The Face in the Abyss

The Face in the Abyss
Dust-jacket from the first edition
AuthorA. Merritt
LanguageEnglish
Series"The Face in the Abyss"
September 8, 1923
"The Snake Mother"
Weekly: October 25-December 6, 1930
GenreFantasy
PublisherArgosy All-Story Weekly
Argosy
Horace Liveright
Publication date
1931
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Serial, Hardback, and Paperback)
Pages343
OCLC2528594

The Face in the Abyss is a fantasy novel by American writer A. Merritt. It is composed of a novelette with the same title and its sequel, "The Snake Mother". It was first published in its complete form in 1931 by Horace Liveright. The novelette "The Face in the Abyss" originally appeared in the magazine Argosy All-Story Weekly in the September 8, 1923 issue. "The Snake Mother" was originally serialized in seven parts in Argosy beginning with the October 25, 1930 issue.

Plot introduction

The novel follows Nicholas Graydon, an American mining engineer. While searching for lost Inca treasure in South America, he meets Suarra, handmaiden to the Snake Mother of Yu-Atlanchi. She guides him to an abyss where Nimir, the Lord of Evil, is imprisoned in a golden mask. Graydon's companions, consumed by greed, are transformed into gold globules by the mask. However, Suarra and the Snake Mother save him, and he joins their battle against Nimir.

Reception

Peter Levi has noted parallels between The Face in the Abyss and a story H.P. Lovecraft created as a ghostwriter, "The Mound."[1]

References

  1. ^ Levi, Peter (August 2007). ""They Have Conquered Dream": A. Merritt's "The Face in the Abyss" and H. P. Lovecraft's "The Mound"". Lovecraft Annual (1): 91–93. ISSN 1935-6102. JSTOR 26868359.

Sources