'The Night Ocean' by H. P. Lovecraft

"The Night Ocean" is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft and R. H. Barlow. Barlow drafted the tale, and handed it to Lovecraft to edit in the summer of 1936. It first appeared in the magazine The Californian, in its Winter 1936 edition. It tells of an unnamed artist, who, whilst vacationing by the beach, becomes increasingly unsettled by the presence of the ocean.

Chapters:
0:00:00 - Introduction
0:00:54 - Part One
0:33:02 - Part Two
1:02:02 - Further Listening

Narrated by Ian Gordon for HorrorBabble
Music and production by Ian Gordon & Jennifer Gill

Image by jplenio:

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[HorrorBabble]

"The Night Ocean" is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft and R. H. Barlow. Barlow drafted the tale, and handed it to Lovecraft to edit in the summer of 1936. It first appeared in the magazine The Californian, in its Winter 1936 edition. It tells of an unnamed artist, who, whilst vacationing by the beach, becomes increasingly unsettled by the presence of the ocean.

Chapters:
0:00:10 - Introduction
0:00:54 - Part One
0:33:02 - Part Two
1:02:02 - Further Listening


Narrated by Ian Gordon for HorrorBabble
Music and production by Ian Gordon & Jennifer Gill

Image by jplenio:


Become a HorrorBabbler here on YouTube:

Support us on Bandcamp or Patreon:

HorrorBabble MERCH:

Search HORRORBABBLE to find us on:
AUDIBLE / ITUNES / SPOTIFY


Social Media:

[barneystrandberg]

This piece is just pure mood. Don't come to the night ocean looking for action. I've always thought it was weirdly special for how simple it ends up being.

[GRWelsh]

Excellent reading. This is one of my favorite stories, even though it is 95% Barlow and 5% Lovecraft. Barlow understood how HPL tried to express atmosphere and mood and things just beyond perception or understanding, and did that perfectly in this story himself.

[GoatBeach]

I've lived at the beach six decades. This is spot on; there are things that happen and that are seen that can not be explained; only felt and known. My 12 yo granddaughter told me about a thing in the waves watching her on the pier...she knows an otter from a seal from a whale...they wait to rise.

[nowhereman]

"Set a pen to a dream, and color fades from it."
I love that

[grahamturner]

Quintessentially Gothic : all about an internal sense of ambient dread. And wonderfully read as always!

[nowyatsilentdust]

I have read/listened to this story many times! Glad others also love it.

[TrueZschunke]

This is why I like H.P. Lovecraft.
He can make a darn hermits summer vacation interesting.

[justanotherdreamer.]

Was listening to this alone at home while drawing and late at night, it should be mentioned. And it really got to me. I felt, in this story, the sense of "a greater truth" being hinted at, almost revealed...but then just beyond our grasp. We will never know, if that object was actually a hand or what that thing was carrying on his back. I have been to the sea and I am not sure whether I should love or fear it more now. It is deep and dark and mighty. And it will toss and roar on eternally, in the dark...I am rambling, I am sorry. Honestly, just a great story, probably one of my most favourite cosmic horror stories. Your voice really brought it to life!

[michaelkopala]

Simply amazing. Evocative, disturbing and even mind expanding. Never heard of this HP Lovecraft story, or more accurately, half Lovecraftian story. As always so well narrated and produced by Ian. Thanks for creating this experience.

[machine]

These Raid Shadow Legends ads are the real eldritch monstrosity.

[robertwalker-smith]

HPL appointed Barlow his literary executor - which may have annoyed Derleth, who clearly wanted to play St. Paul to Lovecraft's Christ.

Barlow later taught anthropology in Mexico City, where William S. Burroughs was one of his students.

[nyarlolhotep]

My favorite short story. Excellent presentation, thank you.

[jeremymelvin]

Please keep it coming with the obscure Lovecraft my man. I love it.

[WowUsernameAvailable]

Although dreams are in all of us, few hands may grasp their moth wings without tearing them.
Ah, this is why I admire H.P.

[MrsCaranAmy]

This was an outstanding performance you gave on this reading tonight. The story was superb, so much detail, description. You felt like you were right there. Thank you. Stay well and have a splendid day♡

[Wombats]

Glad you did this one it kind of informs Dagon, The Shadow Over Innsmouth and The Call of Cthulhu with Lovecraft's perception of the sea.

[jamiecameron]

This is one I'll definitely listen to more than once!! Thank you very much!!!

[spaketticarbonada]

My favourite nautical horror. Thank you.

[mwellnow]

THANK YOU SO MUCH! There has not been a clean read of this story on youtube and its in my top 5. Thank you!