A reading of "The Last Test" by H.P. Lovecraft and Adolphe de Castro. It was first published in the November 1928 issue of Weird Tales, under de Castro's name, and first read aloud here, by me, in January of 2026.

Please note: this is a horror podcast, and may not be for everyone. In particular, this story touches on sensitive subjects such as suicide, the unethical treatment of animals, the unethical treatment of humans, the lost city of Atlantis, hypodermic needles, California politics, prison administration, unkind characterizations of Tibetans and Mexican-Americans, Nyarlathotep (also known as the Crawling Chaos), wildly unethical journalism, and the vilification of medical science. If this subject matter is likely to disturb or offend you, you may wish to skip this episode.

You can read this story yourself at HPLovecraft.com, or enjoy the ambient "Chambers of Torture" by Michael Ghelfi Studios at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzYZQySL8Ac.

You can text us now. Why? That’s between you and your Elder God.

Support the show

Like the show? Say so with money! Or just hang out with us on Mastodon, at @podsothoth@defcon.social. Or email us at hideous@podsothoth.club. Best thing? Rate us (positively!) in your favorite podcast app. That helps other people find the show!