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In the 1920s and 1930s, the writer H. P. Lovecraft wrote fantastic stories. Some of them, in particular some of the earlier ones, were set in Earth's Dreamlands. An experienced dreamer could walk down the stairs, pass the priests, and emerge into a strange and wondrous realm.
The Dreamlands were not altogether real, since a powerful dreamer could affect it with his or her dreams, and not altogether imaginary, since different people could visit the Dreamlands and find the same things. People were not the only ones travelling to and from the Dreamlands, but also cats, and the ghouls from the Dreamland can emerge in the cemetaries of waking reality.
The Dreamlands are nominally ruled by their Gods, who live in their great onyx castle on Kadath, and often like to dance on other mountain peaks. It is known that these Gods may be bested by a powerful and determined person, and this has been attempted at least twice that we know of: by Barzai the Wise, a native of Ulthar in the Dreamlands, and the dreamer Randolph Carter. However, these Gods are protected by others, much less human, and whose very presence can shatter the sanity of mortals. In fact, Barzai was never heard of again (although the spot where he was last seen now has a strange symbol deeply incised into the rock), and Randolph Carter barely escaped.
Those interested in learning more about the Dreamlands will find the best account in The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath. Lovecraft's shorter Dreamland stories include "The Cats of Ulthar", "The Other Gods", "Celephais", and "The White Ship".
All contents of these pages Copyright 2000 by David H. Thornley.