The Beast In The Cave by H. P. Lovecraft

Classic Ghost Stories

This is a reading of H. P. Lovecraft's The Beast In The Cave.

"The Beast in the Cave" is a short story written by H. P. Lovecraft, a famous American horror fiction writer. He first came up with the initial version in the Spring of 1904, and by April 1905, at the age of fourteen, he completed the final draft. The story was initially published in June 1918 in The Vagrant, a publication similar to today's well-edited fanzines.

It's essential to note that this tale is considered part of Lovecraft's early works, often referred to as juvenilia, which means it was written during his youth. In the 1930s, Lovecraft would sometimes share a copy of the story's typescript with his promising young correspondents. He did this to showcase what he had accomplished at their age and to provide them with an initial exercise in rewriting. This served as a way for him to assess their creativity and potential.

I came to read this story because I was contacted by Todd Thyberg of angelbomb.com who is a fine press producer. He's a graphic designer and artist who produces high-quality editions of his own work, but also that of classics in the sci-fi and horror genres such as you might have found in the pulp magazines of the early to mid 20th Century. Todd produces such finely crafted work that when he sent me a copy of his chapbook of The Beast In The Cave, I was minded to read it and interview him too.

The second part of this episode is my interview with Todd Thyberg.

His work can be accessed at his website: Angel Bomb, a Book Arts Studio

https://www.angelbomb.com/

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