N16: “The Silver Key” by H. P. Lovecraft

Book Review!

N16: “The Silver Key” by H. P. Lovecraft

Without a doubt, H. P. Lovecraft’s tales of horror and suspense influenced the creation of Dungeons & Dragons. Any of Lovecraft’s story could easily represent his work, as pointed out in “Appendix N” for AD&D’s Dungeon Master Guide. Mindful that Robert J. Kuntz (Gary Gygax’s DM) gave Gygax’s character Mordenkainen a silver key that opened any door, I decided to review Lovecraft’s short story “The Silver Key.” My copy of the story came in at 11 pages, as part of The Best of H. P. Lovecraft: Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre.

The Good

*As usual, Lovecraft creates a captivating and mysterious sense of atmosphere.

*Even the first line draws in readers: “When Randolph Carter was thirty he lost the key of the gate of dreams.”

The Bad

*The story shifts its perspective without any type of marking, which might confuse some readers.

*I enjoy the philosophical ramblings in the narration, but I know not all readers want to think that much while reading a short story.

D&D Connections & Inspirations

*The story mentions going into the woods and seeing fauns, aegipans, and dryads. I recently played in a D&D session in which a satyr charmed my character and took him off into the woods, away from his adventuring party.

*Robert J. Kuntz used the idea of the silver key as a magical artifact; in fact, the Lovecraft connection to the silver key here hints at Kuntz’s mysterious deception from his Maure Castle adventures.

*Of course, the Lovecraft mythos firmly established Far Realmsian creatures in the D&D universe.

Overall

For my tastes I give the work a 7/10 rating and wonder if, back in the day, Gary Gygax made the connection between his character’s silver key artifact and this story.