In H.P. Lovecraft’s novella, The Mountains of Madness, we encounter a variety of eerie and otherworldly creatures that contribute to the story’s sense of dread and horror. The primary beings featured are the Old Ones, an ancient alien race that once inhabited Antarctica before the rise of humanity. These beings are described as towering and grotesque, with features that seem both fascinating and repulsive.
In addition to the Old Ones, the novella introduces the shoggoths, protoplasmic entities created by the Old Ones as a form of labor. These amorphous creatures can change shape and are immensely powerful, posing a terrifying threat to the explorers in the story. Their ability to mimic sounds and shapes makes them even more unsettling.
The setting itself—the frozen ruins of a long-lost civilization—adds to the horror, as the explorers uncover remnants of an ancient world filled with secrets and untold dangers. The combination of the Old Ones, shoggoths, and the haunting environment creates a deeply chilling experience, marking The Mountains of Madness as a classic of weird fiction.