Through the Gates of the Silver Key

A rare sequel from H.P. Lovecraft. It continues the story of Randolph Carter, the protagonist from the Silver Key, detailing the aftermath of what happened to him. What follows is a very un-Lovecraft-like story. Oh, the prose is there, but the feel of it is completely different. I've already hinted at in my review for the prequel that it had a science fiction adventure feel, as opposed to the usual elements of horror. I did not feel much of the typical mystical, eerie feeling of the unknown that comes with Lovecraft's stories. I think the blame is likely the very explicit description of “how things work” when it comes to just what exactly happened to Randolph Carter. Even the reveal at the end wasn't really much of a reveal, much like a mystery thriller reveal, rather than a horrific twist.