Tag: At the Mountains of Madness

Pierce Mostyn and Antarctica

I’ve been in love with Antarctica since I was a kid. It all started when I got a National Geographic map of the ice-covered continent.

Shackleton’s failed 1914 Antarctic expedition is one of the most thrilling tales of endurance and heroism ever.

Vaughan Williams’ Sinfonia Antarctica is one of my favorite symphonies.

I even collect pictures of the place!

Why I didn’t pursue getting a job at McMurdo Station when I was young is beyond me. Now I’m too old.

So is it any wonder that Pierce Mostyn finds himself on the icy continent in his latest investigation? Maybe some vicarious experience going on.

HP Lovecraft’s short novel, At the Mountains of Madness, takes place in Antarctica. At the time HPL wrote the story in 1931, not much was known about the continent. Much of it hadn’t even been explored. That was certainly the case with the interior.

So it is very surprising that Lovecraft was so accurate in his description of the place. Of course, a lot was made up. That is what writers do: make things up. But much of what HPL described is quite accurate.

The location he chose for the Mountains of Madness is almost identical to that of the sub-glacial Gamburtsev Mountains. Coincidence?

And the lake HPL describes? Well, Lake Vostok is also close by. Another coincidence?

I’ve read and written enough mysteries to know that coincidences don’t happen all that often. So how did Lovecraft know all this stuff? Did he have special access to information that others didn’t?

I have my own theory as to how he knew what things were like, and you can read all about it in the latest Pierce Mostyn Paranormal Investigation: In the Shadow of the Mountains of Madness. Which goes on sale Thursday, March 25th.

Until then, if you have any theories as to how HPL was so spot on, drop them in the comments. And until next time, happy reading!

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In the Shadow of the Mountains of Madness

Pierce Mostyn is back in an all new adventure! A creature feature extraordinaire: In the Shadow of the Mountains of Madness.

I’ve been sharing snippets with the folk on my mailing list. If you want to get in on sneak peeks and exclusive never-before-published content, sign up for my VIP Horror Readers Club. Plus, you’ll get the exclusive novella, “The Feeder” — which is not available in stores.

And if you haven’t yet discovered Pierce Mostyn, take a look at the books and pick your monster!

This time around, Mostyn and his team are sent to Antarctica to investigate why a Russian base has suddenly gone silent. Once they find out why, Dr Rafe Bardon, the director of the Office of Unidentified Phenomena, sends them off to the subglacial Gamburtsev Mountains, also known as The Ghost Mountains. Because Dr Bardon thinks they fit the coordinates of the infamous Mountains of Madness.

Those familiar with the stories of HP Lovecraft will immediately recognize where the inspiration came for my story.

Lovecraft welcomed other writers to write in his Cthulhu Mythos universe. And many took him up on the invite, and many more continue to do so today.

I enjoy working in the Mythos. It’s a walk in a world where we are not at the top of the food chain. It’s a world where there are forces at work much bigger than we are. Beings to whom we are not unlike the ants on a sidewalk. Blithely stepped on without a second thought.

The universe of the Cthulhu Mythos puts humans in a place where we are not only not equal with nature, we are less than nature. It’s a universe that makes me stop and think about all of our petty squabbles. It makes me realize how, in the big picture, our troubles and problems are truly insignificant.

I’m looking at the 25th of March as the launch date of In the Shadow of the Mountains of Madness. Stay tuned!

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

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