The nightgaunts, Lovecraft’s oldest monster. I always liked the idea of them as true four-legged ‘bat-like’ creatures, with no arms separate from their wings, although this is obviously at odds with Lovecraft’s intentions that they should have wings growing out of their shoulders, and human hands to tickle you with (as I mention in the sketches at the back of the Dream-Quest collection). Surely it was Gustav Dore’s drawings of devils, like this one, which frightened five-year-old Lovecraft and left their mark in his mind.

Alas, I’m out of town this week, so no new Doom That Came to Sarnath page. Sarnath will return to its regular schedule on Tuesday, June 19. Meanwhile, if you’re into retro video games and/or public relations, go over to King of RPGs where I’m posting my collaboration with Patrick Macias: THE DEADLIEST P.R. GUY IN THE WORLD! A fiery drama of software war supremacy! See you on Wednesday!