“At The Mountains of Madness” tells the first-person tale of geologist William Dyer, a professor from Miskatonic University in the USA. He writes to disclose hitherto unknown and closely kept secrets in the hope that he can deter a planned and much publicized scientific expedition to Antarctica. For he has been there and seen the unimaginable horrors that lay beyond the mountains. 

“At The Mountains of Madness” was written by HP Lovecraft in 1931, originally a serialised story published in Astounding Stories magazine in the US. While considered by fans to be part of the Cthulhu Mythos stories that HPL is most famous for, some academics argue that the author was actually ‘demythologising’ much of his earlier work. Whichever it is, the story is massively popular, and there are talks of a movie adaptation by Steven Spielberg and Guillermo Del Toro in the offing. 

This 2010 adaptation comprises 5 episodes, originally aired on BBC Radio 4 Extra, and offered here in exclusive EXTENDED EDITIONS. You will find an additional 30 mins of terror-filled audio within these five episodes!

Part One - The Discovery

William Dyer, a geologist from Miskatonic University, writes of his incredible experiences whilst exploring Antarctica, in the hope of dissuading a new team from travelling to the same location. We learn of his team of scientists and students, their hopes of uncovering new geological discoveries and how, after an initial survey of a mountainous region, some of their party, under the leadership of Prof. Lake, discovered 14 incredible and mysterious ‘somethings’. But as the Antarctic wind whips up, communication between the camps is lost, and Dyer is left wondering what has happened to his friend Lake, high up in the mountains.

Part Two - The Flight

William Dyer, a geologist from Miskatonic University, writes of his incredible experiences whilst exploring Antarctica, in the hope of dissuading a new team from travelling to the same location. With his second team, he flies to the mountains to discover the grisly fate of Prof. Lake’s expedition. All are dead, and strange mounds have been built near the camp. Not wanting the deaths to be in vain, Dyer and Danforth undertake a dangerous and terrifying flight across the terrifying mountain range, only to discover something truly impossible

Part Three - The Great Old Ones

William Dyer, a geologist from Miskatonic University, writes of his incredible experiences whilst exploring Antarctica, in the hope of dissuading a new team from travelling to the same location. With his pilot colleague Danforth, Dyer has discovered the ruins of a gigantic city in the high mountains. While exploring the enormous buildings, they learn of the history of the creatures that lived there, the ‘Great Old Ones’, how they created life, built mighty cities and finally succumbed to the ravages of the ice age.

Part Four - Within The Mountains

William Dyer, a geologist from Miskatonic University, writes of his incredible experiences whilst exploring Antarctica, in the hope of dissuading a new team from travelling to the same location. Dyer and Danforth have seen enough and decide to head back to the plane to return to camp. However, on the way back through the labyrinth of tunnels, they smell something odd, and discover a cache of equipment taken from Prof. Lake’s camp. They decide to follow the new trail and head deeper into the mountainous dwellings, where they make a fateful encounter.

Part Five - The Final Nightmare

William Dyer, a geologist from Miskatonic University, writes of his incredible experiences whilst exploring Antarctica, in the hope of dissuading a new team from travelling to the same location. Dyer and Danforth have encountered four strange obstructions and realise that these are creatures similar to the images of ‘The Great Old Ones’ they have seen. Danforth’s scream of terror attracts the attention of a fifth creature who pursues them through the tunnels, the two men fleeing for their lives.