Ep. 781, The Great God Pan, Part 1 of 3, by Arthur Machen

Some have seen the veil of existence lifted, and wonders upon wonders opened before their mind’s eye. They call this seeing the Great God Pan. Now Dr. Raymond will attempt to lift the veil again, surgically. Arthur Machen, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.

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And now for something completely different.

Welsh author Arthur Machen pioneered the world of Gothic fiction, spanning the distance between Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft. This particular work of classic horror is instrumental in employing the triggering device of occultism, as well as using several different points of view to build a story. This use of various letters to build a cohesive narrative was also used by Victorian authors Wilkie Collins in The Moonstone, Bram Stoker in Dracula, and later by H.P. Lovecraft in The Call of Cthulhu. The concept of a veil that is lifted to reveal a “world elsewhere” is also a common Victorian story device, as used by George Eliot in “The Lifted Veil”. Machen moved them all forward.

First published in 1890, it is interesting to consider that when the story’s editor, Clarke, is compiling his volume of proof of the existence of the Devil, he assiduously refrains from using published works. In the compiling of his theory, the use of unpublished works is far more valuable to make his point absolutely clear.  

And now, The Great God Pan, Part 1 of 3, by Arthur Machen.

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