Books with title THE SHADOW OVER INNSMOUTH

The Shadow over Innsmouth is a horror novella by American author H. P. Lovecraft, written in November–December 1931. It forms part of the Cthulhu Mythos, using its motif of a malign undersea civilization. It references several shared elements of the Mythos, including place-names, mythical creatures, and invocations. The narrator is a student conducting an antiquarian tour of New England. After seeing a piece of exotic jewelry in a museum, he learns that its source is the nearby decrepit seaport of Innsmouth. He travels to Innsmouth, interacting with strange people, and observes disturbing events that ultimately lead to horrifying, and personal, revelations. It is the only Lovecraft story which was published in book form during his lifetime. According to L Sprague de Camp, Lovecraft distrusted his ability to narrate action, and the story is unusual in that Lovecraft includes sustained and effective action writing during the culmination of the events in Innsmouth.

The story describes of a strange hybrid race, half-human and half an unknown creature that resembles a cross between a fish and frog, that dwells in the seaside village of Innsmouth (formerly a large town, but lately fallen into disrepair). The townspeople worship Cthulhu and Dagon, a Philistine deity incorporated into the Cthulhu Mythos.About Author:Howard Phillips Lovecraft was an American author of fantasy, horror and science fiction.He is notable for blending elements of science fiction and horror; and for popularizing "cosmic horror": the notion that some concepts, entities or experiences are barely comprehensible to human minds, and those who delve into such risk their sanity. Lovecraft has become a cult figure in the horror genre and is noted as creator of the "Cthulhu Mythos," a series of loosely interconnected fictions featuring a "pantheon" of nonhuman creatures, as well as the famed Necronomicon, a grimoire of magical rites and forbidden lore. His works typically had a tone of "cosmic pessimism," regarding mankind as insignificant and powerless in the universe.Lovecraft's readership was limited during his life, and his works, particularly early in his career, have been criticized as occasionally ponderous, and for their uneven quality. Nevertheless, Lovecraft’s reputation has grown tremendously over the decades, and he is now commonly regarded as one of the most important horror writers of the 20th Century, exerting an influence that is widespread, though often indirect.

„The Shadow Over Innsmouth” follows a nameless narrator touring New England for information on his family, and studying the local architecture. The story describes a man who finds himself stranded in a half-deserted town with strange inhabitants. They look human – mostly, but there is something odd about their eyes and their behavior. He meets the town drunk, Zadok Allen, who tells him the terrifying history of the town, about Devil Reef and mutant humanoids, sea gods, gold, and human sacrifice. When the narrator finds himself stranded in town overnight, he comes face to face with the town’s horrifying secret... one not of this world... A story about the horror that could turn to wonder, the once perceived abyss is afterwards seen as the most fascinating destiny, and what was at first avoided at all costs is eventually embraced with open arms.

The Shadow over Innsmouth is a horror novella by American author H. P. Lovecraft, written in November–December 1931. It forms part of the Cthulhu Mythos, using its motif of a malign undersea civilization, and references several shared elements of the Mythos, including place-names, mythical creatures, and invocations. The Shadow over Innsmouth is the only Lovecraft story which was published in book form during his lifetime. - The narrator is a student conducting an antiquarian tour of New England. He travels through the nearby decrepit seaport of Innsmouth which is suggested as a cheaper and potentially interesting next leg of his journey. He travels to Innsmouth, interacting with strange people, and observes disturbing events that ultimately lead to horrifying, and personal, revelations.

Considered to the be one of most influential American authors, Howard Philip Lovecraft is synonymous with some of the best fantasy and horror fiction of the 20th century, second only to Edgar Allan Poe. Innsmouth is a dilapidated seaside town with secrets as a hybrid race of half-human and half-amphibian creatures worship the gods of Cthulhu and Dagon…. Written in 1931, and published by the Visionary Publishing Company some five years later. ”It’s a genre blessed with many great stylists, H. P.Lovecraft’s baroque imagination and outrageous use of language still manages to stand head and shoulders above the rest. A timeless master of the macabre and the true connoisseur of dread.” (Michael Marshall-Smith)