The Dream Cycle

[Shagggadellic]

I just finished reading Quest for the Unknown Kadoth and I think it's probably my favorite Lovecraft story. When I read a fantasy story the setting is generally a huge part of what holds my interest and a lot of Lovecraft stories have a somewhat (I hate to use this word about Lovecraft) generic gothic setting but the description used in this story is really beautiful and immersive. The depth of mythology in the dream-world is really something else too and the continuation of Carter's story in The Silver Key and Through the Gate made him one of the most interesting protagonists I've ever read a story about.

I don't have anything that interesting to say about it, but I just really loved these stories; I haven't read something that made me appreciate having an imagination so much since The Neverending Story. Does anyone have any similarly fantastical stories to recommend? Or would anyone else like to discuss why these stories are awesome?

 

[Keri Ford]

Dream Quest is the one of Lovecraft's works that has the most appeal to me, it has a lot more action than most of his works, but is really daringly imaginative and visionary.

This was the first piece of Lovecraft I read and I was stunned by it, it made me think of William Blake and a journey through heaven and hell. A fabulously unique work.

As for similar fantastical stories, I don't think there is much like obviously these stories were inspired by Dunsany, but maybe the closest thing I can think of is George MacDonald's The Golden Key, which is a mind trip par excellence.

 

[j d worthington]

Some of MacDonald's other works, particularly Lilith, might appeal as well. And, as far as more recent writers, Gary Meyers, with his delvings into the Lovecraftian dreamscape (blending such with the Mythos) might also be something you'd like to look up.

Dream-Quest is also one of my personal favorites; a somewhat flawed, but truly magnificent feat of the imagination, with an enormous amount of beauty, pathos, terror, and honesty (of all things) to it. I've also always found the subtle links between this brief novel and At the Mountains of Madness fascinating, and I would suggest that reading the latter in light of the former opens up entirely new dimensions, and enhances both the awe and terror of the Antarctic novel....