The Whisperer in Darkness by H.P. Lovecraft (Audiobook)

www.hplovecraft.com/writings/...
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[@laurafrakinroslin]

Ooooo, I love this one! It’s hilarious how much the aliens fuck things up and still basically succeed because, despite their incompetence, the POV character is just so much more incompetent

[@shrimpbisque]

"Oh, interstellar travel is easy! First we put your brain in a jar..."

[@fisher8024]

YES!! I’ve been itching for more Lovecraft readings since your video about branching out. Your Mountains of Madness is probably one of my favorite videos of yours of all time. So sorry you had trouble getting this uploaded but the wait I’m certain is very worth it!!!

[@andrewsalhany5665]

The MoM audiobook was a masterpiece indeed

[@xavis_dad]

Agreed and agreed

[@zapan9643]

The Exploring Series At the Mountains of Madness reading is my favourite audiobook of time.

[@fisher8024]

@@zapan9643 It’s always been one of my favorite Lovecraft stories but that reading elevated it to top fave for sure.

[@thegametroll6264]

My favorite lovercraft stories are the dunwich horror, dagon, and the shadow over insmouth. Chilling tales for dark nights does a chilling cinematic reading of the dunwich horror that really does it justice, but exploring the mythos really hits the spot on a more narrative oration.

[@themightymcb7310]

Tuesday: Bro this is bad business, you don't wanna get mixed up in all this. Wednesday: I think I'm gonna die soon, tell my son I love him and make sure never to come here! Thursday: MY FINE CHAP I DO SAY IT WOULD BE A LOVELY IDEA IF YOU CAME TO VERMONT USING A PREPLANNED ROUTE I MADE. P.S. PLEASE BRING EVERY LAST SHRED OF EVIDENCE I HAVE MAILED YOU. Lovecraft Protagonist: Vermont sounds nice this time of year!

[@jgbandbjb92709]

Intelect does not guarantee intelligence. A fact all to clear now more than ever.

[@LetsTalkAboutPrepping]

Yes! Literally right as I'm desperately searching for good audio content at work. You're the GOAT as always

[@danny_decheeto8300]

exactly man

[@FallerAdam]

Thank you for your tireless work! I belong to the Exploring Series sleep-club, but after 3 or 4 rewatch, I usually manage to get the whole picture. Thank you again!🎉🎉😍

[@daviddelisse9712]

Yo, what currency is that?

[@FallerAdam]

@@daviddelisse9712 Good ol' hungarian forint, the strongest currency to date in history! 😂

[@daviddelisse9712]

@@FallerAdam hell yeah, Hungary is a cool place, I may visit someday lol

[@lamb5890]

same i tend to also sleep to these lmao

[@PoseidonsWrath]

Coming home after a horrible day at work and seeing a new Lovecraft video just brought me back from the brink. Thank you for all your hard work.

[@rodclark4960]

Now that was unexpected and brilliant. If you want to do another, The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath is underappreciated and so fun. Like Lovecraft watched an 80s cartoon and said "hold my beer, I got this."

[@laurafrakinroslin]

I’m kind of shocked no one’s done a riff on this story as a comedy because the aliens are so so so bad at being stealthy but the two humans have no basic survival skills and are generally so incompetent it’s amazing they’ve made it as far as they have in life without walking into an open manhole cover or something

[@rhodanjones5155]

Would've made a good 80s spoof parody

[@Deery3911]

I fully agree, but in fairness Akeley was ancient and did better than other paranoid recluses might

[@laurafrakinroslin]

@@Deery3911 true, he did okay but the POV character was basically Ralph Wiggum

[@jacthing1]

Nevermind the whole "yeah just bring all the evidence and come visit me cause they're actually friendly. This definitely isn't a trap at all

[@RowleyFan2]

Yessss! I actually screamed out loud "idiot!" when he just, went there after that super sus letter telling him to come visit and to bring all the evidence, then he just, hops inside the car with a total stranger that claims to know Akeley, like c'mon man XD

[@j.n.-fr5uh]

lmao i was about to write a comment like "im half an hour in and still have no idea what the story is about" and exactly at that very moment he says "syou can see i have a hard time getting to the point". man, lovecraft sure knew how to write

[@Primus-kz3ri]

This is one of Lovecrafts best executed horror stories from the Cthulhu Mythos. Also has great world-building that some others didn’t have

[@fisher8024]

It’s always surprised me to know how negatively it was received in its time and how subsequently Lovecraft ended up disliking it. How could anyone not like giant freaky penguins?

[@pious83]

@@fisher8024 Lovecraft unfortunately received far greater acclaim and appreciation for his work, posthumously.

[@jerrimenard3092]

It hits a lot different when you are sitting in class in one of the towns he mentioned. This story was part of our literature assignment in the 1980's being called a book about local lore. You would never see that today. Moms for liberty would clutch pearls so hard it could be classified as an impure kind of asphyxia.

[@trioxin2114]

@@jerrimenard3092 Moms for liberty have no problem with Lovecraft lore, trend-bot.

[@jeremiahsnelson5644]

​@@fisher8024It's conceptually pretty cool, but I'd have to disagree with OP and say that it's one of his worst executed stories. The characters are so utterly incompetent, the main characters to completely flip his views on a dime, with the best explanation being "there's no waaaaaay any of this was faked, really!" I mean, listening to chapters six and seven, I'm like... Actually fucking laughing? Literally ever scrap of evidence points to this being a trap that he's walked right into.

[@laurafrakinroslin]

All of his correspondence thus far as been handwritten A previous letter was found to be a counterfeit Suddenly gets a typed letter that says ‘hey, um, actually, never mind all that stuff I said. I’m actually totally chill with the aliens now. Also please visit me and bring the photographs, my letters, and the phonograph recording with you :) :) :)’ Wilmarth: phew, thank god that’s over

[@TheGreatBlueBlob]

This was so good. You’ve become my favorite voice for Lovecraft audiobooks.

[@colorchangingring]

went to sleep while this was playing and had a very interesting series of dreams

[@nowhereman6019]

This is one of those Lovecraft stories that would work even better adapted to a modern setting. The back and forth between Wilmarth and Akeley would work even better through the internet. Imagine, a young conspiracy theorist getting pictures and recordings of aliens from an old boomer who's house is being attacked. Possibly add in some CIA Men in Black secret alien stuff, and you have a potential cult classic on your hands.

[@Fulgrim2]

Who would play them?

[@jonanderson5137]

Men in Black cast.

[@bingo784]

I don't know, part of the horror of this story lies in the sabotage of communications by a third party. By giving them smartphones it becomes just a thriller about an unknown entity stalking prey. Stories that involve antiquated technologies and their limitations sometimes work precisely because of those limitations, not despite them.

[@tomkerruish2982]

​@@bingo784Just site the story where there's no service. Heck, I lost service driving from Reno to Las Vegas, and that was on a highway.

[@bingo784]

@@tomkerruish2982 Won't work. The horror isn't simply in the inability to communicate. There is an active third party intermittently stealing Akeley's letters and/or sending fakes instead.

[@Sol-hm7ol]

this might be my favourite one in terms of horror, theres something really horrific about this one that makes my skin crawl

[@broceedwin]

Love the extra hussle to make the recording part sound like an actual eldritch recording 👍. Thanks for another amazing reading!

[@Crimicide]

Always a treat to see another Lovecraft audiobook from this channel

[@burpman666]

i had just been listening through all your old audiobook videos, thinking to myself "man i wish he would make more, i can only relisten so many times". safe to say my prayers were answered swiftly. almost eerily quickly...

[@draconity]

I have a confession to make. I can't seem to get used to any lovecraft audiobooks that aren't read by you. You're just SO good at them, the mood, the rhythm, the gravity.

[@thomastempleman2029]

I used to work at a summer camp and on the second week of session, the counselors were allowed to create their own classes for the days’ last block. Mine was “Lovecraft Appreciation”, a 2 hour period (in the AC and with snacks) where we would either complete or sample the better portion of a couple audio collections I’ve collected on Audible. This was always my intro, as I think it’s Lovecraftian imagery is very grounded in the real world. A small town and a farmstead in rural New England is easier to picture than an Antarctic lost city. Summarily, this story was always a hit, especially with any kids familiar with Jeepers Creepers or Stephen King.

[@averynelson1186]

His comments about an "undiscovered ninth planet" led to a couple quick Google searches: "The Whisperer in Darkness" was written February-September 1930, and it was first published in Weird Tales, August 1931. The object formerly known as the planet Pluto was discovered on February 18, 1930 at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, by astronomer Clyde W. Tombaugh, with contributions from William H. Pickering. It was named Pluto that March. I'm curious if Lovecraft found out about the discovery when he was writing. If he did, he must have decided to leave his manuscript unaltered. I'm having some difficulty figuring out if the discovery was publicized, and when. Most likely Lovecraft didn't learn about Pluto until after this story was published. But then again, he kept up to date with cutting edge academic science, evidenced in many of his stories. Edit: Apparently the discovery influenced/inspired the story! Based on the H.P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia (Joshi and Schultz, 2001), The Whisperer in Darkness was written between 24 February and 26 September 1930. The minor-planet, planetesimal, or dwarf-planet Pluto was discovered by Clyde W. Tombaugh on 18 February 1930. However, the official announcement of its discovery was made on 14 March 1930 (Joshi and Schultz, 2001). Thus, while the discovery of Pluto did not inspire HPL to begin writing The Whisperer in Darkness it obviously had a huge impact on the development of the story. As noted by Joshi and Schultz, HPL wrote to his friend James F. Morton, “Whatcha thinka the NEW PLANET? HOT STUFF!!!”

[@kyriss12]

Even before the discovery of Pluto it was theorized there was a ninth planet based off irregularities in the orbital paths of the planets suggesting gravitational pull from outside the known solar system. After it was realized that Pluto was so small the theory was adjusted to factor either a extra dense Planet X even further past Pluto, and dark star even further than that, or a black hole even further than that.

[@cocos8903]

Asteroid "Psyche" is being examined this week. Similar properties to Pluto according to those who use them in astrology.

[@umuzealot9044]

"And I wish that the new planet beyond Neptune had not been discovered" So there are bad news and good news...

[@hardatworktom2244]

Thanks

[@nicholasbrodeur2340]

Ah lovecraft, why are you so good? Love your readings of them and hope you do more soon. Perhaps the dream quest of unknown kadath next? It’s a long one but one of my favourites

[@radagast7200]

I've always loved Under the Pyramid as Hudini was also a fascination of mine.

[@ChaoFarmer]

that last line gave me chills unlike any ive known before. i absolutely LOVED this

[@TheTruxFortuita]

I am so glad my gallbladder tried to kill me nearly 3years ago. I don't know if I'd have the privilege to listen to your entire catalogue several times over. SCP, 40k, or Lovecraft. I am spoiled in my fandoms when it comes to you sir.

[@Driven2Beers]

My wife (who is from Rutland, Vermont) and I listened to this recently. I got a kick out of how she cringed or sighed every time Townshend was mispronounced with the "sh" sound. 😆

[@leahcole8672]

Was having a rough night, couldn't sleep, and this showed up on my feed. And I grinned for the first time in days and pressed play. Thank you.

[@tipitossj]

i was about to draw something...i put my headphones on...and the Olds Gods blessed me with this!

[@JohnSmith-tt3go]

Me: 'Sees The Exploring Series uploaded on a Thursday' "Sweet!" Me: 'Sees it's 3 hours long' "Awesome!" Me: 'Sees it's HP Lovecraft audio book' "All hail our lord and savior!"

[@carolynallisee2463]

H. P Lovecraft loved using the word 'blasphemous when talking about alien life. I wonder what he would have made of modern science fiction, and TV shows and films like Star Wars, Star Trek, and Stargate SG-1...

[@quicksilvertongue3248]

I don't think he would have lived up to Gene Roddenberry's standards of embracing diversity. People make a lot of hay about how racist HPL was, but his elitism goes way beyond that, he faulted the "breeding" of even most white people he encountered, so the odds he'd have gotten along with Tealc or Chewbacca or Babylon 5's Gkar are pretty slim. The man was a literary genius, but he wasn't even ready for the 1930s, let alone the 2020s.

[@samuelspencer6016]

This is one of my favorite stories from Lovecraft. The next few hours are going to be incredible

[@RightClickGamers]

I love your orating skills. It's so nice to listen to. Little to no stutters or messing up sentence inflection. Everything from your SCP stuff to Lovecraft is very relaxing to listen to.

[@ryanrobison8973]

You are the best narrator of Lovecraft's work that I have ever heard. Idk how you go about it exactly, but it is perfect for his writing style. Others go way too far in the dramatization of the text when Lovecraft's prose and choice of wording does that all on its own. Your narration of The Mountains of Madness is my favorite narration of anything ever and has cemented it as my favorite of Lovecraft's stories.

[@daveshif2514]

great narration! this is like an analog horror nature documentary where the naturalist gets possessed by the entity halfway through and start gaslighting the viewer

[@thegreatwhitegoat2882]

I truly believe he was speaking to Nyralathotep at the house. Due to the fact of the recording, which says Nyarlathotep, mighty messenger. He shall put on the semblance of man. The waxen mask and the robe that hides. He shall come down from the world of seven suns to mock.

[@jimdoom2276]

Ooh, that's a flippin good catch!

[@thegreatwhitegoat2882]

@jimdoom2276 I've listened to this story 4 times. After hearing his narration of it. It hit me like. woaaah! The man was speaking to the Nyralathotep, and Akeley's brain was chilling in the jar on the shelf. While Akeley is probably screaming without a voice to be heard.

[@quicksilvertongue3248]

It does seem slightly more credible that the figure wearing an Akely mask was The Black Man or some other such avatar, rather than a Yuggothian. This way, rather than the aliens being spectacularly careless and stupid, they're just going along with a prank which their boss thinks will be funny.

[@dasdeke]

We eating gooooood boys and girls!!

[@michaeldayman682]

Please don't eat children. Especially not the good ones, you are going to cause evolutionary selection issues favouring nasty children.

[@cadenowens7596]

You’re damn right

[@mathhits]

We should start with the naughty ones first, surely?

[@Azrael1st]

Eating brains

[@jacoblong92]

"dinner's in the oven! Mmmmmm mm."

[@woofythewoof9747]

I love H.P Lovecraft, but never had the time to sit and read his work. Thanks for giving us a high quality audio reading

[@donaldscholand4617]

Hastur vs the beings from Ying? Sounds like a feud between different types of slog-monsters! Cool! Let them fight it out while we develop antimatter bombs or something worse! Bring the physical evidence? Oh, Hell No!

[@cadenowens7596]

Seeing a video of yours with a fresh watch bar is pure ecstasy.

[@levileamer2784]

Thank you so much for another audio book! I mean, I'm watching what you post every week regardless but this is an extra special treat!

[@loganlogon3720]

3:00:04 That's one hell of a realistic sound effect, I was looking around my room looking for several seconds before I realized that there was no fly buzzing around.😅

[@craig.6076]

Bro is out here reading audiobooks with his sexy soothing voice, and I'm here for it. I'll listen to anything this guy puts out, his voice is too relaxing

[@spedrun]

My biggest problem with lovecraft is that he starts name dropping yog sothoth or some other eldritch god in the first five seconds of any book he writes. Like jesus man, let us wonder for a bit That being said, loved the reading as always. Lovecraft readings are probably my favorite of yours

[@jimdoom2276]

But when he was writing it, it wasn't name dropping anything, cos they didn't exist before he made them up...

[@quicksilvertongue3248]

The funny part is that he relies so heavily on the technique of saying "the truth is so horrible you can't even imagine it"...and then I sit here imagining everything he refused to describe. Like I can actually explain "whence dread Cthulhu came" to my own satisfaction, it's not mysterious at all IMO. I feel like I have the skills necessary to write a movie script where the half-overheard conversation would have to be fully written out and perfomed off-camera so that the protagonist could only hear the bits that HP wrote.

[@BlackCatFang]

I read the king in yellow because of this channel. The mentioning of the yellow sign brought this full circle.

[@dakotalane1911]

The best narrator of hp Lovecraft period

[@dasdeke]

The only other one that I've really found has come close has been Ian Gordon and he did some of the original recordings. Also nature's temper is fantastic at these as well. But TES is a big favorite!

[@The_Trickster]

Would love to see your scp stuff on audible, I would buy them in a heartbeat

[@micha5112]

Thx 4 your voice my mother is very ill and weak and Ypu and your voice are a light in a very dark place Thanks so much

[@DevsRad265]

finally something good to listen to while I work

[@sickface_and_chill]

HP Lovecraft never fails to tingle my spinal cord in the dead of night. Thanks for sharing.

[@cameronpearce5943]

XD I love how the aliens in this are probably almost completely benign

[@quicksilvertongue3248]

I wouldn't go that far. That's like concluding that the Borg are benevolent because they never actually assimilated Voyager.

[@charlesrodden4019]

Nothing was amiss, except... THERE WAS A FIREFIGHT!!

[@Uhsque]

Impeccable timing. Was looking for things to listen to at work to get ne through the rainy day.

[@mariofan1ish]

Good to see this made it up in the end. Who exactly was trying to copyright claim a 100+ year old book, though?

[@quicksilvertongue3248]

Lawyers gotta try and do something with their time all day in the hope of eventually getting paid....

[@BattleF08]

Thanks for a nice read. And double-thanks for putting subtitles on this. Really helps me make sure I got the words right in my mind. It's very useful with audiobooks.

[@44actual]

A surprise weekday drop? It’s not even Christmas.

[@thewhistlingguy6925]

Man I’ve love your love craft stuff The Shadow over Ismoth was how I found your channel

[@alyssakitten6006]

This is the second time heard this book read and both times the last lines give me the creeps such a good book and as always such amazing voice work 💖

[@IRageMetal]

Rare non Monday upload!

[@clockwork7daemon]

This is one of my favourite Lovecraft works. Great narration of it.

[@secretcrocodile7499]

Love this. Appreciated the early upload on your podcast which I highly recommend

[@bostonbilly7725]

This looks great, i need too find 3 hrs too watch it. Im glad you got to release it. I know u have been having some problems with them instantly taking it down when u do a lovecraft video. Thanks maang❤😊

[@marcturmel924]

Many thanks, I've listened to various version of this but an new one is always welcomed!

[@billflunkendorf]

This is perfect, lovecraft is my favorite writer and you are my favorite reader

[@ianstauffer2804]

absolutely love your lovecraft readings mate

[@braquemar]

Thank you so much, man. You are amazing.

[@philipclay8531]

Your Lovecraft readings are so excellent. You really bring in your own style, and bring a lot to the story.

[@danny_decheeto8300]

Let’s goooo I live these HP lovecraft audiobooks

[@Offmikesmysticalelixir]

Its finally here!!! Cant wait to listen to this later.

[@PurpleH4z3]

So much better when you are reading something and not just talking about it

[@SgtNukem007]

Man wrote about cyborgs and pluto before either were a concept. Crazy shit

[@0The_Farlander0]

I don't know why this story out of all his works leaves such a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

[@demonic477]

Oh my god this is even better then the one I asked you for . this is one I wanted to ask you to do but didn't want to make you have a 3 hour recording time. so thank you for doing this it's amazing and I can see myself watching this 8 or 10 times this week alone . the thing is I found this 5 minutes after you posted it but waited tell 10.00 at night to watch it so the damn kids would leave me alone.

[@shanepatrick4534]

These Lovecraft stories are always fun.

[@drepdrained]

listened to these when I went on flights last summer, glad to have a new one

[@Thefifthpacmanghoststinky]

Amigo I love your content and your voice is fantastic. Thank you for this I needed it

[@chippinround5909]

One of my favorites. Thank you, Sir.

[@quicksilvertongue3248]

This story could also be titled "Fear and Loathing in Rural Vermont".

[@jamiekjackson]

Stumbled on your channel 6 months ago. You have a very relaxing take, and fun insight to your readings, especially on SCPs. Keep them coming please.

[@uhoh7545]

25:59 yeah, Lovecraft. You do that.

[@alzef1375]

I started out with Shadow Over Insmouth, and I gotta say I really like your voice. The stories have struck me as hard to read, given the prose, so listening to you instead makes it so much better.

[@chalzen1012]

I just like to say i live in one of those VT towns mentioned in the beginning of this story... its gonna be a long night lol

[@chalzen1012]

Just like a Vermonter to resort to chemical warfare before calling the police lol

[@ghost123147]

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO more hp lovecraft

[@aarondoesitagain]

This is my favorite Lovecraft story and I love your voice ❤️

[@thaumaturgeslit7759]

So excited to hear more Lovecraft readings.

[@Divinity9511]

I JUST FINISHED ALL YOUR BOOKS! I have listened to almost every video on this channel and for the past week I have been grinding away at the Audio Books and I finished the Dunwich Horror 3 days ago and now this!! Thank you Exploring Series!

[@Daisy-Doo]

the only audiobooks i listen to come from you

[@boiplut0]

Thank you man you’re the creator I can’t miss a video of, usually listen within the same night u release but this one got extra love so I’m starting late to enjoy it in one go ❤ thank u tes

[@Shug-Goff]

This is fantastic. It feels like a proper investigative report. The funeral-drum dry delivery spiked with barely repressed hysteria as sanity slips and slides adds to this atomsophere.

[@Kingkent1207]

Yes!! This is one of my favourite Lovecraft stories

[@nicholash.7656]

I love your Lovecraft readings

[@servit0r]

Awesome! Hearing this story coming from you is gonna be great!

[@ShirleyTimple]

This story is great, looking forward to this reading!

[@thedukeofchutney468]

I don’t know what we did to deserve this but whatever it was keep up the good work folks.

[@tubularjay]

YASSSSSSSSSSS!!! These are the videos that got me to your channel in the first place! NOW I’m an SCP author?! Incredible! Thank you for EVERYTHING ES!!!

[@charlesrodden4019]

Gotta love the 20s. There was nothing amiss, except the bullet holes inside and outside the house.

[@exigo2625]

love it when u do audio books/ readings, great as always

[@Xexelli]

Got my new go-to when I get passed the aux-cord.

[@Fulgrim2]

Story time once again boys and girls!

[@dovahkiin_brasil]

Thanks for the great reading, as always