HorrorBabble's DAGON: A Dramatic Adaptation

"Dagon" is a short story by American author H. P. Lovecraft, written in July 1917, one of the first stories he wrote as an adult. It was first published in the November 1919 edition of The Vagrant. This dramatic adaptation takes place on a stormy night in a prison cell, as the protagonist attempts to explain and justify an inexplicable bout of mania.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
00:57 - Dagon: A Dramatic Reading
18:30 - Further Listening
Bandcamp link: horrorbabble.bandcamp.com/alb...
Narrated by Ian Gordon for HorrorBabble
Music and production by Ian Gordon
Image used with the permission of M. Crassus:
www.artstation.com/mcrassusart
www.wyrdtree.co.uk/art-of-wyr...
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This is an ORIGINAL HorrorBabble Production.

[@justafallperson2108]

I love this style! I've tried listening to others narrate Lovecraft stories, but I keep coming back to Horror Babble. Your regular style is great, but this is a whole new level! Well done, Sir!

[@HorrorBabble]

Thank you!

[@jasondoingrandomthingonyou5885]

I love your guys' work so much, just the intro music gets rid of my anxiety, and your audiobooks are the best

[@feralbluee]

i started listening to a story by Kafka read by someone who was okay, but i couldn’t really listen to him. so i came directly to you, heard the piano, then your voice. my whole being just calmed and felt safe. some readers have that quality - like listening to good chimes. thanks. :}

[@HorrorBabble]

Thanks as always Alexa, I'm glad you enjoyed this one!

[@CarrowMind]

If HP Lovecraft was still alive he would no doubt love creepypasta and write the best ones. This short story just screams creepypasta to me, he was way ahead of his time!

[@turtleanton6539]

He was the orginator

[@darkone12541]

can you imagine bringing him to 2020? .......XD

[@vuk8550]

Wth is creepypasta? What relation does pasta have to horror? that's so weird

[@CarrowMind]

@@vuk8550 "pasta" is an internet slang term for paste, as in copy and paste.

[@vuk8550]

@@CarrowMind I still don't get it. Does that imply copied works from other authors or what? Dagon was written by Lovecraft, it's not copied from anywhere.

[@Frankenstec]

Splendid work Ian! The extra effects you put into these works do wonders to help make immerse the listener in the story. I particularly like the extra man in the story interrupting. These changes you made to Lovecraft's works feel organic enough to have just been a part of the work to begin with. And as usual your accents are spot on!

[@Darvit_Nu]

This is my go-to favorite Channel to listen to while I'm working on things as well as a necessity to relax with a bedtime story for a good night's sleep. The very best readers as well as voice acti g and sound effects. The imagery makes these stories very visual and totally immersive! ❤

[@jamiecameron7615]

This is so bloody good, you have a true talent for the dramatic!! Thank you very much!!!

[@HorrorBabble]

Cheers Jamie!

[@donaldmccleary9015]

Absolutely amazing! I love the way it was changed around a bit, especially the ending! Great job, Ian! I like the dialogue of the guy's crazy roommate. I laughed every time he talked! Thanks!

[@HorrorBabble]

"Dagon" is a short story by American author H. P. Lovecraft, written in July 1917, one of the first stories he wrote as an adult. It was first published in the November 1919 edition of The Vagrant. This dramatic adaptation takes place on a stormy night in a prison cell, as the protagonist attempts to explain and justify an inexplicable bout of mania. Chapters: 00:18 - Introduction 00:57 - Dagon: A Dramatic Reading 18:30 - Further Listening Bandcamp link: horrorbabble.bandcamp.com/album/dagon-a-dramatic-reading Narrated by Ian Gordon for HorrorBabble Music and production by Ian Gordon Image used with the permission of M. Crassus: www.artstation.com/mcrassusart www.wyrdtree.co.uk/art-of-wyrdtree Support us on Bandcamp or Patreon: horrorbabble.bandcamp.com www.patreon.com/horrorbabble HorrorBabble MERCH: teespring.com/stores/horrorbabble-merch Search HORRORBABBLE to find us on: AUDIBLE / ITUNES / SPOTIFY Home: www.horrorbabble.com Rue Morgue: www.rue-morgue.com Social Media: facebook.com/HorrorBabble instagram.com/horrorbabble twitter.com/HorrorBabble

[@oyonan]

This is good effort, but I have to admit that I prefer the original reading that you had up a couple of years ago. I liked to return to it from time from time. It seems to be gone now though. Am I not finding it or have you simply replaced it with this newer version?

[@MultiNacnud]

that's a dagon good story and dramatic reading thanks.

[@lordzaboem]

H.P. fans, I was reading The Whisperer in the Darkness yesterday. Right there at the end of Chapter I, Lovecraft directly mentions both Arthur Machen and Charles Fort. I was like, "Hey, I know those guys!"

[@nvfury13]

Scott Gastineau Heh. I was born and live in Plattsburgh (NY), a place mentioned in a couple of his stories. Always fun to see the reference.

[@RATPT0I]

Fine time for some seafood.

[@carljosephfriedrich8919]

The sound quality/production in this one is very appealing. It's like you took your Pickman's Model video, and stepped it up;) I'm impressed by your portrayal of the characters as well. All in all, quite excellent! This is a great example of the power of creativity, in refining and shaping literature and such into broader formats. I sometimes wonder how many interesting works of art/adaptions could be made, if the copyright were not of so long a duration. Cheers.

[@HorrorBabble]

Thank you!

[@JoeMama-dy6op]

Excellent! And it adds more to the Shadow Over Innsmouth story by Lovecraft.

[@jon79jw61]

Great job Ian...i haven't heard a reading of Dagon this well performed.

[@texasbadger3586]

Brilliant! One of my favorite Lovecraft tales. Thanks for bringing it to life 🐉

[@jordand9037]

I am a huge fan and have heard many of your Cthulhu mythos readings, unfortunately I started at the beginning yesterday and had to listen to another recording of dagon. Guess I will have to listen again! (I'll enjoy it)

[@jctrevi89]

Quite nice, sir. The reader's "friend" helped to add greatly to this. Devil's in the details

[@magisterapophis8714]

Will have to listen over dinner. Call of Cthulhu is out and I love it already.

[@HorrorBabble]

Thanks Myles - I'll have to check that out at some point.

[@thomaswilke9771]

@@HorrorBabble thank the great old ones ha ha

[@thomaswilke9771]

@@HorrorBabble thank the great old ones ha ha😏

[@TheFaulkned]

great reading. I know it's uncouth, but sometimes the radio dramas are as good as the straight stories. You kill it every time Ian.

[@bhekumuzintabeni3208]

1:30 Oof! Lol. This was brilliant 👏👏

[@Nanosuit37]

Excellent narration and sound! Very good. Thank you Mr. Gordon and Horror Babble. Excellent as always. Until next time.

[@mim0624]

So Dark, so cold, so right for Halloween ! Thank you.

[@stevepalpatine2828]

These are fantastic Ian. They're like old timey radio plays, I came back to listen to this after you posted the FX free version, the plain story is, of course, great, but I love these audio drama versions, I'd love to hear you do at the Mountains of Madness, its a big one though, so I imagine it would take a huge amount of work to add FX, edit, etc. You're still my favorite audiobook narrator for this genre, deservedly so.

[@HorrorBabble]

Thanks for listening, Steve! Madness would be a challenge indeed, as there's little action for a long time.

[@stevepalpatine2828]

@HorrorBabble You're right, I hadn't considered the amount of it that's just exposition, to turn it into an Audio Drama would be complicated, I remember a radio play of "Who Goes There?" that story "The Thing" was based on, and while it was the same story, the script had to be built from scratch, just following the story as closely as possible, which is like what Madness would require, at which point its not really the Lovecraft novel, just inspired by it. That said if anyone could pull it off I have faith you could do it Ian, Pickmans Model, the Dunwich Horror, Reanimator and this (and the one with your guy Van Melsen) are all top rate.

[@HorrorBabble]

Thanks again. There are plans to adapt other stories, with, as you say, large portions being effectively written from scratch. We'll get to the next one asap.

[@moonchildsfaeryrealm.3971]

That...was...freaking....BRILLIANT!!!

[@joshuazane3210]

From your performance to the production, this is outstanding.

[@gotcha4688]

Now--- I'm happy that I waited so long to listen to Dagon.

[@MrsCaranAmy]

At first I thought this was the first time I listened to the story. It was even better the second time. Your change of voices was great. Thank you.

[@HorrorBabble]

Thanks as always, Amy!

[@jorgehughes9685]

Fantastic dramatic reading. Just amazing! Happy Halloween.

[@rhettsopolisrabbit7634]

And my post was lost because of an update.....sigh =< So I wanted to respond this for two reasons. First was to make a statement on the original Dagon, and second the idea of its radio adaptation. I will check out the others when I get to them. So Dagon is a fascinating story in many ways. Publication date is an example because it speaks of the time between WW1 and WW2. The description of the German Sea Raider is a great as it puts context not just in a real world mindset, but what will come later. In a similar way it’s like Herman Melville using size as a vantage point of splendor, but to a lesser extent. But it helps illustrate the idea of what the size of Dagon and it’s monolith is has been made clear as we are just small creature in front of immense power. We also have the stage of Mr Howard and his writing as this is pre-Cthulhu. The story is shorter and more to the point than the later Cthulhu, but it plants the seeds of the man who we will see later. Dagon, or Father Dagon later, is simply old and powerful. Powerful enough to have worshippers even way back in primordial times and possibly powerful enough to place a piece of ocean floor to the surface. No different than the rise of Sunken R’Lyeh. The main difference is that Dagon is purely a physical god and as of now his ability is somewhat understood. Able to track down the narrator and taking him away for the simple crime of knowing about him. Little details like that really help bring into context what Mr Howard was about that divine and malign still exist even in this enlightened age of weapons and communication. Next we have what Howard his best known for. The fact that he is an essayist at heart. The simple use of archiving and accounting while also being self analytical are the traits of an academic loner. And it’s this way of trying to be rational that made him genuinely unappreciated for his time as he didn’t give a narrative that spoke like fiction. That meaning we have an A-B ending at C narrative that is sure to remind you that it’s a fictional context. This didn’t give the common reader assurance because in a lot of ways it wasn’t a prepackaged morality. But his circle of friends, modern day influences like John Carpenter and even myself believe “a true talent writes about what’s important to them, and they can’t separate from their truths” Having said all of that I will now touch on your adaption of the story. What I really want to say that adaptations are much different than reading because it comes down to preserving the voice of who made it. I can listen to many of your readings and get different interpretations from that. In this regard you show you were able to preserve all that was said above. What made me most interested is that you are able to take a medium that feels best in an academic mindset and translates well into an oral medium with the simple edition of an audience. With the edition of ocean waves and rainstorms forcing the creaks of an old sanitarium, we have the mumblings of the more blue collar minded who rather get their jobs done and get home having to now deal with a man now tainted. The reciting of Mr Howard’s words only makes it even more haunting as they humor the statements given but seem to just hope it calms him down for his stay. But hearing his words, you can just feel the thick and stagnant water starting to bubble with Dagons arrival. Exploding to the grasp of s new monolith, the possible crushing of a different kind of idol. Your faith. And I still find myself wondering what came from the window. I hope this is a good read and I’m glad for your support with Rue Morgue. And look forward to more possible adaptations from you. -Rhett

[@HorrorBabble]

Thanks again Rhett - it seems you're a little jinxed when it comes to KZbin comments! But when you do manage to publish them, your observations are always appreciated. Ian

[@rhettsopolisrabbit7634]

Yeah I’m either late with them or a restart loses 4 paragraphs =< But I’m on this! Trying not to just schim through your original content. And yeah Teleplays and dramatic readings I’m counting as original content. Hope to share more tonight

[@mr.v2689]

Been waiting for this one!!!! Thanks Ian!

[@joshsmiley4127]

Hot damn sir, this has been my favorite narrative you've told in weeks, loved every seconds

[@MrsCaranAmy]

This was marvelous. I loved the sound effects and the pauses added a lot to the eeriness of the story.

[@mitchell1-8]

Keeping the art form going mate love it great work

[@skywyzeparanormal7934]

Yes!!! I love this story. This is an awesome reading. Perfect for this time of year.

[@Studogg98]

Happy Halloween 🎃. From Midwest America. Thank you.

[@0therun1t21]

This story still makes my skin crawl!

[@DocZ82]

This is gold!

[@litaholic4572]

Beautiful reading of Lovecraft's most renowned story! Have wanted to delve into his work for so long and am proud to have taken the opportunity to do so. So far this is my favorite of his stories and I just want to listen to as many as possible,. You have an impeccable talent for narration and capture the chilling engrossing tone of the piece wonderfully, especially with the sound effects.

[@andilucas6926]

I'm really enjoying this new audio drama direction!

[@guineapiggerzd42]

Fantastic! I loved the dramatization.

[@thefisherking78]

Longtime favorite of mine. Love this adaptation!

[@brotherdoom2406]

Happy Halloween, HB! Love the work

[@jordanjoestar5938]

You are the best narrator ever existed on youtube

[@andysmith3910]

Genius work once again Ian! 👌

[@KyloB]

Man I love these so much

[@freddyahavi4763]

Just perfect !

[@jacktribble5253]

Excellent adaptation. Well done.

[@CJ-uf6xl]

Truly wonderful. ☺

[@richardferguson8023]

Nicely done!

[@0penthaughtz]

This was a nicely narrated short story.

[@TheJimbomull1]

Bloody brilliant!

[@yellowbelly7863]

Just had a feature that let me rate your story within the recommended section of youtube? Idk why that popped up I've never seen it but hopefully in giving you a well deserved 5 stars, youtube will realize you guys are not providing ill content... hopefully this is there way of battling the demonitization madness...

[@jlworrad]

Fantastic!

[@MikeyJBlakeJR]

Great stuff, my man!

[@jonathancortez7145]

I liked it. The humor is very good.

[@chrisu7022]

I love this story, this is like the tenth time i listened easily

[@risingson7773]

This is an awesome channel!

[@rachweatherilll69]

Love the maniacal laugh :-)

[@paulcateiii]

Great Job, Happy Halloween🎃Ian

[@flamespiter9198]

Good reading!

[@coreyrachar9694]

he knew the road would be arduous but he would devour the gods himself.

[@ms.d.franks242]

😃 That was excellent!

[@tikkidaddy]

Happy Halloween Ian...great story...fish to celebrate😂 ??...no way....WAR and MORPHINE..... OK....THATS CREEPY... BTW: How on earth did they get Dracula crossed up with Dagon in the last Blade movie??

[@Galahad_Du_Lac]

mark burress I think they were probably referring to the god of the Philistines.

[@jesstmann]

Damn it! That one was very scary. (Mostly due to those wicked sound effects!)

[@christyrollins8009]

Very dramatic love dagon

[@rhettsopolisrabbit7634]

Well I planned to comment on this tomorrow......only for that to be a year ago.....oops =/ I’m disappointed, like your original Call Of Cthulhu, that the original Dagon was removed. But in all honesty what we got in it’s place surpassed it. I see you took my opinion to heart and you declared it a HorrorBabble Production as opposed to a straight reading. I do hope it’s helping you keep regular and not so stressed about being Tubed (copyright or just flagged or offense). Your channel is still a regular and honestly you are doing a great service keeping classics and even new stories that could be classic alive. It sucks but I hope it’s brighter than it was last year. Enough ass kissing. This interpretation is genuinely brilliant. Where as the original felt like a private account in one man’s living quarters, this genuinely felt like the claustrophobic confines of Arkham. Within the mechanized therapy is initiated in the patients so they can be either released or kept away from civilized society. The words flowing as natural as the humid air from both asylum to uplifted earth. It felt like I would have felt reading. Only this time I lived the story. The dialogue between the three men genuinely fascinating. Like if I were a staff member overseeing this long diatribe from a man who broke long ago. And I’m wondering if I should switch an injection of Valium with Fluphenazine. But alas I’m meant to listen. No doubt thinking back to a good sailing trip oblivious of the great obelisks worshipped but the fish eyed Neanderthals. Not from love but of fear of the great Dagon, Cthulhu’s right hand and waking avatar. Even if you ignore lovecraft’s later work it’s still an engaging story. Setting up an academic break down of seemingly impossible events. And also it contradicts a common rule that people do which is the “show don’t tell”. I wanted to find a way to address this and this is the best way. Since a writer isn’t writing real people and not real situation it would mean the medium is based on telling. The fascinating thing of the likes of Howard and Edward, Algernon and even Bierce is that they strength is in telling. Telling something personal, from belief and not from fun. Not many will understand as their understanding of show don’t tell means to write like it were film and not literature. But I’m happy to have heard this. That you kept the academic confessions of broken intellectuals while placing your own stamp of audio drama to it. I’m really looking forward to more. Sorry I didn’t respond for so long and I don’t know if you will get this. But happy Halloween. And I’m thankful your stories can give a little magic back to a holiday I love. Feeling better and lost some weight, and I hope to get back to writing soon. Happy Halloween Mr Ian Gordon and Ms Jennifer Gill -Rhett

[@HorrorBabble]

Great to hear from you Rhett, and a Happy Halloween from the two of us! Good to know you're doing well. Take care, and thanks again for sharing your unique insights with the community here. All the best, Ian & Jen

[@rhettsopolisrabbit7634]

Really happy you aren’t mad. It’s great to stay in contact and I hope to see more of your original writings. It will be worth it seeing how you grew

[@HorrorBabble]

@@rhettsopolisrabbit7634 Not sure what we'd be mad about, Rhett! But thanks again for stopping by. :)

[@rhettsopolisrabbit7634]

Heart!

[@JamesLeaveyConnections]

I'm an old (very) Lovecraft fan. Still waiting for a well made large screen blockbuster movie adaptation of At the Mountains of Madness. Perhaps Cythulu has put the mockers on it...

[@Aaronnyc89]

May I request The Tale of Satampra Zeiros by Clark Ashton Smith?

[@HorrorBabble]

Thanks Aaron - there might just be a slot left on the list. Can you forward your request here please: www.horrorbabble.com/contact

[@hellodave1168]

Lovely stuff 💀

[@br41nc3ll]

I find myself relistening to your videos time and time again...

[@HorrorBabble]

We appreciate that, Braincell!

[@jiltedarts]

I think i have heard this tale over a dozen times and the majority will be your readings...

[@turtleanton6539]

Dagon🐟 and Cluthulu👾

[@jimjohhnston9992]

Fave

[@meth_squirrel]

Another great story ian but I was wondering if something happened to one four other readings since I can't find it or remember the name, it involves a man traveling through France till he comes to rest in an abandoned house haunted by coat possed by the owners ghost

[@HorrorBabble]

Thanks Wyatt. It's no longer available here on KZbin. But you can still listen to it here: horrorbabble.bandcamp.com/album/the-coat

[@feralbluee]

incredible reading - actually enjoyed this HP L. :}

[@Merrypaws]

It was good. I enjoyed listening, but there were a couple things that slightly bothered me. There were a couple moments where the silence stretched just long enough that I started wondering if my wi-fi connection cut off. It wasn't a full blown moodkiller, but did kinda break the immersion. Also, the addition of other characters was a neat twist to the original, but I couldn't always immediately tell what character was speaking at any moment when the others interjected something in the gaps the narrator left. Again, not a significant hardship, but enough to jolt me out of the story for a second.

[@HorrorBabble]

I’m glad it mostly worked for you - but these dramatic readings require headphones. I can imagine how some sections may appear ‘silent’ when heard though certain speakers.

[@the250mikec]

You're the best.

[@alexpeters7598]

They dog thanks for this dagon is my favorite hp story every 😇

[@alicemilton8756]

This happened to me once

[@sharonharvey1547]

This was freaking epic! I have ichthyphobia, but i couldn't turn off! Scary cos its real ! I cant explain how i know this, but its a bone deep truth ive had since i can remember!

[@bobbymarcum772]

I certainly wish that Phipps chap could keep his felonious yapper shut!

[@MikeyJBlakeJR]

Perhaps I missed some details in the story itself, but who is that second character supposed to be-the one who shares the fear of the protagonist? Surely that character was just an added effect for this adaptation, but even in this adaptation, who is he supposed to be?

[@dragonkeeper19600]

He's his cellmate at the asylum.

[@zuffercanis6709]

"Tell em about the...." "Shut da fuch up!" Ian is speaking.... oh wait. It's all Ian

[@allahcc666]

The Piltdown Man was fake but wasn’t exposed yet when HPL penned this piece.

[@winterhaydn5640]

Blasé! Blasé!

[@darkone12541]

yea, I honestly cant listen to anyone but you man..ive tried its not the same XD

[@austencobine864]

First and this is a nice story.

[@austencobine864]

You should do a dramatic reading of the Dunwich Horror.

[@HorrorBabble]

Now THAT would be an undertaking, Austen. Perhaps I'll get to it eventually.

[@christyrollins8009]

Not quite halloween yet sweety

[@HorrorBabble]

Here at HorrorBabble, it's always Halloween. ;)

[@Chinaboatman]

The framing sequence was superfluous and did not feel Lovecraftian. Especially the warden or head of the asylum with the strong British brogue.

[@HorrorBabble]

I'm sorry it didn't work for you. Thanks for giving it a listen though!