Dr. William Dyer of Miskatonic University recounts the events of a disastrous expedition to Antarctica led by him in September 1930, and what they found there. Throughout the story, Dyer details a series of never-before-told events in the hope of deterring another group of explorers who wish to return to that continent. These events include the discovery of an ancient civilization older than the human race, and realization of Earth's past told through various sculptures and murals.This story has been adapted and used for graphic novels, video games, and musical works.Although Lovecraft earned the highest remuneration he had ever received for a story, the novella was received negatively during Lovecraft's lifetime, and Lovecraft stated that its hostile reception had done "more than anything to end my effective fictional career."