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3.0 

The House on the Borderland

By William Hope Hodgson
The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

The House on the Borderland is unique in several ways. The narrative itself is a double-frame narrative: the editor of the volume is presenting a manuscript he found under mysterious circumstances, describing the account of two fishermen who themselves discovered a hand-written account of the cosmic haunting of a recluse’s remote home.

Additionally, the novel is one of the earliest examples of the departure of horror fiction from the Gothic style of supernatural, psychological hauntings, to more realist, science-fiction/cosmic horror themes. The recluse is, among other events, transported to a mysterious supra-universal plane populated by monsters and elder gods; and his house withstands assaults from legions of monsters as he travels across time and the solar system.

The book was very influential on H. P. Lovecraft, who himself was famous for the cosmic horror themes in his work. The concept of an uncaring, and even evil, universe that Lovecraft found so disturbing is front and center in this supremely strange novel.

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The House on the Borderland Reviews

3.0
“An early work of cosmic horror, it goes through the diary entries of a recluse living in the titular place. Here, he narrates his visions of a dying solar system, and attempts to ward off the mysterious swine things that plague his home. I was hoping to enjoy this, but the descriptions of the out of body experience was so long winded that I was taken out of the horror”
“I only read this because Terry Pratchett recommended it in an essay about horror. He's my favourite author and horror is my favourite genre, so this was a no brainer. The House on the Borderland gave me an existential crisis, but in a good way? It's difficult to read if you're not used to reading older stories - this was published in 1908- but once you give it your time and attention it'll reward you. It forces you to think about how finite things are, even on a cosmic scale. That's the horror- but it's also what makes you feel loss and sadness, makes you see your surroundings differently. It's terrifying yes, but also beautiful. You can see how this influenced so many writers- it reminded me the most of Annihilation or the Colour Purple, especially it's evocative use of colours as horror. Again, you need to give this a lot of time, despite it being a novella- you'll need to give it your attention. But it's worthwhile.”

About William Hope Hodgson

William Hope Hodgson (15 November 1877 – 19 April 1918) was an English author. He produced a large body of work, consisting of essays, short fiction, and novels, spanning several overlapping genres including horror, fantastic fiction, and science fiction. Hodgson used his experiences at sea to lend authentic detail to his short horror stories, many of which are set on the ocean, including his series of linked tales forming the "Sargasso Sea Stories". His novels, such as The House on the Borderland (1908) and The Night Land (1912), feature more cosmic themes, but several of his novels also focus on horrors associated with the sea. Early in his writing career Hodgson dedicated effort to poetry, although few of his poems were published during his lifetime. He also attracted some notice as a photographer and achieved renown as a bodybuilder. He died in World War I at age 40.

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