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"Far Below" by Robert Barbour Johnson

HorrorBabble

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"Far Below" is a short story by the American author, Robert Barbour Johnson. The story, which first surfaced in the June-July 1939 edition of Weird Tales, tells of dreadful creatures burrowing up into the New York subway.

00:00 - Introduction
00:44 - Far Below
36:21 - Further Listening

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

Image by Mysticsartdesign:
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20 Comments

@davidbailey4404 5 years ago

A tale that's actually "Lovecraftian" without just relying on titles of forbidden books and names of primal entities. Excellent narration, too, Ian. My thanks for introducing me to yet another obscure author, one I'll be watching out for.

@RobertEWaters 5 years ago

Now THAT was a story Lovecraft would have been proud of.

@Oblivius33 5 years ago

You can tell this guy was a Lovecraft fan, he matches the style perfecly, and if that wasn't enough he even added a reference mid book.

@TheCthulhurlyeh 5 years ago

They did an adaptation of this on the Monsters tv show from 1990

@colemarie9262 5 years ago

Great choice!
I also think it's a great example of "lovecraftian" done well, without being derivative of Lovecraft's writing style or naming as many obscure books and gods as possible.
I'm so glad to hear it get the HorrorBabble treatment.

@raylauderback5126 5 years ago

Okay, another reason to stay off of the subway! 😬

@GuukanKitsune 4 years ago (edited)

Ghouls.
Wow.
Well done Lovecraft ghouls.

@WoodyStickman 5 years ago

That picture is fucking creepy.

@rileymoore2967 4 years ago

This is an easy favorite. Takes the spirit of Lovecraft and transplants it into a more grounded setting that is so much easier to imagine than impossible geometry and strange architecture. Its all the more frightening when an adhd brain like mine can effortlessly imagine everything going on in frightening detail.

@finnreypoe722 5 years ago

"Far Below"
Monsters: Season 2, Episode 19

@hatuletoh 5 years ago

The mole people aren't the worst thing one might encounter riding a NY subway on a late night.

@leebennett1821 4 years ago

Where's Geralt when you need him?

@Octoshark1 5 years ago

This had to have been some inspiration for the Midnight Meat Train by Clive Barker

@Wombats555 5 years ago

Pickman's Model and The Lurking Fear are inspirations for this story.
Also worth checking out Clark Ashton-Smith's The Charnel God.

@samsonsoturian6013 3 years ago

This is one of many short stories that should have been a novel. Instead of an interview with a guy explaining the premise, how about the protagonist be the guy giving the interview and we can see the secrets of the horror progressively revealed over the decades.