The Doom That Came to Sarnath, written by H.P. Lovecraft in 1919 and first published in The Scot in 1920, is a haunting tale of arrogance, hubris, and cosmic retribution. Set in Lovecraft’s fictional dreamland, the story weaves a narrative of an ancient city’s rise and catastrophic fall, showcasing his talent for crafting rich, otherworldly settings imbued with mystery and terror.

The story recounts the history of Sarnath, a grand and opulent city built near a strange lake that once bordered the ancient, inhuman city of Ib. In their pride, the people of Sarnath destroy Ib and its inhabitants, the strange and alien Beings of Bokrug, taking their idols as trophies and dismissing the consequences of their actions. A thousand years later, Sarnath is at the height of its power—until an unspeakable doom falls upon it, fulfilling an ancient curse and erasing the city from history.

The Doom That Came to Sarnath explores Lovecraft’s recurring themes of forbidden knowledge, humanity’s insignificance in the face of greater cosmic forces, and the inevitable downfall of civilizations that defy the natural or supernatural order. The vivid descriptions of Sarnath’s splendor, contrasted with the eerie desolation that follows its destruction, emphasize the fragility of human achievements in a universe governed by unknowable powers.