From the foreword by Maxime Chattam: Beyond his formidable talent for capturing images on paper, there is this enlightened vision of adventure, mystery and horror. Somehow, he manages to transport us onto the ice. Each spread is a journey; every turn of the page, a thrill. You will soon feel the cold.

09/15/2013
An Antarctic expedition by Miskatonic University researchers unearths evidence of an ancient nonhuman civilization on the Barren, the supposedly lifeless windswept interior of the Antarctic plateau. When the researchers find strange fossils of unfamiliar creatures and ancient carved stones, their discoveries lead to horrors buried beneath the mountains that cost the scientists more than they expect. Narrator William Roberts gives an appropriately grave and dramatic reading. VERDICT Lovecraft's intentionally archaic and elaborate style, at its peak here, will appeal to fans of Edgar Allan Poe and his other 19th-century gothic predecessors.—Jason Puckett, Georgia State Univ., Atlanta

Frigid, mysterious, and awe-inspiring are the words to describe this classic story of a doomed trip to Antarctica by a group of scientists. William Roberts's blustery, haggard tones help listeners imagine the horror of the the scientists as the expedition goes massively wrong, and his older voice is a good match for the vintage text. The anxiety is palpable when Roberts recounts the discovery of strange inhuman creatures preserved in the icy terrain—and better left undisturbed. The only weakness is his unvaried pace throughout the course of the story, which creates a lulling rhythm that fails to build the suspense of the plot. E.E. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine