Imprisoned by the Pharaohs and Other Stories

By: H. P. Lovecraft

Narrated by: Gareth David-Lloyd, Staten Eliot

Includes the short stories: "The Alchemist" and "The Nameless City"

H.P. Lovecraft is considered one of the most influential horror and fantasy writers of the 20th century. His work, which is frequently compared to the likes of Edgar Allan Poe, explored the idea that life is incomprehensible to human minds and the universe is fundamentally alien.

This volume showcases arguably some of Lovecraft's best work. "Imprisoned with the Pharaohs" was originally written for the world-famous escape artist Harry Houdini and was published under Houdini's name in the magazine Weird Tales.

This release also contains an example of some of Lovecraft's earliest work, including "The Alchemist", which was written when he was only 18, and "The Nameless City", the first story to investigate the powerful Cthulu Mythos for which Lovecraft is famous.

Gareth David-Lloyd has recently starred in the hit BBC 2 series Torchwood. Before playing Ianto Jones, Gareth trained at the National Youth Theatre, and his credits include the role of Sebastian in Twelfth Night, as well as television appearances in Mine All Mine, Absolute Power and Rosemary & Thyme. Staten Eliot is an ambitious young actor whose film credits include Lycanthropy, The Basement, and Camp X-Ray: Ghosts of Guantanamo Bay. Staten made his film debut in Flip a Coin, the first English-speaking film by award-winning Swedish director David Flamholc. Dubbed as "a slick East End version of Notting Hill", reviewers branded Staten "the next Jude Law". Other television credits include Marcus in Totally Frank (Channel 4) and James in Trust (BBC 1) alongside Ian McShane and Robson Green.

Public Domain (P)2008 Fantom Films

Critic reviews

"The mystery and romance of antiquity stirred Lovecraft deeply, and the glamorous Egyptian setting of this fictionalised narrative touched creative wellsprings within him, producing one of his most powerful and evocative pieces." (Lin Carter, Lovecraft: A Look Behind the Cthulhu Mythos)

Harry Houdini & H. P. Lovecraft!

What did you love best about Imprisoned by the Pharaohs and Other Stories?

Harry Houdini is the hero in a Lovecraft story! How great is that!

What did you like best about this story?

This is first time we read the famous words:

Which character – as performed by Gareth David-Lloyd and Staten Eliot – was your favorite?

Harry Houdin - he was like a real life Indiana Jones!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Creepy chills.

Any additional comments?

OK, this is not the BEST H. P. Lovecraft story. That's

Good but not his best work.

What did you like best about Imprisoned by the Pharaohs and Other Stories? What did you like least?

Accomplished, descriptive writing though not Lovecraft's best. First two stories were a bit slow-moving, third story is shorter and contains more action. All are atmospheric.

If you’ve listened to books by H. P. Lovecraft before, how does this one compare?

Not nearly as good as other works but still a worthwhile and interesting listen.

How could the performance have been better?

Narrator of the second piece mumbles and is quite hard to make out in places. Others are okay.

Do you think Imprisoned by the Pharaohs and Other Stories needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No, these are stand-alone stories.

Any additional comments?

Audible, you need to correct the title, it's Imprisoned WITH not BY.

Wrong Choice of Narrator

Would you try another book from H. P. Lovecraft and/or Gareth David-Lloyd and Staten Eliot ?

Lovecraft is a master of the genre. He may be repetitive and somewhat predictable, but his stories seem to always manage to make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. David-Lloyd on the other hand was not the correct choice for narrator.

What other book might you compare Imprisoned by the Pharaohs and Other Stories to and why?

Obviously it's comparable to the rest of Lovecraft's work. The titular story is very much a product of the Pulp Magazine era.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Gareth David-Lloyd and Staten Eliot ?

David-Lloyd's pronunciation of names and places was horrible and inconsistent.

Was Imprisoned by the Pharaohs and Other Stories worth the listening time?

Absolutely. If you like horror stories, Indiana Jones, Egyptology, or all of the above, it's a fun little read.

Dull

From one of my favorite childhood writers, I couldn't bare to finish this story. Dull is all I can offer.