{"id":43056,"date":"2024-11-12T16:20:54","date_gmt":"2024-11-12T15:20:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.grin.com\/magazin\/lovecraft-colour-out-of-space\/"},"modified":"2024-11-13T13:41:33","modified_gmt":"2024-11-13T12:41:33","slug":"lovecraft-colour-out-of-space","status":"publish","type":"magazin-studierende","link":"https:\/\/www.grin.com\/en\/magazin\/literary-classics\/lovecraft-colour-out-of-space\/","title":{"rendered":"H.P. Lovecraft\u2019s cosmic horror: \u201cThe Colour Out of Space\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"43056\" class=\"elementor elementor-43056 elementor-39546\" data-elementor-post-type=\"magazin-studierende\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-bead304 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"bead304\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-41cf0e3\" data-id=\"41cf0e3\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-059aef2 elementor-toc--minimized-on-tablet elementor-widget elementor-widget-table-of-contents\" data-id=\"059aef2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;headings_by_tags&quot;:[&quot;h2&quot;,&quot;h3&quot;],&quot;exclude_headings_by_selector&quot;:[],&quot;no_headings_message&quot;:&quot;No headings were found on this page.&quot;,&quot;marker_view&quot;:&quot;numbers&quot;,&quot;minimize_box&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;minimized_on&quot;:&quot;tablet&quot;,&quot;hierarchical_view&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;min_height&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"table-of-contents.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header-title\">\n\t\t\t\tWhat to expect:\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--expand\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__059aef2\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Open table of contents\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-chevron-down\"><\/i><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--collapse\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__059aef2\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Close table of contents\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-chevron-up\"><\/i><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-toc__059aef2\" class=\"elementor-toc__body\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__spinner-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<i class=\"elementor-toc__spinner eicon-animation-spin eicon-loading\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-0468865 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"0468865\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-25d929a\" data-id=\"25d929a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-977c973 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"977c973\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>First things first:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The colour has a negative effect on people&#8217;s psyche.<\/li>\n<li>Lovecraft only got $25 for the story when it was first published.<\/li>\n<li>The reservoir in the story may have been inspired by real projects.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ff0be33 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ff0be33\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-403ef60\" data-id=\"403ef60\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9700be0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9700be0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Summary of the short story<\/h2>\n<p>As is typical of Lovecraft\u2019s work, the story is told by an unnamed narrator (likely male, given the time period) who recounts a tale of mysterious events. The narrator is on a business trip. A <strong>reservoir <\/strong>is set to be built, and the area needs to be surveyed and measured. During his work, he encounters a <strong>sinister dead patch of land<\/strong> within the future reservoir site, shrouded in rumors. To learn more, he visits Ammi, an old man who witnessed the events tied to this dead patch decades earlier. Ammi then shares his story.     <\/p>\n<p>About 50 years earlier, a <strong>meteorite <\/strong>crashed in what is now the reservoir area. The meteorite was analyzed in a lab and seemed to obey foreign natural laws, <strong>glowing in an indescribable color<\/strong>. A few days later, lightning struck the stone, and it vanished without a trace. But soon after, strange changes started to affect the area around the impact site. At first, plants grew vigorously, then became diseased and inedible, and <strong>animals began to mutate<\/strong> in unnatural ways. One by one, everything in the area died, leaving behind a gray, lifeless patch: the <strong>cursed heath<\/strong>.     <\/p>\n<p>But that wasn\u2019t all. The meteorite had <strong>effects on people<\/strong>, too. The family of Nahum Gardner, on whose land the meteorite had fallen, went <strong>insane<\/strong>, and Nahum\u2019s two <strong>sons disappeared<\/strong> without a trace. Ammi made one last visit to the Gardners\u2019 farm, a visit that ended in horror. He had to kill Nahum\u2019s wife, who had lost her mind completely and was wasting away in the attic. Ammi then had to release Nahum from his suffering as well; Nahum, on the brink of death, was transforming into something animal-like. Before he died, Nahum warned Ammi about the strange color from space that the meteorite had supposedly brought, blaming it for everything. He also expressed an <strong>intense fear of the well <\/strong>on the property. The two sons were still missing.<br \/>The next day, Ammi returned to the farm with police and doctors to investigate. In the well, they discovered the bodies of Nahum\u2019s two sons. They spent the entire day examining the well and the farm to find an explanation for what had happened. As evening approached, they noticed an eerie glow emanating from the farm, in the strange color of the meteorite. The men fled in terror as the color suddenly shot up from the well and returned to space, creating a <strong>kaleidoscopic spectacle of light <\/strong>and destroying the farm in the process. Only Ammi witnessed a small amount of the color fall back into the well. Since that time, he has avoided the farm and warned others to stay away. The dead patch on the cursed heath is said to continue spreading slowly, driving people and animals nearby to nervousness and madness. The narrator, having heard Ammi\u2019s story, is relieved that the area will soon be submerged, hoping no one else will be harmed. He leaves and never returns to the area.                 <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ee00bc9 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ee00bc9\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3fd56a8\" data-id=\"3fd56a8\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b8f716d elementor-widget elementor-widget-global elementor-global-13182 elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"b8f716d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<!--Banner Tag \/\/ Website: GRIN.COM \/\/ Adslot: gri_outstream (6695068) -->\r\n<div id='npm_6695068'><\/div>\r\n<script>ADNPM.cmd.push(function(){ADNPM.loadAd(6695068)});<\/script>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ccb6412 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ccb6412\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-884febf\" data-id=\"884febf\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c2044d6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c2044d6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Background<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The short story was <strong>published in 1927 in <em>Amazing Stories<\/em><\/strong>, the first science fiction magazine, founded just a year prior in 1926. Editor Hugo Gernsback <strong>paid Lovecraft only $25<\/strong> for the story, a sum that angered Lovecraft and led him to refuse to publish with Gernsback again. <\/li>\n<li>The <strong>color is an extraterrestrial being from space<\/strong>. Lovecraft aimed to create <strong>something entirely inhuman<\/strong>, a stark contrast to the mostly humanoid aliens of the time. The meteorite originates from a completely different part of the universe and follows a <strong>non-human logic<\/strong>.  <\/li>\n<li>&#8220;The Colour Out of Space&#8221; is the <strong>first story in which Lovecraft combines science fiction and horror<\/strong>, a style that would become his trademark. With &#8220;The Call of Cthulhu&#8221;, published a year earlier, Lovecraft had already laid the foundation for this blend of genres. <\/li>\n<li>The reservoir in the story is likely based on the <strong>Scituate Reservoir<\/strong>, built in 1926. Another possibility is the Quabbin Reservoir, completed in 1936, which is located in <strong>central Massachusetts<\/strong>, where the story takes place.<br \/>It remains unknown whether the reservoir in the story truly neutralized the color or perhaps enabled it to spread more effectively through the water. This mystery, like many in Lovecraft\u2019s works, is left unresolved.  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-93ae36c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"93ae36c\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-be4609d\" data-id=\"be4609d\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-31a12f0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"31a12f0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Sources:<\/strong><\/p><ul><li>H.P. Lovecraft Wiki: Die Farbe aus dem All<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/lovecraft.fandom.com\/de\/wiki\/Die_Farbe_aus_dem_All\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/lovecraft.fandom.com\/de\/wiki\/Die_Farbe_aus_dem_All<\/a><\/li><li>\u201cA Subtler Magick: The Writings and Philosophy of H.P. Lovecraft\u201d. S.T.Joshi. 1996.<\/li><li>\u201cThe Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories\u201d. H.P. Lovecraft, Ed. S.T. Joshi.<\/li><li>\u201cDie Farbe aus dem All\u201d. H.P. Lovecraft. 1927.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-1e2b825f elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"1e2b825f\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-22ec7af2\" data-id=\"22ec7af2\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-57941846 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"57941846\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Do you like our magazine? Then sign up for our GRIN newsletter now! <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-72681bd2 elementor-button-align-center elementor-mobile-button-align-stretch registr_form_grin elementor-widget elementor-widget-global elementor-global-34452 elementor-widget-form\" data-id=\"72681bd2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;step_next_label&quot;:&quot;N\\u00e4chster&quot;,&quot;step_previous_label&quot;:&quot;Voriger&quot;,&quot;button_width&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;step_type&quot;:&quot;number_text&quot;,&quot;step_icon_shape&quot;:&quot;circle&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"form.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<form class=\"elementor-form\" method=\"post\" id=\"newsletter_subscription\" name=\"Formular\" aria-label=\"Formular\">\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"post_id\" value=\"43056\"\/>\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"form_id\" value=\"72681bd2\"\/>\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"referer_title\" value=\"\" \/>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-form-fields-wrapper elementor-labels-above\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-field-type-text elementor-field-group elementor-column elementor-field-group-name elementor-col-100 elementor-field-required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<label for=\"form-field-name\" class=\"elementor-field-label\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVorname \/ First name\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input size=\"1\" type=\"text\" name=\"form_fields[name]\" id=\"form-field-name\" class=\"elementor-field elementor-size-sm  elementor-field-textual\" placeholder=\"Dein Vorname \/ Your first name\" required=\"required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-field-type-text elementor-field-group elementor-column elementor-field-group-field_ac13577 elementor-col-100 elementor-field-required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<label for=\"form-field-field_ac13577\" class=\"elementor-field-label\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNachname \/ Surname\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input size=\"1\" type=\"text\" name=\"form_fields[field_ac13577]\" id=\"form-field-field_ac13577\" class=\"elementor-field elementor-size-sm  elementor-field-textual\" placeholder=\"Dein Nachmane \/ Your surname\" required=\"required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-field-type-email elementor-field-group elementor-column elementor-field-group-email elementor-col-100 elementor-field-required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<label for=\"form-field-email\" class=\"elementor-field-label\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tE-Mail\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input size=\"1\" type=\"email\" name=\"form_fields[email]\" id=\"form-field-email\" class=\"elementor-field elementor-size-sm  elementor-field-textual\" placeholder=\"email@example.com\" required=\"required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-field-group elementor-column elementor-field-type-submit elementor-col-100 e-form__buttons\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"elementor-button elementor-size-sm\" type=\"submit\" id=\"subscription\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Jetzt anmelden \/ Sign up now<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/form>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why can wells be dangerous, and what does an alien color have to do with it? Read on for background and more about &#8220;The Colour Out of Space&#8221;. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":43101,"menu_order":0,"template":"area-article.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"collections":[337],"magazin_studierende_tag":[],"class_list":["post-43056","magazin-studierende","type-magazin-studierende","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","collections-literary-classics"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazin-studierende\/43056","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazin-studierende"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/magazin-studierende"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.grin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazin-studierende\/43056\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43105,"href":"https:\/\/www.grin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazin-studierende\/43056\/revisions\/43105"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43101"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43056"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"collections","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/collections?post=43056"},{"taxonomy":"magazin_studierende_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazin_studierende_tag?post=43056"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}