At the Mountains of Murkiness

"At the Mountains of Murkiness, or, From Lovecraft to Leacock" is a short story by the late British author Arthur C. Clarke. A parody of H. P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness, it was first published in the March 1940 edition of fanzine The Satellite.
==Synopsis==
The sole remaining survivor of an expedition to the Antarctic tells of how his group stumbled across the ancient civilisation of the Elder Ones, existing quietly for millennia beneath Mount Morgue. Although at first believing their hosts to be cultured and genial, the party soon come to the realisation that the Elder Ones wish to destroy the human race. Making a bid for freedom, they are pursued by the unspeakable creatures which serve the Elder Ones, but manage to effect their escape with the aid of a shoddily-repaired main gateway which buys them time to flee.
==Behind the Mythos==
"At the Mountains of Murkiness" contains many elements from Lovecraft's works, all of them altered or exaggerated for comedic effect. These include a creature which fits the description of a Shoggoth, ancient bas-reliefs which are hard for the human mind to look at, an ill-fated Antarctic expedition, and the Elder Ones themselves- who are mentioned to own a half interest in pulp magazine Weird Tales. Also included is a little creature named Slog-Wallop, the Elder Ones' Inspector of Outhouses and Public Conveniences, who bears something of a resemblance to Brown Jenkin from "The Dreams in the Witch House".
==Publication History==
*The Satellite (1940)
*At the Mountains of Murkiness and Other Parodies (1973)
*Shaggy B.E.M. Stories (1988)
*The Antarktos Cycle: Horror and Wonder at the Ends of the Earth (1999, 2006)
*Les montagnes hallucinogènes (2008, French translation)
*Bug-Eyed Monsters and Bimbos (2011)
*The Madness of Cthulhu (2014)
Category:Arthur C. Clarke works
Category:Mythos-Inspired Works
Category:Pastiches