-minute consultation.

…

Are you new to the blog? Check out my most popular post here!

#atthemountainsofmadness #hplovecraft

You can check out my AUTHOR SITE here.