A mysterious sculpture. Disturbing dreams shared across the world. A secret cult devoted to an ancient power. And beneath the dark waters of the Pacific, something that should have remained forgotten. When Francis Wayland Thurston inherits the papers of his late grand-uncle, Professor George Gammell Angell, he discovers a collection of strange documents concerning an apparently inexplicable archaeological mystery. What begins with a bizarre bas-relief soon leads him through accounts of feverish dreams, forgotten rituals, police investigations, and the testimony of men who encountered something beyond the limits of human understanding. Piece by piece, an impossible truth begins to emerge. Long before the rise of humanity, ancient beings came to Earth. Their traces survive in forbidden traditions and secret cults scattered across the world. Among them is the terrible Cthulhu, sleeping within the sunken city of R'lyeh and waiting for the time when the stars are right. Enter the world of Cthulhu and discover the story that helped redefine modern horror.