As some people’s thoughts turn toward the usual beach-front summer vacation, the new SFFaudio Podcast #684 has an unabridged Gordon Gould reading for “The Strange High House In The Mist” by H.P. Lovecraft followed by discussion.

Lovecraft claimed the story was inspired by the “titan cliffs of Magnolia” (Mass.). Yet I find that the postcard and glass-plate makers have singularly failed to capture any “titan” cliffs, and the candidates of “Rafe’s Chasm” and “Mother Ann” seem to lack the necessary attributes.

Yet it appears he was not being ironic…

I ended up with the titan cliffs of Magnolia — memories of which prompted “The Strange High House in the Mist” — and found their charm undiminished. [He had seen them in 1923]. You can’t imagine their majesty unless you’ve seen them — primal rock and sea and sky …. and the bells of the buoys tolling free in the aether of faery!

In 1933 he recalls…

the striking sea-cliffs of Magnolia — with the yawning abyss of Rafe’s Chasm.

Well then… maybe they just never had the right photographer? Perhaps at low tide one could walk around below them on the beach, and that way they looked more impressive?

However, the search of Magnolia does yield me the required Father Neptune…