The Shadow at the Bottom of the World

Short story by Thomas Ligotti

"The Shadow at the Bottom of the World" is a horror short story by American writer Thomas Ligotti, first published in his 1991 collection Grimscribe: His Lives and Works.

## Plot summary

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Told in the first person, from the perspective of an unnamed narrator, "The Shadow at the Bottom of the World" focuses on the inhabitants of a small village who encounter a mysterious black mass which appears to emanate from the bowels of the Earth. Soon after its arrival, odd droning noises reminiscent of the chattering of insects begin to fill the air, the weather becomes unnaturally warm, and the vegetation begins to exhibit strange, unearthly colors. Various inanimate objects, including a scarecrow, appear to come to life and move of their own accord, and even the human inhabitants begin to fall under its malevolent influence, spelling doom for any hapless travelers unfortunate enough to stumble upon the accursed place.[1][2]

## References

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1. ^ Cardin, Matt. "Thoughts on Thomas Ligotti's "The Shadow at the Bottom of the World"". ligotti.net. ligotti.net. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
2. ^ Cardin, Matt. "Liminal Terror and Collective Identity in Thomas Ligotti's "The Shadow at the Bottom of the World"". angwa.de. Angwa. Retrieved 25 October 2014.

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Thomas Ligotti

Short stories|

* "Masquerade of a Dead Sword: A Tragedie" (1986)
* "The Glamour" (1991)
* "The Shadow at the Bottom of the World" (1991)

Story collections|

* Songs of a Dead Dreamer (1985)
* Grimscribe: His Lives and Works (1991)
* My Work Is Not Yet Done (2002)
* Teatro Grottesco (2006)

Other works|

* Horror on the Orient Express (1991 RPG campaign)
* The Conspiracy Against the Human Race (2010 essay collection)

Adaptations|

* "I Have a Special Plan for This World" (2000 song)
* The Nightmare Factory (2007 comic book)
* The Nightmare Factory: Volume 2 (2008 comic book)

Miscellaneous|

* The Thomas Ligotti Reader (2003 anthology)

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