The House on the Borderland

‘The House on the Borderland’ is a visionary novel by William Hope Hodgson, first published in 1908. It is a landmark of supernatural horror and one of the scariest stories ever told.

In rural Ireland, two travelers stumble upon the ruins of a lakeside home. Inside, they discover a diary detailing the terrible final days of a man known only as the Recluse. A scholar who bought the house for its isolation, the Recluse is plagued by strange sounds and terrible hallucinations soon after he moves in. He dreams of an eerie ‘Plain of Silence’, where a jade-green version of the house is surrounded by ominous mountains populated with mythical beasts and gargantuan monsters.

Exploring a nearby ravine known locally as the Pit, the Recluse and his loyal dog, Pepper, are attacked by a creature that appears to be half human and half swine. A fantasy reunion with his long-lost lover proves that the house has powers beyond the Recluse’s comprehension. And just when he thinks that the horror is finally over, the real nightmare begins.