The Unnamable by H. P. Lovecraft Episode #368

H. P. Lovecraft | May 2, 2025

The Unnamable by H. P. Lovecraft Episode #368
H. P. Lovecraft

THE UNNAMABLE

Episode #368 · Written by H. P. Lovecraft · Narrated by Scott Miller

Two men linger in an ancient Arkham graveyard, debating whether some things are truly beyond human description. But when night falls, their argument is interrupted by a presence that defies logic, sanity, and shape.

The Unnamable is one of Lovecraft’s most atmospheric meditations on fear, skepticism, and the limits of human understanding. Two men—an imaginative writer and a rational school principal—sit atop a seventeenth-century tomb in the fading light of an Arkham evening. They argue over whether certain horrors exist beyond the boundaries of human language. One believes that some experiences cannot be neatly classified, categorized, or described. The other is certain that every phenomenon can be understood through logic, faith, or common sense.

As twilight deepens into darkness, the setting itself becomes a character: ancient slate headstones, a rotting colonial house, a forgotten crypt, drifting legends of a creature glimpsed only in fleeting terror. Lovecraft slowly builds tension until the night erupts with a presence that is not merely unseen—it is indescribable. What follows is an encounter that tests both men’s beliefs and leaves them marked, shaken, and forever changed.

This story is more than a graveyard episode—it is Lovecraft’s commentary on imagination, artistic vision, the nature of the uncanny, and the uneasy overlap between folklore and reality. It is a perfect example of how he uses philosophy and atmosphere to create experiences that linger long after the tale is finished.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

H. P. Lovecraft (1890–1937) stands as one of the most influential architects of modern horror and weird fiction. His writing introduced a universe where ancient powers, cosmic indifference, and unspeakable mysteries shape human destiny. Although he published mostly in pulp magazines and lived modestly, Lovecraft’s ideas reverberated far beyond his lifetime. Today he is recognized as the originator of cosmic horror and a major influence on writers such as Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell, Caitlín R. Kiernan, and countless others.

Lovecraft was a meticulous craftsman whose stories blended New England history, atmospheric detail, and philosophical dread. His fiction frequently revolved around scholars, skeptics, and artists who confront forces utterly incompatible with human logic. These encounters often reveal how fragile our understanding of the world truly is. His legacy thrives not only because of the monsters he imagined, but because he understood that the most profound fear lies in the unknown—the vast, the ancient, the unnamed.

LISTEN TO THE STORY

Listen to The Unnamable by H. P. Lovecraft — a classic sci-fi tale exploring unseen forces and eerie legends rooted in New England. A vintage science fiction must-hear.

ABOUT THE LOST SCI-FI PODCAST

The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast is the most listened-to vintage science fiction podcast in the world. Ranked #1 in 33 countries and heard in more than 190 countries, the show has surpassed 3.2 million listens, introducing classic science fiction to a global audience of devoted fans.

Each episode features carefully selected stories from the Golden Age of science fiction, professionally narrated. Timeless storytelling the way it was meant to be heard.

What listeners are saying:

★★★★★ “Perfect sci-fi podcast, perfect narrator. It’s rare to find a podcast of this quality.”
— Holy Mountaineer

★★★★★ “Hands down the podcast I look forward to most every single week.”
— podsquad

Vintage science fiction. Professionally narrated. Carefully curated.