The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath
The protagonist embarks on a perilous journey to find the mystical city of Unknown Kadath, where he hopes to gain insight into his recurring dreams and uncover the secrets of the universe. He faces numerous challenges and encounters various supernatural beings along the way, including the Great Old Ones and other malevolent entities from Lovecraftian mythology.
By H.P. Lovecraft · First published 1927 · Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Weird Fiction · 46,447 words
First lines
Three times Randolph Carter dreamed of the marvellous city, and three times was he snatched away while still he paused on the high terrace above it. All golden and lovely it blazed in the sunset, with walls, temples, colonnades, and arched bridges of veined marble, silver-basined fountains of prismatic spray in broad squares and perfumed gardens, and wide streets marching between delicate trees and blossom-laden urns and ivory statues in gleaming rows; while on steep northward slopes climbed tiers of red roofs and old peaked gables harbouring little lanes of grassy cobbles. It was a fever of the gods; a fanfare of supernal trumpets and a clash of immortal cymbals. Mystery hung about it as clouds about a fabulous unvisited mountain; and as Carter stood breathless and expectant on that balustraded parapet there swept up to him the poignancy and suspense of almost-vanished memory, the pain of lost things, and the maddening need to place again what once had an awesome and momentous place.
What this Textopian page supports
The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath is listed on Textopian as a novel by H.P. Lovecraft, dated 1927 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: H.P. Lovecraft
- Date: 1927 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Weird Fiction, Adventure, Philosophical Fiction
- Length: 46,447 words
- Structure: 1 section, 252 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath 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
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath?
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Similar titles
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Genres
- Fantasy — The narrative explores a fantastical realm filled with surreal landscapes and mythical beings.
- Horror — Elements of dread and the unknown permeate the story, characteristic of the horror genre.
- Weird Fiction — The blending of fantasy and horror with bizarre elements aligns with the conventions of weird fiction.
- Adventure — The protagonist embarks on a quest through various strange lands, embodying the adventure genre.
Tags
Fantasy · Horror · Mythology · Dreams · Quest · Adventure · Supernatural · Cosmic Horror · Old Ones · Cthulhu Mythos · Sanity-Blasting · Madness