The Shadow over Innsmouth

No writer creates a compelling sense of dread better than H.P. Lovecraft. His stories instantly immerse you in whatever world he’s conjuring, and I think his writing reached its peak in this book.

His narrator descends into a creepy world of “others” whom he senses want to harm him (in his personal life, Lovecraft was notoriously disdainful of “others”). I was willingly dragged along with Lovecraft’s desperate narrator as he raced through town, hotel rooms, and ultimately into a terrifying gathering of the townspeople.

Nearly a century after its publication, I consider it to be one of the most timeless… show more.

Planning a trip to the seaside? Taking in some sunshine and salt air? You could do worse than bringing along a copy of The Shadow Over Innsmouth!

A tale of a rundown city on the Massachusetts coast, filled with slimy monsters, ancient horrors, and a pervasive sense of unease. The smell of decay practically wafts off the page. The twist at the end still holds up.

I think Shadow was the second Lovecraft story I ever read, and remains one of my all-time favorites. Again, this one’s a short story, but look for it in a collection of Lovecraft’s other… show more.