Of Past Mistakes That Are Yet to Be Made

Even though it forms one of the cornerstones of contemporary science fiction, the
subject of consciousness never received much attention in the golden age of
pulp. The majority of writings that did tackle the issue did so by the way of cheap
sensationalism, with actual exploration and creative speculation being almost
completely neglected. Yet this disheartening tendency among authors did
encounter a certain amount opposition. The Shadow Out of Time, one of the
weird fiction stories conceived by Howard Phillips Lovecraft, is among the few scifi works of the early 20th century that adopt a different, more fleshed out modus
operandi when dealing with the various aspects of human awareness.
Occurrences like extraterrestrial possession, bodily and temporal displacement of
the self, and suppression of potentially harmful memories all make up the crux of
the novellas plot; this paper aims to examine the more prominent changes that
the above events bring about in the consciousness of the protagonist, Nathaniel
Wingate Peaslee. The correlations that exist between the phenomenal
experiences he is subjected to and the introspections he carries out of his own
volition will be examined in detail. The same treatment shall be given to the
different stages of Peaslees knowledge about the fictional world around him,
which, as might be expected, are a direct result of the previously mentioned
interconnections. A select group of effects that the book can have on the readers
emotional state and worldview will be highlighted in a similar fashion, although
this point likely wont be as emphasized as the former one. By accomplishing
such an inquiry, the author of this article hopes to prove the relevance of H.P.
Lovecrafts works has not decreased in the slightest since the authors untimely
death. If anything, these writings have finally reached a point in history where
they can be fully appreciated and provide vital input into the nature of human
(and posthuman) consciousness, rivaling the visions concocted by contemporary
giants of science fiction.