Lovecraft: The Doom that Came to Sarnath & Other Stories

by H.P Lovecraft

In this next collection of short stories we begin to see the development of what will eventually become the Cthulhu Mythos. It is interesting to note that H. P. Lovecraft did not create the term, but was coined by August Derelith and Donald Wandrei after they founded Arkham House to keep Lovecraft’s work in circulation and to expand on the mythos.

As usual, the book presented here is a cheap edition of the work, but each story is in the public domain and is available on the link provided in each title. I just like to have an actual book in my hand which I why I waste money on stuff I could get for nothing.

The Transition of Juan Romero: (Originally written in 1919, first published in Marginalia in 1944). This story was disowned by the author himself as not worthy for publication and was discovered among his papers after his death. It is easy to see why Lovecraft hated it. There is not much to the story. It is your typical dated tale of did something supernatural happen or was it just a dream of the narrator, with a hint at the end that something from beyond had happened. It is one of his poorer works and I nearly forgot the plot ten minutes after I had finished it.

H. P. Lovecraft

The White Ship: (originally written in 1919, first published in United Amateur in 1919) Here we see Lord Dunsay’s influence beginning to creep into Lovecraft’s work. The setting of this story will eventually culminate in The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath (my favorite of his works). The author begins to play with fantasy elements and eventually will combine fantasy and horror. This story is similar to Idle Days of Yann by Dunsay but adds a bit more depth. It is the story of a lighthouse keeper who walks across moonbeams and sails to fantastical lands on a mystical white ship.

The Street (Originally written in 1919, first published in Wolverine in 1920) This story relates the development of a street from it's origins, in pioneer times, up to the “present” in the nineteen teens. He discusses the turnover of street from one group to another and how these changes are viewed as scary by each side. To the ignorant, the mention of terrorist groups and foreigners here might seem like foresight to the fears of Islamic terrorism, but is in fact a reflection of the Anarchy terrorist cells and Communist groups being imported from Eastern Europe (who did commit several bombings  and murders) at the time when it was written. Some claim it is proof that the author is racist, but I disagree. It's simply proof that he read and believed a lot of yellow journalism.

The Doom that Came to Sarnath (Originally written in 1919, first published in Scot in 1920). In this tale, like The White Ship, we see the foundation of Lovecraft’s Dream Cycle. It is an alternate dimension which can only be accessed via our dreams and is where his fantasy stories take place. Lovecraft, always looking for the practical even in fantasy, saw the dreamy element in these stories and incorporated them into his larger, more grounded work.  This connects many of his previous stories which had a dream element. The story deals with the city of Sarnath founded by men over 10,000 years ago, who destroyed an older city founded by a race that emigrated from the moon. After 10 millennia they dead take their vengeance. It's your standard return from the grave for revenge story only on a larger scale. Much of the story details the splendor of the city.

The Statement of Randolph Carter (Originally written in 1919, first published in Vagrant 1920) This story introduces the only recurring character in the Cthulhu Mythos, Randolph Carter. He acts as a literary stand-in for the author, similar as to how Simon Iff was for Aleister Crowley. This story deals with the standard Lovecraft theme man’s curiosity leads to insanity and death, while offering a glimpse of the unknown. The statement is being given to the police.

The Terrible Old Man (Originally written in 1920, first published in Tryout in 1920). This simple story of an old man who somehow traps people's souls in glass bottles with lead weights, introduces one of Lovecraft’s New England locals for madness, Kingsport. We see more of Dunsay’s literary style for magic slipping in, despite the modern setting. This character will return in The Strange High House in the Mist, and will be seen to similar characteristic to several other of Lovecraft’s villainous characters. There are those who claim that since the last names of the crooks in this story are Italian and Polish that the entire story is racist. I don’t see it. If a simple name change makes it not racist, then maybe it was simply confirmation bias in first place.

The Tree (Originally written in 1920, first published in Tryout in 1921) A different story for the author. It's a style done after the ancient Greek myths, taking place in that era on a hill where Pan liked to frolic. It deals with two rival artists and friends each working on a statue of Tyche (Goddess of Luck). One them dies and a tree is planted in his grave. The plant grows to incredible heights until blah blah blah. It’s a rather predictable, if well written tale.

The Cats of Ulthar (Originally written in 1920, first published in Tryout in 1920) This story and land is folded into his Dream Cycle and deals with a fantastic revenge tale of the cats in the city of Ulthar ganging up and eating an evil couple that abuses the species. This results in a law forbidding people from harming cats. This place is mentioned in several other dream tales. Like many Lovecraft stories it is a standard revenge tale, but one that is eventually developed more in this writing.

The Temple (Originally written in 1920, first published in Weird Tales in 1925) The idea of the sunken city with non-human worshipers is standard Lovecraft. Here we have a German U-boat troubled by madness and supernatural forces finding an occupied ancient Temple in WWII. Not much detail is given, but it is implied that the temple is connected to either Dagon and the Deep Ones, or is in fact R’lyeh itself and this visitation is responsible for Cthulhu’s rise in Call of Cthulhu.

For more readings, try books by Rex Hurst.