The Whisperer In Darkness

Written by H. P. Lovecraft

Narrated by Phil Reynolds

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. When local newspapers report strange things seen floating in rivers during a historic Vermont flood, Albert Wilmarth becomes embroiled in a controversy about the reality and significance of the sightings, however it isn’t until he receives communication from Henry Wentworth Akeley that he is offered the proof he requires… Written in 1930, and originally published in Weird Tales a year later – The Whisperer in Darkness – is still as powerful today as it was 80 years ago. “Lovecraft opened the way for me, as he had done for other before me”. Stephen King.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Copyright Group
• Release date: Jan 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781780004099

H. P. Lovecraft

H. P. Lovecraft (1890-1937) was an American author of science fiction and horror stories. Born in Providence, Rhode Island to a wealthy family, he suffered the loss of his father at a young age. Raised with his mother’s family, he was doted upon throughout his youth and found a paternal figure in his grandfather Whipple, who encouraged his literary interests. He began writing stories and poems inspired by the classics and by Whipple’s spirited retellings of Gothic tales of terror. In 1902, he began publishing a periodical on astronomy, a source of intellectual fascination for the young Lovecraft. Over the next several years, he would suffer from a series of illnesses that made it nearly impossible to attend school. Exacerbated by the decline of his family’s financial stability, this decade would prove formative to Lovecraft’s worldview and writing style, both of which depict humanity as cosmologically insignificant. Supported by his mother Susie in his attempts to study organic chemistry, Lovecraft eventually devoted himself to writing poems and stories for such pulp and weird-fiction magazines as Argosy, where he gained a cult following of readers. Early stories of note include “The Alchemist” (1916), “The Tomb” (1917), and “Beyond the Wall of Sleep” (1919). “The Call of Cthulu,” originally published in pulp magazine Weird Tales in 1928, is considered by many scholars and fellow writers to be his finest, most complex work of fiction. Inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Arthur Machen, Algernon Blackwood, and Lord Dunsany, Lovecraft became one of the century’s leading horror writers whose influence remains essential to the genre.

Reviews for The Whisperer In Darkness

[Brian Steidl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great story and freaky as Frak. I have been listen to and reading other stories set in the Cuthuluvese and it is nice to hear an H.P. 0 original. It makes me appreciate the richness of the stories.

[leticia.toraci · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very well written. Horror isn't one of my favorite genres, but I could imagine that who likes this genre would find it really interesting.

[Summer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great atmosphere building and the implications towards the end are very sinister and spooky. 100% recommend.

[RobertCooper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Excellently read. One of Lovecraft's best!

[tobinelliott · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This, to me, is the stereotypical Lovecraft near his worst. The absolute worst is when he has a character detailing dreams. But this? This comes very close.

When you get right down to it, nothing really happens throughout this story. The narrator details a few letters, eventually makes his way to the letter writer's home, we're told of some of the secrets he learns from Akeley—never ever shown, because that's simply not how Lovecraft rolls—then the narrator gets creeped out, makes a weird discovery, and bolts from the house. The end.

The only thing that saves this is, between all the tell and the foot dragging, there's some wonderfully creepy ideas in there, but they're never brought out. Lovecraft himself sums it up quite well on page 84 with the line: "...their frightful effect on me was one of suggestion rather than of revelation."

Not one of his better ones.

[saltmanz · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An excellent collection of some of Lovecraft's early "Cthulhu Mythos" stories, including some short ones, and some of his longest and best works as well. A nice, informative intro, too.