Dream Cycle

The Dream Cycle is a series of short fantasy stories and novellas by H. P. Lovecraft. Written between 1918 and 1932, they concern themselves with the Dreamlands, a vast alternate dimension that can only be entered via dreams. The Dream Cycle had an influence on other writers who complemented Lovecraft's universe with their own characters and stories. The most significant among them are Brian Lumley and Gary Myers. The universe of the Dream Cycle also includes a number of movies and games.

## Characters

Main article: Dreamer.

Substantial part of the Dream Cycle and post-lovecraftian stories on Dreamlands tell about adventures of dreamers - people from waking world who are able to visit Dreamlands. Two main protagonists are Lovecraft's Randolph Carter and Lumley's Titus Crow. Other recurring characters include Atal, Kuranes, Henri-Laurent de Marigny and Étienne-Laurent de Marigny, David Hero and Eldin the Wanderer.

## Influences

The stories of Lord Dunsany (1878-1957) served as one of the main inspirations for Lovecraft's Dreamlands. Lovecraft attempted to emulate the opulent and dreamlike fantasy style of the successful Irish author while simultaneously adapting it into a unique voice by using his dreams as the source of new plots and ideas.

## Books and novellas

H. P. Lovecraft:

* *Polaris* (1918)
* *The White Ship* (1919)
* *The Doom That Came to Sarnath* (1919)
* *The Cats of Ulthar* (1920)
* *Celephaïs* (1920)
* *Ex Oblivione* (1920)
* *Nyarlathotep* (1920)
* *The Quest of Iranon* (1921)
* *The Other Gods* (1921)
* *Azathoth* (1922)
* *Hypnos* (1922)
* *What the Moon Brings* (1922)
* *Pickman's Model* (connected) (1926)
* *The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath* (1926)
* *The Outsider* (1926)
* *The Silver Key* (1926)
* *The Strange High House in the Mist* (1926)
* *The Thing in the Moonlight* (1927)
* *Through the Gates of the Silver Key* (with E. Hoffmann Price) (1932)

Brian Lumley:

* *Dylath-Leen* (1971)
* *The Clock of Dreams* (1978)
* *Hero of Dreams* (1986)
* *Ship of Dreams* (1986)
* *Mad Moon of Dreams* (1987)
* *Iced on Aran* (1992)

Gary Myers:

* *House of the Worm* (1975)
* *The Country of the Worm: Excursions Beyond the Wall of Sleep* (2013)
* *The Door through the Fire* (2015)

Various authors:

* *In 'Ygiroth* (1975) by Walter C. DeBill, Jr
* *In the Vale of Pnath* (1975) by Lin Carter
* *Wizards of Hyperborea* (1998) by John R. Fultz
* *Johannes Cabal: The Fear Institute* (2011) by Jonathan L. Howard
* *Kill those damn cats. Cats of Ulthar - Lovecraftian Anthology* (2016) by various authors
* *The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe* (2016) by Kij Johnson
* *On a Dreamland's Moon* (2017) by Ashley Dioses
* *To Be in Ulthar on a Summer Afternoon* (2017) by Dirk Flinthart
* *Plague Doctor* (2019) by Wallee The Robot
* *New Maps of Dream* (2021) by various authors
* *Sandy Petersen's Field Guide to Creatures of the Dreamlands* (1989) (guidebook)
* *The Cthulhu Mythos Encyclopedia* (2012) by Daniel Harms

## Movies

* The Dreamlands by Huan Vu (in production)
* The Other Gods by Richard Svensson (2013)
* The Unnamable (1988), The Unnamable II (1992), Shadow of the Unnamable (2011). Not directly related to Dreamlands, but feature Randolph Carter as one of the main characters.

## Computer games

* Dream Cycle (2021)
* Strange Aeons (2015). Dreamlands-themed Doom mod.
* Deify (2014). The synopsis hints that the game takes place somewhere in Dreamlands, apparently in outer space.
* Ghost Towns: The Cats Of Ulthar (2012)

## Role-playing and table games

* Eldritch Horror: The Dreamlands (Fantasy Flight Games, 2017)
* Dreamlands Adventures (2012)
* Pathfinder (2009)
* Tsuwamono
* The Dreaming Stone (Chaosium, 1997)
* H.P. Lovecraft's Dreamlands: Roleplaying Beyond the Wall of Sleep (Chaosium, 1986)

## Music

* The Dreamlands (2019) by Graham Plowman