Arthur Machen

The Great God Pan Arthur Machen

"The Great God Pan" is a short novel by Arthur Machen. The original story was published in 1890, and Machen revised and extended it in 1894. On publication it was widely denounced by the press as degenerate and horrific because of its decadent style and sexual content, although it has since garnered a reputation as a classic of horror. Machen's story was only one of many at the time to focus on Pan as a useful symbol for the power of nature and paganism. H. P. Lovecraft wrote: "Of Mr. Machen's horror-tales the most famous is perhaps 'The Great God Pan' (1894) which tell of a singular and terriple experiment and its consequences."