The Thing in the Moonlight
Encyclopedia
The Thing in the Moonlight is a short story by J. Chapman Miske, based on a letter from H. P. Lovecraft
to Donald Wandrei
, dated November 24, 1927. This letter describes a dream that Lovecraft had. The story was prepared for publication by Miske, who filled in the story surrounding the description of the dream. In places, the letter and published story are identical, word-for-word. It was first published in Bizarre magazine in January 1941.
One evening, Morgan was sitting alone and suddenly feels compelled to start writing (despite being illiterate) and records the dream of another man, Howard Phillips. Phillips gives his address as 66 College Street in Providence, Rhode Island. He says that he fell asleep on November 24, 1927 and has not been able to wake up since.
The dream takes place in a strange land, and Phillips explores the land for a while before encountering railway tracks. On the tracks he finds "a yellow, vestibuled car numbered 1852--of a plain, double-trucked type common from 1900 to 1910." This car is ready to start and he climbs aboard, investigating it and searching for a lightswitch so that he can see better. He hears a noise behind him, and after turning to look, sees two men coming towards him (he assumes them to be the motorman and the conductor). The first man lifts his head to the sky, sniffs, and howls, while the second drops to all fours and runs toward the car and Phillips. Phillips immediately runs out of the car, continuing to flee until he is too tired to run any farther.
Phillips reveals that the reason for his terror was not "because the conductor had dropped on all fours, but because the face of the motorman was a mere white cone tapering to one blood-red-tentacle..."
Phillips is aware that it is a dream, but is unable to wake up. During the day, he travels the strange land, and each night, is brought back to the place with the train car. He always alerts the howling beast to his presence, and always flees from it.
The narrator closes by saying that he would visit 66 College Street in Providence, but fears what he might find.
In 1962, it was published in DREAMS AND FANCIES (Arkham House 1962).
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
to Donald Wandrei
Donald Wandrei
Donald Albert Wandrei was an American science fiction, fantasy and weird fiction writer, poet and editor. He wrote as Donald Wandrei. He was the older brother of science fiction writer and artist Howard Wandrei...
, dated November 24, 1927. This letter describes a dream that Lovecraft had. The story was prepared for publication by Miske, who filled in the story surrounding the description of the dream. In places, the letter and published story are identical, word-for-word. It was first published in Bizarre magazine in January 1941.
Plot summary
The main character in "The Thing in the Moonlight" is Morgan, an illiterate man. He is described very briefly, by the narrator (who is never named in the story): "Morgan is not a literary man; in fact he cannot speak English with any degree of coherency."One evening, Morgan was sitting alone and suddenly feels compelled to start writing (despite being illiterate) and records the dream of another man, Howard Phillips. Phillips gives his address as 66 College Street in Providence, Rhode Island. He says that he fell asleep on November 24, 1927 and has not been able to wake up since.
The dream takes place in a strange land, and Phillips explores the land for a while before encountering railway tracks. On the tracks he finds "a yellow, vestibuled car numbered 1852--of a plain, double-trucked type common from 1900 to 1910." This car is ready to start and he climbs aboard, investigating it and searching for a lightswitch so that he can see better. He hears a noise behind him, and after turning to look, sees two men coming towards him (he assumes them to be the motorman and the conductor). The first man lifts his head to the sky, sniffs, and howls, while the second drops to all fours and runs toward the car and Phillips. Phillips immediately runs out of the car, continuing to flee until he is too tired to run any farther.
Phillips reveals that the reason for his terror was not "because the conductor had dropped on all fours, but because the face of the motorman was a mere white cone tapering to one blood-red-tentacle..."
Phillips is aware that it is a dream, but is unable to wake up. During the day, he travels the strange land, and each night, is brought back to the place with the train car. He always alerts the howling beast to his presence, and always flees from it.
The narrator closes by saying that he would visit 66 College Street in Providence, but fears what he might find.
Publishing History
n.b. history obtained at "hplovecraft.com"- "The Thing in the Moonlight" was first published in Bizarre magazine in January 1941.
In 1962, it was published in DREAMS AND FANCIES (Arkham House 1962).
- In 1970, it was published in The Tomb and Other Tales by Ballantine BooksBallantine BooksBallantine Books is a major book publisher located in the United States, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. It was acquired by Random House in 1973, which in turn was acquired by Bertelsmann AG in 1998 and remains part of that company today. Ballantine's logo is a...
. - In 1995, it was published again in Dreams of Terror and Death: The Dream Cycle of H. P. Lovecraft by Ballantine BooksBallantine BooksBallantine Books is a major book publisher located in the United States, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. It was acquired by Random House in 1973, which in turn was acquired by Bertelsmann AG in 1998 and remains part of that company today. Ballantine's logo is a...
. - In 2005, it was published again in Shadows of DeathShadows of Death- Cast :*Buster Crabbe as Billy Carson*Al St. John as Fuzzy Q. Jones*Dona Dax as Babs Darcy*Charles King as Steve Landreau *Karl Hackett as Dave Hanlely *Eddie Hall as Clay Kincaid*Frank Ellis as Henchman Frisco...
by Del Rey BooksDel Rey BooksDel Rey Books is a branch of Ballantine Books, which is owned by Random House and, in turn since 1998, by Bertelsmann AG. It is a separate imprint established in 1977 under the editorship of author Lester del Rey and his wife Judy-Lynn del Rey. It specializes in science fiction and fantasy...
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