From Beyond by H.P. Lovecraft (1920)
The story revolves around a scientist who discovers that the human brain can be preserved and brought back to life after death through a process of electrocution. He uses this knowledge to revive his deceased wife, but she returns with a malevolent presence that threatens to destroy him.
By H.P. Lovecraft · First published 1920 · Genre: Horror, Science Fiction, Weird Fiction · 3,379 words
First lines
Horrible beyond conception was the change which had taken place in my best friend, Crawford Tillinghast. I had not seen him since that day, two months and a half before, when he had told me toward what goal his physical and metaphysical researches were leading; when he had answered my awed and almost frightened remonstrances by driving me from his laboratory and his house in a burst of fanatical rage. I had known that he now remained mostly shut in the attic laboratory with that accursed electrical machine, eating little and excluding even the servants, but I had not thought that a brief period of ten weeks could so alter and disfigure any human creature. It is not pleasant to see a stout man suddenly grown thin, and it is even worse when the baggy skin becomes yellowed or greyed, the eyes sunken, circled, and uncannily glowing, the forehead veined and corrugated, and the hands tremulous and twitching. And if added to this there be a repellent unkemptness; a wild disorder of dress, a bushiness of dark hair white at the roots, and an unchecked growth of pure white beard on a face once clean-shaven, the cumulative effect is quite shocking. But such was the aspect of Crawford Tillinghast on the night his half-coherent message brought me to his door after my weeks of exile; such the spectre that trembled as it admitted me, candle in hand, and glanced furtively over its shoulder as if fearful of unseen things in the ancient, lonely house set back from Benevolent Street.
What this Textopian page supports
From Beyond is listed on Textopian as a short story by H.P. Lovecraft, dated 1920 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: H.P. Lovecraft
- Date: 1920 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Horror, Science Fiction, Weird Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Psychological Thriller
- Length: 3,379 words
- Structure: 1 section, 17 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for From Beyond by H.P. Lovecraft
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering From Beyond?
- How does this short story by H.P. Lovecraft fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Horror first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Horror — The narrative evokes fear and dread through its exploration of the unknown and the grotesque, central to the horror genre.
- Science Fiction — The story involves speculative science and metaphysical concepts, particularly the exploration of unseen dimensions and senses.
- Weird Fiction — The blending of horror and the supernatural with elements of the bizarre and the uncanny aligns with the conventions of weird fiction.
- Gothic Fiction — The setting, atmosphere, and themes of isolation and madness reflect characteristics typical of Gothic literature.
Tags
Cosmic Horror · Science Fiction · Supernatural Fiction · Short Story · Anthology · Weird Fiction · Cthulhu Mythos · Lovecraftian Horror · Psychological Thriller · Mystery · Paranormal Activity · Otherworldly Beings