Imprisoned with the Pharaohs

by H.P. Lovecraft

H. P. Lovecraft ranks amongst the most important speculative fiction writers of all time. First published in the Summer 1924 edition of Weird Tales, 'Imprisoned with the Pharoahs' fictionalizes an allegedly true story, told to Lovecraft by escape artist Harry Houdini. Many of the finest stories of magic and fantasy, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Lovecraftian, Fantasy, Fiction, Classics, Egypt

34 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 1924

About the author

Howard Phillips Lovecraft, of Providence, Rhode Island, was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction.

Lovecraft's major inspiration and invention was cosmic horror: life is incomprehensible to human minds and the universe is fundamentally alien. Those who genuinely reason, like his protagonists, gamble with sanity. Lovecraft has developed a cult following for his Cthulhu Mythos, a series of loosely interconnected fictions featuring a pantheon of human-nullifying entities, as well as the Necronomicon, a fictional grimoire of magical rites and forbidden lore. His works were deeply pessimistic and cynical, challenging the values of the Enlightenment, Romanticism and Christianity. Lovecraft's protagonists usually achieve the mirror-opposite of traditional gnosis and mysticism by momentarily glimpsing the horror of ultimate reality.

Although Lovecraft's readership was limited during his life, his reputation has grown over the decades. He is now commonly regarded as one of the most influential horror writers of the 20th Century, exerting widespread and indirect influence, and frequently compared to Edgar Allan Poe.
See also Howard Phillips Lovecraft.

— Wikipedia

Reviews

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This tale is unique in the Lovecraft canon, for it was ghost-written for Harry Houdini at the request of J.C. Henneberger, the owner of Weird Tales, which published it in the May-June-July issue of 1924. Henneberger was trying to boost readership, the “Ask Houdini” advice column he had instituted was popular, and the two short stories supposed written by the great magician had gain favorable attention as well. What could be better—Henneberger reasoned—than a true life adventure of Houdini’s, the tale of how he escaped being bound and dropped from a rope into the heart of the Great Pyramid itself?

The story features a lot of padding, and not terribly much tension. Lovecraft must have spent some time at the local library, in the travel and mythology sections, because the tale begins with a typical tour of Cairo and the desert, and soon shifts to a fairly traditional exposition of Egyptian religious lore and symbology. But when Houdini lies bound in the depths of the pyramid, alternating periods of nightmare and waking, the narrative takes a distinctively Lovecraftian turn.

Some say this story reminds them of “The Shunned House,” which Lovecraft completed later the same year, and they certainly share some of the same cosmic atmosphere. But I instead was struck by two things: 1) how H.H.’s explorations in the pyramidal dark evoke the first half of Poe’s “The Pit and the Pendulum,” and 2) how the procession of beast-headed gods observed by Houdini resembles the march of the frog-fish of Innsmouth.

Here for your enjoyment is a bit of the aforementioned procession:

The tramping drew nearer—heaven save me from the sound of those feet and paws and hooves and pads and talons as it commenced to acquire detail! Down limitless reaches of sunless pavement a spark of light flickered in the malodorous wind, and I drew behind the enormous circumference of a Cyclopic column that I might escape for a while the horror that was stalking million-footed toward me through gigantic hypostyles of inhuman dread and phobic antiquity. The flickers increased, and the tramping and dissonant rhythm grew sickeningly loud. In the quivering orange light there stood faintly forth a scene of such stony awe that I gasped from a sheer wonder that conquered even fear and repulsion. Bases of columns whose middles were higher than human sight . . . mere bases of things that must each dwarf the Eiffel Tower to insignificance . . . hieroglyphics carved by unthinkable hands in caverns where daylight can be only a remote legend. . . .

I would not look at the marching things. That I desperately resolved as I heard their creaking joints and nitrous wheezing above the dead music and the dead tramping. It was merciful that they did not speak . . . but God! their crazy torches began to cast shadows on the surface of those stupendous columns. Heaven take it away! Hippopotami should not have human hands and carry torches . . . men should not have the heads of crocodiles. . . .

[ᴥ Irena ᴥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

by H. P. Lovecraft and Harry Houdini

Under the Pyramids was Lovecraft’s original title but the first time it was published as Imprisoned with the Pharaohs.

Told in the first person, you follow Houdini on his visit to Egypt. The first part of the story reads like a travelogue, but later the story becomes more sinister when he finds himself thrown into some kind of a cave or a tunnel underneath one of the pyramids. He stumbles blindly through the dark following a horrible smell and finds a ceremonial chamber. He is not alone.
There, he gets his answer he was wandering about during the day: 'what huge and loathsome abnormality was the Sphinx originally carven to represent?'.

Pretty good story overall. You can read it here.

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was ghost-written for Harry Houdini at the request of J.C. Henneberger, the owner of Weird Tales, and features Houdini has the main character and narrator. Brash Houdini is practically the antithesis of Lovecraft's usual anxious and intellectual main characters, but Lovecraft does a decent job of changing character voice, although the descriptive prose remains pretty typical HPL.

The story itself drags rather. Possibly the descriptions of Egypt and pyramids were more exciting to contemporary audience: Egypt was "in" then and the number of stories and films set there were limited. For a modern reader there are more exciting offerings. Or, you know, just watch an archaeology or travel documentary.

[Thibault Busschots · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now this is a cool little story. It’s written by HP Lovecraft and has the famous Harry Houdini as the protagonist. Houdini is on vacation in Cairo and is pretty much kidnapped and dropped into a deep hole. Houdini finds himself trapped in an acient temple underneath the Great Sphinx of Giza. While trying to escape, he realizes he’s not alone down there.


It might not be the most exciting Lovecraft story for a modern audience as it does take a little while to really get going, but it’s definitely entertaining. The captivating and atmospheric setting of the Egyptian pyramids in 1910 without a doubt has its charms. And the creepy ending has Lovecraft written all over it.

[Quirkyreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story Lovecraft ghost wrote for Houdini.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Die Unterstützung von Lovecraft ist natürlich unverkennbar, aber der Schauplatz der großen Pyramiden und die ägyptische Mythologie haben viel Potenzial, das Houdini stimmungsvoll zum Einsatz bringt. Manches mag aus einem Baedeker entliehen sein, aber das tut der Sache keinen Abbruch, im Gegenteil: Eine ordentliches Substrat, auf dem der Schrecken keimen kann. Das Finale dürfte hingegen weitestgehend von HPL stammen und fügt sich in seinen dunklen Kosmos.
Faszinierend finde ich Queen Nitokris, von der ich bislang nie etwas gehört hatte:
The lady of the pyramid, die einstmals alle ihre Gegner zum Fest einlud und ertränkte; bei Lovecraft die Königin der Ghoule, auch The Queen With Golden Hair.
Eine schillernde Figur, über 4000 Jahre alt! Hier leider nur beiläufig erwähnt, aber wie schreit der kleine Häwelmann: Mehr, mehr!
Mal recherchieren, was zu Nitokris spannendes zu finden ist.

[Alejandro Solis jimenez · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best. The creatures he describes are just so morbid. I think it's incredible how an author can make you so interested and surprise you in very few pages.

[Mark Tallen · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2.5 Stars) I can't deny being a tad disappointed with this one, even though I still recommend it and has its moments. I particularly liked his descriptions of Giza. Better Lovecraft stories lie ahead and some I've already read.

[Carole Rae · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is first story I've read by HP Lovecraft. I'm a huge Poe fan (as you all know) and my friend Court let me borrow her collection of Lovecraft's works, so I give him a go.

Ugh. This one was boring. :/ I skimmed a lot. However, I loved the ending...that was creepy and unexpected and awesome. Honestly, the author should have shortened it up, but thats just my opinion.

Not a great intro to Lovecraft, so onto the next short story.

Out of five stars, I stamp this with 2 stars.

Favorite Character(s): The half animal-mummies? LOL
Not-so Favorite Character(s): No one really

[Haizea ✨⭐ · Rating 3 out of 5]

No es uno de mis preferidos pero no esta mal. Para mi gusto el final mejora un poco ya que la primera mitad me ha parecido más "una clase de historia".

[Paloma orejuda (Pevima) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pues... me encanta como escribía Lovecraft, pero este relato no ha terminado de gustarme y eso que utiliza para narrarlo a un personaje como Houdini, que me encanta!! pero no.

La primera parte parte parece una guía turística de Egipto y la segunda, aunque mejora, es un poco caótica y precipitada.

En fin, 2 estrellas sobre 5 porque sigue siendo Lovecraft y eso ya son para mí 2 aseguradas.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somehow this is the first H.P. Lovecraft story I have ever read. Kind of a strange one to read first, considering that it's the only thing he ever ghost-wrote, and it's ghost-written for Harry Houdini, which is just incredibly random.

I think there's something about Lovecraft's writing style that just inherently bugs me. It's overly descriptive, which sometimes I like, but in this situation it just annoyed me. I really liked the dark tone and the descriptions of the setting, but it's just....to many words or something.

Besides all that, I did kinda like this story. It's been a month or so since I read it, and it did actually stay with me a little. It's creepy and dark and grotesque, and made me want to learn more about Harry Houdini, actually :)

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Egypt . . . truly, this dark cradle of civilization was ever the wellspring of horrors and marvels unspeakable!”

Excellently evokes the sense of superstitious horror connected to the mysteries of Ancient Egypt and the pharoahs in popular imagination. Atmospheric and maintains a horrid claustrophobic feeling of terror and suspense which Lovecraft is renowned for.

This was ghost written by Lovecraft for Harry Houdini and originally published in Weird Tales Magazine. Not a recommended starting point if you haven’t read Lovecraft before, but essential reading for fans of his writing.

[Ⰰⱃⰿⰰⱀⰴ Ⱆⰾⰴⰵⱃⰻⰽⱁ Ⱅⰵⱄⰾⰰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wordsworth Editions
2010.
This sharp and swifty story is unstoppable and unbelievable as presidency of Donald Trump. It cuts through your inner core.
Astonishingly atmospheric, eerie, dark and adventurous, it gave me feelings of excitement that I have not felt since finishing reading Blacwood s "The Willows" or even as a kid when I watched dinosaur cartoons, I mean specifically on that dinosaur circus cartoon from the nineties.
Eh, where is my youth? Where is Scooby Doo?
The autodiegetic narrator (aka the protagonist himself) is a semi-voice of mister Houdini.
What? Mister Houdini?
Yes, because this novella was written in collaboration between Lovecraft and Houdini. They were a crew back then, like Hezbollah and Iran today. This novella is a megafictionalized itinerary fragment of Houdini s real trip to Egypt.
The content is a fantastically fantastical fiction with the undead, semi- animals and semi-humans and a beast with five heads!
The parts of the novella which partake in the tunnels make a parallel with "The Manuscript Found in Saragossa" by the romanticistic Jan Potocki. Even the plot is very similar, an occult religion and closed society, arcane knowledge and a terrified protagonist. But Potocki has naked women so in that way he is better than Lovecraft, not even Lovecraft can beat romanticism.
The transhuman animallike rulers drop a connection to David Icke.
You must, and I repeat, must read this novella!
If you do not read this novella you will never be able to become a citizen of Vatroslavia.
When I take over the world people who have not read this novella are going to have a hard time.
¡Hasta luego!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3riXg...

[Arianna Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What an absolutely brilliant story this was. This is probably my favorite Lovecraft story so far other than “Herbert West—Reanimator.” So original, exotic, atmospheric, haunting, and horrid all at once! 🤩

And, most importantly, it has something which some of Lovecraft’s other stories don’t have: a solid ending without leaving too many questions at the end. (I’m a simple lass. I like knowing things. 🤓 I own that cliffhangers are only good when there’s more content ahead.)

I really like the main character here, who is a magician. He is obviously based off of Harry Houdini since Lovecraft was hired to write about an experience Houdini had that he claimed was real, though Lovecraft quickly knew it was fictitious and thus gave himself creative liberty. 😂

All in all, a BRILLIANT short story that I very much recommend.

PG-13 for several uses of God’s name in vain, references to other (lowercase g) gods, sacrifices, mentions of blood and wounds, and of course disturbing (mental) images. Come on; it’s Lovecraft. What were you expecting? 😉😂

[Shawn Deal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely, one of my favorite Lovecraft tales. Who doesn't like ancient Egypt, mummies and archaeologists. I know it sounds like an Indiana Jones movie and it kind of is in slow motion. I love his tales and this is my favorite non-Cthulhu tale.

[MJ RU1Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

La idea de una asociación entre Lovecraft y Houdini en un entorno como las pirámides de Guiza me atrajo desde el principio. Y supongo que los editores de la publicación ‘pulp’ Weird Tales pensaron lo mismo en 1924, cuando se publicó por primera vez, tras encargarle el trabajo al poco conocido escritor por aquellas fechas.

Esta historia nació de una visita real en 1920 al país de las pirámides más famosas del mundo del mundialmente afamado escapista. Supongo que la publicidad que esta novella le supuso no sería nada desdeñable, teniendo en cuenta que inicialmente solo la firmó Houdini. Fue una manera de decirle al mundo que ni siquiera los faraones difuntos ni los dioses podían frenarlo.

En esta atípica y primera aproximación mía a Lovecraft he recorrido la meseta de Guiza y sus pirámides —amén de otras partes del antiguo Egipto—, me he introducido en el interior de los pasadizos descubiertos en aquel momento, a los cuales había que acceder cual espeleólogos deslizándose a través de grietas estrechas. He visto y sentido la infalibilidad de Houdini a la hora de zafarse de las más complicadas ataduras. Y, por fin, pude conocer de primera mano los relatos que tan famoso y adorado han hecho al gran Lovecraft.

Y, sí, ha sido toda una experiencia: arqueología, escapismo y terror monstruoso, todo en uno.

Esta novela participa en el reto La vuelta al mundo en 12 libros en el mes de junio.

[Nikola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Horror stories with Egyptian settings might have lost their lustre in the last hundred years or so, but Lovecraft's stands, not always tall, the test of time.


Starring Harry Houdini, it begins to drag at a point or two, but by the next page or so it absolves itself.

By and large, it is a good read for All Hallows Eve.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Houdini? Strange. The Egypt setting is interesting, I didn't expect that. This one just didn't draw me in at all. I wish it was more ''show, not tell'', I think that would have made it more thrilling.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

My main impression of this book is that it contains lots of SAT words.

[Pat the Book Goblin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Horror story--terrible (1 star)
Travelogue--right on! (5 stars)

[Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

the mummy movie traumatized me as a kid; and now this

[Marcos Ibáñez Gordillo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Las pirámides de la locura con Harry Houdini de prota, meh. Además es claramente misógino y racista.
El prota va con su mujer a Egipto y ni se menciona el nombre de ella, es más una preocupación y un estorbo que un personaje. Cuando los separan y lo secuestran no tiene ni un sólo pensamiento por ella en todo lo que resta de historia.
Los árabes son malvados. No es que sean una cultura desconocida, no es que esos en concreto sean cultistas de los dioses exteriores, no. Son malos por ser árabes y punto.

Sé que no hay que juzgar historias pasadas con el prisma del presente, pero es que encima era aburrida a más no poder. Una despreciable estrella para este relato.

[Ivonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una de mis historias favoritas de Lovecraft. Si bien es atípica (no la escribió a nombre propio, sino para que Harry Houdini la publicara), es un perfecto ejemplo de lo descriptivo y oscuro que era el autor. Las historias del antiguo Egipto siempre me han movido mucho y son mis favoritas; ésta en particular revela una de las peores pesadillas de todo explorador: quedar atrapado en los secretos de las pirámides y ser juzgado por esas criaturas que consideramos mitológicas e inexistentes. Sobra decir que el final es arrasador.

[William Cherico · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a big fan of both Lovecraft and Houdini, this was pretty disappointing. It doesn't make much use of Houdini as the main character, even if the main plot is technically an escape. The first half is a pretty uninteresting travelogue of Egypt and the second half is a very boring series of nightmares about figures with inspiration drawn from Egyptian myth.

[Courtney Bassett · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s so badass that Houdini is the protagonist of this. It’s like if Stephen King wrote a story about Derren Brown learning the supernatural was real or something.

[حسام · Rating 3 out of 5]

يأخدنا لافكرافت وهوديني الي مخلوقات مصر القديمة بوحوشها والهتها وغرائبها ..

[Pineska · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know why, but I get hungry when I read Lovecraft books.

3.5

[Angel Torres · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an interesting story with lots of potential but sadly it never reaches them.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here's another one that should have worked better than it did. You would think that Lovecraft + mummies = awesomeness but it was mostly meh for me. I do like the idea of there being unknown catacombs and hidden spaces under the pyramids but this one needed to be a bit more fleshed out if it wanted to deliver the scares it was going for.