"126- Castaways on island eat unknown vegetation and become strangely transformed."
H.P. Lovecraft, Commonplace Book
"Yet, as we drew near to it, I became gradually aware that here the vile fungus, which had driven us from the ship, was growing riot. In places it rose into horrible, fantastic mounds, which seemed almost to quiver, as with a quiet life, when the wind blew across them."
It was on the thumb of her right hand, that the growth first showed. It was only a small circular spot, much like a little grey mole. My god! how the fear leapt to my heart when she showed me the place. We cleansed it, between us, washing it with carbolic and water. In the morning of the following day she showed her hand to me again. The grey warty thing had returned."
"Abruptly, as I stared, the thought came to me that the thing had a grotesque resemblance to the figure of a distorted human creature. Even as the fancy flashed into my brain, there was a slight, sickening of noise of tearing, and I saw that one of the branch-like arms was detaching itself from the surrounding grey masses and coming towards me.
William Hope Hodgson, The Voice In the Night
This redrawing is a long time coming. I love my original design but wanted to fix the linework, movement and add more color.
This redrawing is a long time coming. I love my original design but wanted to fix the linework, movement and add more color.
The original Lovecraft quote is from his Commonplace Book. It was a sort of journal that he used to jot down ideas, inspiration and/or quotes. The similarity between his idea and Hodgson's The Voice In the Night is obvious. It was not uncommon for him get an idea from another author and then have notes saying "avoid copying _______". So it's not a wild speculation to think this note is directly related to A Voice In the Night.
A Voice In the Night was also a popular story. It was adapted for television series Suspicion (1958) and made into the Toho film directed by Ishirō Honda under the name Matango.
It wasn't just HPL, many other authors have been inspired by the story as well. Stephen King (Gray Matter), Brian Lumley (Fruiting Bodies), Jeff VanderMeer (Ambergris), Mike Carey (The Girl With All the Gifts) and let's not forget The Last Of Us video game/tv series.
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