Far Below

"Far Below" is a short story by the late American author Robert Barbour Johnson.
== Synopsis ==
A man relates the history of a covert war waged in the New York subway tunnels between an elite division of law enforcement and the flesh-eating ghouls which burrow their way up from the depths. The conclusion of the story reveals that the man, and all those who work in the division, is slowly devolving into one of the creatures due to a supernatural aura which seems to infect those in proximity to them.
== Characters ==
*Professor Gordon Craig, a former primatologist and head of the Special Subway Division for 25 years.
==Publication History==
"Far Below" was first published in the June-July 1939 issue of Weird Tales, and has since been reprinted numerous times.
==Mythos Connections==
*Gordon refers to the stretch of subway haunted by the ghouls as a "mad Nyarlathotep-world".
*Gordon also tells of how he learned much from H. P. Lovecraft, and vice versa, implying that this fictionalised version of Lovecraft had somehow come into possession of knowledge on the subject.
==Possible Inspiration==
A possible inspiration for the story is an image described in "Pickman's Model", painted by the titular character. This image shows a pack of ghouls attacking a subway station: a similar event happens in "Far Below" when the survivors of a train crash are fed upon by a number of the beasts.
==Adaptations==
"Far Below" was loosely adapted as an episode of the anthology TV series Monsters, which aired in 1990. The episode was written by Michael McDowell and directed by Debra Hill. It was one of two Mythos stories adapted for the series, the other being "The Space-Eaters".
==Gallery==
Far Below Weird Tales.jpeg|Accompanying artwork from Weird Tales, by Harold S. De Lay.
Category:Robert Barbour Johnson works
Category:Expanded Mythos Works