This is likely my favourite Lovecraft story. No other work of his had me turning the pages like this one

Your Lovecraft discussions are greatly appreciated David. His work has intrigued me ever since I played _Bloodbourne_

Thanks David. I'm really enjoying this Lovecraft series - he's a real favourite of mine.

Something I took away from the story is not so much horror as it is the need to know. Our main character becomes engrossed in Ackley ' s stories and the evidence he has presented. I think we can all identify with having that need to know more. The horror is of course the way in which you can learn more. Humans can't make the journey into the ether and across space, but the Mi'Go can. They make an offer for the main character to voluntarily undergo the process of having his brain prepped for the journey and to learn the secrets beyond our own Earth. He panics only when he sees that Ackley was being played by an alien, but I think it is heavily hinted at that it was Ackley ' s mind in the container who was speaking. We know that there were raised voices he heard coming from downstairs, hinting that there was disagreement on whether or not to allow our narrator to know these things. We know that the Mi'Go are untrusting of humans. Their technology is both amazing and frightening, as it goes well beyond what we as humans can comprehend. I mean, the ability to place your living brain and consciousness into a machine, and later reconnect to your preserved body...could we truly choose to go such a route in the hands of beings from another world? Our main character is frightened away by the body of Ackley, but did he allow his fear of the unknown to get in the way of something incredible, or did he save himself from sinister forces who sought to enslave him? Yes, there is reason to mistrust the Mi'Go because they did use subterfuge to get the evidence back that Ackley had sent out, but does that make them evil? I always wondered. I like how the story offers up at least some level of ambiguity regarding the Mi'go, at least that is what I took away from the story. I mean, why go through all the trouble to convince our main character if they simply wanted to enslave him and shut him up? They could have easily captured him and that be the end of it. In a sense, I feel like he missed out on an incredible offer...yet, can we blame him? I disliked the movie because they added so much to the plot at the end and made sure to depict the Mi'Go as villainous invaders, removing all ambiguity and reducing the story to typical 1950s B-Movie evil space alien invasion stuff.

I always saw the main creature of The Whisperer In Darkness and The Music of Erich Zann as Nyarlathotep.

If you have the time, take a look and do an analysis of The Picture in the House, to me one of his scariest stories that has no bearing on the Cthulhu Mythos at all, and yet packs a punch that's hard to replicate in "mundane" horror without looking at the work of his pen pal R.E. Howard.

Please go over a The Shadow Out of Time.

@david Stewart. You ought to consider doing an analysis of some of Lovecraft's non-horror work, such as the Dream Cycle. I'd like to see your thoughts on Polaris. A very short story, but uses an interesting narrative device.

Just finished the book and needed more after it!! Thank you for your analysis!! It was a good book and i am going to choose a new one from HP.

Thank you David! One of his best!

My favourite Lovecraft story is 'The Horror At Red Hook', which sort of feels like Edith Wharton if she slummed to the point of delving into the satanic murder mystery genre. You mentioned that the author tends to delay every revelation to some degree, and his removed and elevated 'voice' really assists him in that regard. After listening to 'The Room in The Tower' by E.F. Benson, I think he's managed to eclipse Lovecraft for me somewhat, because he doesn't sacrifice descriptive detail or casual dialogue.

I don’t remember the narrator claiming to have a perfect memory.

Hearing your analysis of these classic HPL stories, I must admit that I'm curious to know what your thoughts are about season1 of True Detective.

Pluto = Yuggoth

Hey David I just wanted to mention that I love your content and the thought you put into topics you find interesting With this said, I was going to comment a request for a particular video I believe you would be well-suited to cover. The question I have for you is on writing, specifically: what should be on "the checklist", so to speak, for an aspiring author to do in order to feel more confident in their material? Are there specific basics that someone would do well to absorb that when implemented give the author a sense of confidence in their writing? Or is it entirely independent from academic knowledge, and more to do with being comfortable within oneself? Is it pertinent that an aspiring author give themselves permission to fail? In essence, I suppose I would love to see your personal take on starting from scratch and getting a novel (that the person feels comfortable having written) written. I don't expect you to actually cover this topic in full but I would definitely be appreciative if you did. Have a good one, bud

I read this one late late at night while working as a bad driver. Scared the shit out of me while driving on dark country roads.

That's Lovecraft's best.

I have mad respect for HP Lovecraft and I have read a large number of his novels(though not all sadly). HP Lovecrafts good friend Robert E Howard(who made Conan the Barbarian and all the Conan classic novels) however, is more down my alley; I still read Lovecraft now and then and i thoroughly enjoy it; the last one I read(re-read actually) was "The Colour from Outer Space" or something like that for its title; and it was both strange, and strangle terrifying. Heavy atmosphere, thats his books strongest point, that and the backstory it gives on the mythos of the world and how the various character deal with it, and the fact that nearly all(or ALL) of the main characters that you actually follow are NORMAL American Men that you can relate to...they arent some kind of weirdo or homosexual like in the toilet paper that passes for modern books. Conan the Barbarian is far more my style and my interest though; I also am heavily involved in combat sports; Muay Thai, Boxing, kickboxing, MMA, anything like those ones I am into it. I train Muay Thai; as of the time of this post I got back about 40 minutes ago from Muay Thai class myself, then saw this after cleaning up; and Howard was also a very good boxer himself in fact he was so good he considered having a career as a pro. Granted Boxing wasnt at the level it is in these days but nonetheless to be a pro fighter takes some serious skill and dedication to your training and your art form, your boxing technique and instinct and he had all that so i relate to him - and Conan also has these characteristics(though they are not trained; Conans a swordsman most of the time but he also knows boxing technique no doubt from howards own knowledge lol, and in Queen of the black Coast he kills a Man with a punch to the face that attacks him. Haha. I still remember that. The Conan novels are not very "deep" or whatever they are NOT Lord of the Rings(which I am actually re-reading - for the 14th time at least) they focus on far smaller events the life of Conan and his adventures and his survival and the wonderful things he finds and the enemies and monsters he fights and slays. Also Conan is ALWAYS depicted in the Robert Howard books wearing Armor of some sort, unless he's a prisoner or otherwise cant get armor or isnt able to. And he is usually a mercenary during the books though his occupation changes from book to book he does various things. Its quite interesting. Its also unrepentantly masculine, and for that reason I think many of you would also enjoy it like I do. It is NOT a "modern" soyboy book in any way, no communist censor edited the Robert Howard Conan books. AND the HP Lovecraft books for that matter. They are both well worth reading as authors.

Great stuff! What do you think of The Outsider?

The planet is Yuggoth.

HELLIER!!!!!!!

Stop saying ether like that.