The Great God Pan

Of creators of cosmic fear raised to its most artistic pitch, few can hope to equal Arthur Machen. -- H. P. Lovecraft“One of the great masters of horror fiction.” -Clive BarkerWhen The Great God Pan appeared in print it was lambasted for its sex and horrific content. Of course this only made it's popularity soar, earning the author cult status. Arthur Machen, 1863-1947) was a Welsh novelist, short story writer, journalist and actor. He wrote horror, fantasy and supernatural fiction. His love of Celtic, Roman and medieval history is seen in many of his stories. The Great God Pan is a novella. Scientists destroy a woman's mind when they attempt to help her see the god of nature, Pan. Years later, a young woman named Helen arrives in London's social scene. Her presence disturbs many young men who commit suicide. It is discovered that Helen is the monstrous child of Pan and the woman from Wales.Machen spent a solitary childhood in the Monmouthshire countryside, exploring the Black Mountains, the ancient forest of Wentwood and the Severn Valley. He drew on his childhood among these dark landscapes and long-buried pagan remains, interweaving it with his adult life in bohemian fin-de-siécle London, to create magical and often deeply disturbing tales. After WWI, he became a star on both sides of the Atlantic, and attracted admirers including H. P. Lovecraft, who described him as one of the four ‘modern masters of the horror story’. His fans today include Stephen King, Clive Barker, Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman, who have all emphasized their debt to Machen as ‘the forgotten father of weird fiction’ (The Guardian)

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