I had no idea that Lovecraft had written an actual extraterrestrial tale. But thanks to HorrorBabble, now I do.

The fact that the maze had an exit is somehow even more grim than my initial idea that it was probably actively preventing egress by the morphing of it's walls. However, the real horror of the story lies in ''We shall follow his _saner_ suggestion of *G E N O C I D E''*

8:20 so the time he escaped from the hallucinogenic venus flower was 4 20... Wow. Lovecraft truly was ahead of his time!

Playing No Man’s Sky and farming storm crystals on a small planet with toxic rainstorms while listening to this... 😳

@brianmahony7919

Ай бұрын

given the stormy conditions needed to do that must've added an extra eerie ambience

I half expected the ending to be the native's account about how they tried to gesture to him how to get out but he didn't seem to understand them!

@rogerr.8507

4 жыл бұрын

I think that is what what happening, there is nothing to say this wasnt true.

@rogerr.8507

4 жыл бұрын

@nvr-mnd MEDIA CO. Totally, anybody that says they could have gotten out of the maze by following a single wall or whatever would be DEAD. We dont know the full capabilities of the maze. The Unknown is Horror.

@StarboyXL9

3 жыл бұрын

@@rogerr.8507 No that's just the xenophile perspective. Presuming either mockery or assistance is both arrogant and useless where xenos are concerned. For all we know this is part of some ritual they have related to some religion, and thus is entirely neutral. It was prudent of the character to expect a fight, but ultimately pointless.

This story's ending reminds me of a prospector during the Australian gold rush who dug and dug and found nothing. Disheartened, he shot himself. His colleague decided to bury him in the hole he'd been digging, and in the process found a nugget the size of a football. Just two more shovelfuls down

Not only a Lovecraft story that I have never heard, but a story I have never heard OF. I am very impressed!

I don't know how many innovative ideas Lovecraft came up with, but glow sticks, complete nutrition in a pill, and invisible walls like force fields resonate today. Lovecraft was popular in the 1970s with my high school buddies and pleasantly surprised when friends 40 years younger than me also enjoy him.

I've recently taken to listening to all of H.P. Lovecraft's work and I'm thrilled to find most of it here. I love the style of the readings here and the consistency it lends to it considering most of Lovecraft is written as journal entries or recovered notes.

@rev.dr.dayspring7805

2 жыл бұрын

I agree, Ian's voice and accent and tone are absolutely PERFECT!!! He is a Ledgend

@durere

8 ай бұрын

@@rev.dr.dayspring7805 _You fool!_

@ZacHalls

7 ай бұрын

Legend, too. ;)

One of the best Lovecraft stories by one of the best readers on KZread. Great work.

@JamesSmith-wb4jz

4 жыл бұрын

***Correction>> Mr. Ian Gordon >OWNER&operator of "HorrorBabble" youtube-ch IS THE BEST Audio-Book Narrator Of All Time; >>PERIOD & "POINE FINALE"

I read this story in high school in the early 70’s. I had no idea it was by Lovecraft. I didn’t know he did science fiction like this. I’m used to his cosmic horror.

@stickyy_fingaas

9 ай бұрын

Damn i cant even comprehend that people read his work in early 70s and now ive read it in 2023. This just shows how brilliant his writing is, its timeless

Woah. A SPACE EXPLORATION story by the big HP... that’s actually really cool

Great story and narration! I wish he wrote more Sci-Fi. This is an excellent story that I always enjoy reading or listening to. The plot is really interesting. I have always loved the theme of exploration, especially interplanetary. Leave it to Lovecraft to require us to need a pad and paper to take notes of measurements and to perform calculations. I always chuckle when I read or listen to this and I hear the measurements and dimensions. I tried to figure the math out and make a map of the place the first couple of times I read this. I gave up and just kick back and enjoy it now without worrying about the equations, dimensions, and math. The intelligence of the creatures by creating the maze is astounding. I like how the narrator morphs from thinking they were dumb and ignorant to acknowledging how intelligent and forward-thinking they are. Great job!

This one has such an intense sense of doom...

I’ve been reading HP Lovecraft’s work for years and somehow never read this story. I would love to hear a dramatic adaptation with Ian narrating! Maybe sometime in the future? 🙏🏻

Good old fashioned Carter Brand products! they just don't make xenoatmospheric equipment like they used to.

I've been looking for this story for so long.❤

This is one of the top five Lovecraft stories that I like. It's quite good.

Oooooh I love this story, it's always been a favorite, and having it read aloud makes it TRIPLY creepy. Imperialist plunderer gets his.... Oh, goodness. What a nightmare! LOVELY JOB!!

@esecallum

3 жыл бұрын

Why did he not use the suit/clothes from the dead guy to make markers or threads?

@cheritripp9470

2 жыл бұрын

Someone here suggested that the crystal he was carrying was influencing his mind, making sensible ideas difficult.

Listening to this whilst designing a logo in Adobe Illustrator CS6 on a Virtual Windows 10 Computer on a Mac. I love listening to these stories whilst doing visual stuff such as art or graphic design. Your voice is still very cool, intriguing if you could get it insured like how some of those models get their legs insured.

@andrewrobinson4019

4 жыл бұрын

Be mindful, though, if strange symbols or weird glyphs seem to issue forth wittingly from you pen. We wouldn’t want another Henry Anthony Wilcox.

After a long day at work it was good to listen to this. Thank you.

WOOOOHOOOO this was in the first Lovecraft anthology I read. Great to hear it aloud after all this time!

Once outer space becomes a reality, and not totally stupid, I'm going to love this story.

Who else was trying to find a way out of the maze??😂 Well done!

@donaldmccleary9015

4 ай бұрын

My first few times of reading and listening to thisI did.

The absolute last offering that Fate decreed Lovecraft would give the world. Beyond this, it was just "collaborations".

Yesss! Can’t wait to use this as a bedtime story tonight

When you are the grandfather of body horror, psychological horror, and modern science fiction, but people won't shut up about the name of a cat.

@CJM-rg5rt

Жыл бұрын

Lovecraft definitely didn't invent anything. Just listen to his all time favorite story "The Willows" by Algernon Blackwood from 1907. It's here on HorrorBabble and it's fantastic.

Love it! My favorite short story

I like this story because the main character is smarter than me, braver, tougher, and more a more studious note-taker. So the horror works better than a scrawny fainter.

@CJM-rg5rt

2 жыл бұрын

He's terrible though.. my tentacles would be laughing along with the natives. NVM, his character done arched.

This story, what a fine goad to young people about the vital importance of exercising one's memory and attention to details.

Me:”invisible maze like structure” *thinks* My friend:”like that barrier block maze that you trapped me in, in Minecraft?” Me:”oh yeah! Exactly what I was thinking.”

Fabulous offering! Lovecraft is awesome! Thanks for this! Cheers mate!

Lovecraft: "These crystals belong to Venus, and Venus alone." Space Marine: *checks flamer, loads bolter, says a prayer to the Emperor*

Thank you so much, this is one of my favourite Lovecraft stories. Always reminds me of a Clark Ashton Smith tale

'Ian Gordon' is going to be HUGE ; probably the first truly big $ audioBookNarrative STAR..... In 5years he will be making 5k-10k even 100k to narrate the "Stephen King topBestsellers"

@HorrorBabble

4 жыл бұрын

Kind of you to say, James! Thanks for listening.

Lovecraft was so far ahead of his time.... What imagination.

@silvertheelf

4 жыл бұрын

He was already thinking of civilization on Venus. Although he didn’t know Venus had no moon, then again it’s an alternative universe where there are specific definable laws to the universe and all laws of science are secluded to specific planets so he may have known. Not sure.

@WilliamBrinkley45

3 жыл бұрын

This story heavily inspired Avatar....too bad James Camerons’ ego didn’t allow him to give proper credit.

@WilliamBrinkley45

3 жыл бұрын

@Gary Lorette /whooosh you didn’t get the joke did you? Look at the OPs screen name, the joke is that Howard Lovecraft is praising his own work in the third person (yes I know lovecraft is dead...it’s a joke)

@minesballoobeargordon9256

2 жыл бұрын

£♡£ ₩€£p I'd say its something more like we've ownLY been chosen to re=minded the logicality 2 throughout how within time's loop fore two clue into xicatingly mysterious done past alongside vs above them bellows;) Given thee equationals value computuers informational signatures @$ founded on in HPL...

Been waiting for this one for so long ... Thank You!!!

I have waited endless aeons for this! Finally!

i really enjoy your voice. thank you for the content

A truly remarkable tale and an awesome reading. I must say what a turn of events. This was a really good story.

Love the content! Keep it up!

I've been waiting for you to do this one. I could never remember the name of it but I really enjoyed it the first time.

Oh boy! This is such a good one!

THANK YOU!

New HP! Thank you Ian

He could had just done the age old spelunking method when one gets lost in a cave. Hug the far-most left wall as he felt about until he worked his way out of the maze the only way this would fail is if that wall simply led him in a circle, in which case he simply could just switch to the far-most right wall at some point upon realizing the error and from there resume his efforts.

Great content

Perfection as always, thank you very much!!!

@HorrorBabble

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks as always, Jamie!

One of his best.

One of my fave stories! Thanx so much, Ian great stuff!

Thanks for the reading!📚📖

Quite a statement about life in the ending there.

Great story, supremly read!

One of Lovecraft 's rare SF story (Colour Out Of Space could be considered another one). And yet it didn't make it any less horrifying in its conclusion.

Pure bliss Ian, pure bliss.

#1 Follow a single wall until it inevitable lets out. #2 chop up the corpse and use bits of it as markers.

@murrfeeling

4 жыл бұрын

The ol' left hand wall rule. Classic dungeon crawl tactic.

@Dollarstoreleftist

4 жыл бұрын

He knew the way out, he chose to go deeper in for really no reason since it's all transparent, so you can see what it could have

@rogerr.8507

4 жыл бұрын

This is a horror story, where we dont know the full capabilities of the maze, so you would fail.

Top stuff very good!!!!

Listen on Spotify has I had a long drive ahead. Once again well done all...

Your channel sure has a knack for quality readings. I'm pretty sure I could listen to you reading the phone book and still be mesmerized. Have you ever considered doing "The Touch of Pan" by Algernon Blackwood? It's one of my favorites, not really horror, but definitely supernatural and wild.

@HorrorBabble

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Merrypaws! Be sure to forward your suggestion here: www.horrorbabble.com/contact

@michaelfagan1823

Жыл бұрын

8:50 😮😢

Can't wait to listen!

@RuseSmiles

4 жыл бұрын

Wonderfully rendered as always! I wonder if Clarke Ashton Smith and HP shared their musings on the nature of Venus? There are so many similarities between how CAS described his version of Venus with the colossal ooze creatures.

loved it Ian ,great narration

@HorrorBabble

4 жыл бұрын

Much appreciated, Paul!

I expected him to get to the entrance and find it closed.

Great choice

Great stuff.

this tale was very alike the pit and the pendulum by edgar allan poe a great study on despair by lack of local awareness

that was aMAZEing! :D

Alas. 😢 I was hoping against hope. 😅😅😅

Discovered this story as a teen. I'm still blown away by the originality and the horror of it all these years later. I also love how Lovecraft, who is usually recognised as a reactionary and a white supremacist author, is implicitly criticising colonialism, which still existed in his day, in this story.

@esecallum

3 жыл бұрын

Why did he not use the suit/clothes from the dead guy to make markers or threads?

@stevepalpatine2828

3 жыл бұрын

@@esecallum Because the story would be over too quick. Besides there probably wouldnt have been enough, you couldnt make enough cable to chart a maze out of one guys clothes. Better than nothing though. What he should have done was always turned left. That's how you solve any maze, stick to the left wall. Eventually you'll get out.

Throw mud on the walls! Great story, thank you.

@idjtoal

Жыл бұрын

But he did that early on, trying to gauge their height. It just ran down, "disappearing with surprising rapidity" or something like that. My niggling question was -- plain of mud and weeds, walls that extend farther down than he could dig, and yet there's no trace of them in the mud itself, no outline? Fantastic read as always, hadn't heard of this story before.

If you like Walls of Eryx check out Clark Ashton Smith's Vaults of You Vombis, The Immeasurable Horror and the Abominations of Yondo. Similar interplanetary subject and style of writing.

✌

I love when KZread says they're 1 comment but I count 5

Us Eryx tend to be malicious and cruel...

@Self-replicating_whatnot

4 жыл бұрын

Prepare Uranus for type C diamond drill!

@Bittlebiscuit

2 жыл бұрын

@@Self-replicating_whatnot sorry about the man lizards, chipotle creates things i will not speak of

Shades of Dune.

Funny how authors even 100 years ago imagined future where humanity mastered the new kinds of energy and traveled to distand worlds, while in fact the future is one of computers and cat pictures spread via those computers.

@GodOfPlague

3 жыл бұрын

>^,^

@seanemery1917

Жыл бұрын

It's very tragic

I've been binge watching these lately. I was wondering, can you tell me where you got that piano music you use for your intros and outros?

@HorrorBabble

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks you! it’s an original piece I composed for HB. It’s called “Lovecraft; Into the Abyss”. m.kzread.info/dash/bejne/k6OtqtejYqzZo7A.html Ian

@Seniorsneaky123

3 жыл бұрын

@@HorrorBabble Thanks, I love your narrations and the intro/outros are great.

I wasn't bright enough to think of this myself, but if there are invisible walls that run beneath the ground's surface, shouldn't there be ruts in the soil where the walls are? The area occupied by the wall would look empty, right? Either way, excellent narration, as always.

@jonathanotoole4030

4 жыл бұрын

Might just look dark, because, although the wall is invisible, jt would still be dark a few inches down, so I reckon you'd still have to dig to know where it stopped.

@carbonado2432

4 жыл бұрын

you wont see anything if the wall is as thin as a force field

Poor guy is playing lethal company alone

Love the story, found a way from left to right on your labyrinth but not from up to down...

keeping sanity is quiet hard.

I never thought Lovecraft would have an anti colonialist message, but here we are

At 40:00 i realized that the invisible walls might be moving.

the gamer word man

And all you have to do is consistently follow one of the walls to solve a maze like this. Makes me wonder if this trick was not commonly known at the time of Lovecraft's writing but is rather something the Dungeons and Dragons community made widespread in the latter parts of the 20th century.

@carbonado2432

4 жыл бұрын

maybe the walls moved

@rangda_prime

4 жыл бұрын

@@carbonado2432 I listened to the entire story before commenting, so as to not make my comment premature incumbent on the walls moving indeed being the case of the protagonist's dilemma. However, nothing in the story indicates such, and rather the addendum by those who found him after his death makes it pretty clear that walls do in fact not move. While Lovecraft would go on to make masterful use of the "unreliable narrator" in other stories, there is no indication that such is being employed here, and speculating about circumstances not indicated by anything in the text itself feels a bit like the JK Rowling school of literary modification, if you know what I mean. ;)

@carbonado2432

4 жыл бұрын

the aliens werent around anymore to fiddle with the walls... when they were demolished.

@rangda_prime

4 жыл бұрын

@@carbonado2432 I know it's you, Joanne.

@matthewdylla6090

4 жыл бұрын

Felt the same way, I think madness was the true enemy here and to think he had such a plentiful resource of mud to draw on the otherwise invisible walls

It seems like the two deaths were more a result of hubris and panic than from the maze actually being impossible to navigate. And I don't think the natives were actually trying to help him so much as observing his death, unless, in his growing delirium, he failed to recognize certain patterns in the way they were gesticulating. I don't agree that they should be wiped out, however. That's hardly necessary.

@esecallum

3 жыл бұрын

Why did he not use the suit/clothes from the dead guy to make markers or threads?

@patrickleighpresents749

3 жыл бұрын

@@esecallum Well, that would have required him to be intelligent and resourceful, and he clearly wasn't either of those. I think panic also got the better of him and clouded his judgement. If you let panic take hold, you can really screw yourself over. Also, the corpse should have been a dead giveaway that the area was dangerous. The smart thing to do would have been to leave and come back with better equipment and some backup. If you're dealing with an invisible structure, you should be taking the possibility of invisible traps and other things into consideration. I think the story illustrates how greed and shortsightedness can get the better of you.

@esecallum

3 жыл бұрын

@@patrickleighpresents749 Well he look LOOK IN his pockets found nothing and dead guys stuff and clothes /equipment would have been obvious. even a thread.

@patrickleighpresents749

3 жыл бұрын

@@esecallum Exactly. Like I said, the guy was not very bright.

@esecallum

3 жыл бұрын

@@patrickleighpresents749 he had plenty of time to do so judging by the number of chlorate tablets and food tablets. i get the impression the maze was NOT STATIC but was being reconfigured so that the doorways kept changing...

Its not the lizarsmen that are the true danger and devilish inteligence but the Crystals themselves

The real horror is this man is apparently going commando in a leather space suit

Why did he not use the suit/clothes from the dead guy to make markers or threads?

Scary-as-shit cool!!!☻🖤💀☠👻🦇🕷🕸

Is this a recommended reading order?

@HorrorBabble

4 жыл бұрын

We've only established reading orders for Cthulhu Mythos and Dream Cycle stories - you can find the playlists on the main channel page. :)

@cthulhucultist0666

4 жыл бұрын

@@HorrorBabble sorry I'm new to this. Should I get into dream cycle first? Or Cthulhu mythos?

@HorrorBabble

4 жыл бұрын

@@cthulhucultist0666 If you're looking to kick off with Lovecraft's best known works, then the CM is probably the best place to start: kzread.info/head/PLeNNKRLWxwoN4EP8tX6LmNqHuhI3-V38I

Venus is a vampire.

Have listen to this for many times now over the years and I have finally come to the conclusion. That this one is the most horrible way to go in any of Lovecrafts works its on high with "the Pit and pendulem" in terms of cruelty 😅

42:56

8:29

EVER

Sometimes your inflection falters and it mixes up the meaning when in lengthy description. Other than that i gernerally like this persona/reading voice.

@HorrorBabble

4 жыл бұрын

I'm forever a work-in-progress, Dakota. Thanks for listening, either way. Ian

Is anybody else on here familiar with August Derleth's sequel to this Lovecraft story? It was called Upstairs At Eryx. . . . Okay, okay, I was going anyway.

JUST GO LEFT BRO. STOP THINKING. JUST TOUCH THE LEFT WALL AND WALK FOWARD FOREVER.

Love his stories but this one is the only one that doesn't work for me. Mud being everywhere you should have been able to smear it over the walls until you had a visible indicator of the walls. Also mud being everywhere would have made getting out easy as you should have been able to use a stick to indicate the path used in and out. Lastly the size of the maze is too small for the intricacies described unless he would have to constantly double back across something closer to the size of a football field. Great work with the narration as usual Ian.

@esecallum

3 жыл бұрын

Why did he not use the suit/clothes from the dead guy to make markers or threads?

@stevepalpatine2828

3 жыл бұрын

He tried wiping mud on the walls, it just slipped off without a trace. And the mud was so thin and watery it didnt hold any traces for long.

It's much better written than Lovercraft.