H. P. Lovecraft

Color Out of Space

Ryan LaFerney

"The Colour Out of Space" is a science fiction/horror short story by American author H. P. Lovecraft, written in March 1927. In the tale, an unnamed narrator pieces together the story of an area known by the locals as the "blasted heath" in the hills west of the fictional town of Arkham, Massachusetts. The narrator discovers that many years ago a meteorite crashed there, poisoning every living being nearby; vegetation grows large but foul-tasting, animals are driven mad and deformed into grotesque shapes, and the people go insane or die one by one. 

The Colour Out of Space is one of Lovecraft's famous stories, and for good reason. The existential dread is palpable throughout the story. Lovecraft, in attempting to create a horror that is beyond human reasoning, I think succeeded. Why? The entity's motive (if any) is unknown and it is impossible to discern whether or not the "colour" is emotional, moral, or even conscious. It just wreaks havoc on the inhabitants of a New England Farm.

Literally, all hell breaks loose.

Grounded in material reality, and scientific theories, this work of horror quickly becomes otherwordly. 

A must-read if you're a horror fan.

And don't miss the Nicholas Cage film adaptation. It's different but bonkers.

Color Out of Space

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