--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A certain atmosphere of breathless and…" description: "\"“A certain atmosphere of breathless and unexplainable dread of outer, unknown forces must be present; and there must be a hint, expressed with a seriou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47b/h-p-lovecraft-2-2159_dread_a-certain-atmosphere-of-breathless-and-u_2131200.jpg" --- # A certain atmosphere of breathless and unexplainable dread… ![“A certain atmosphere of breathless and unexplainable dread of outer, unknown forces must be present; and there must be a hint, expressed with a seriousness and portentousness becoming its subject, of that most terrible conception of the human brain - a malign and particular suspension or defeat of…” quote by H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47b/h-p-lovecraft-2-2159_dread_a-certain-atmosphere-of-breathless-and-u_2131200.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47b/h-p-lovecraft-2-2159_dread_a-certain-atmosphere-of-breathless-and-u_2131200.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47b/h-p-lovecraft-2-2159_dread_a-certain-atmosphere-of-breathless-and-u_2131200.jpg) > ““A certain atmosphere of breathless and unexplainable dread of outer, unknown forces must be present; and there must be a hint, expressed with a seriousness and portentousness becoming its subject, of that most terrible conception of the human brain - a malign and particular suspension or defeat of those laws of Nature which are our only safeguard against the assaults of chaos and the daemons of unplumbed space … Therefore we must judge a weird tale not by the author's intent, or by the mere mechanics of the plot; but by the emotional level which it attains at its least mundane point... The one test of the really weird is simply this - whether or not there be excited in the reader a profound sense of dread, and of contact with unknown spheres and powers; a subtle attitude of awed listening, as if for the beating of black wings or the scratching of outside shapes and entities on the known universe's utmost rim.”” [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote describes how true weirdness is measured by the deep, unsettling dread it evokes, not by plot mechanics. **In simple terms:** Weird stories succeed when they create profound dread and awe. Key Takeaway Focus on evoking emotional dread, not just plot. Themes horror weird fiction psychology cosmic Mood uneasy intrigued Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - reading horror - writing fiction - analyzing literature - discussing fear - teaching creative writing Key Concepts cosmic dread unknown forces human psyche chaos nature's laws Questions to Reflect On - How does dread shape your perception of reality? - What unknown forces do you imagine? A Different Perspective It may overlook readers who prefer clear explanations over ambiguous terror. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Fantastic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantastic/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Human brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-brain/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Supernatural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supernatural/) ## Related quotes > [ A TV show where all of the characters are trying to figure out what's going on, and the suspense of that, fits my \[voice\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-night-shyamalan/a-tv-show-where-all-of-the-characters-are-trying-to-figure-out-what-s/) [M. Night Shyamalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-night-shyamalan/) > [This morning, as Charlotte approached the brick facade of Hartnett, she found herself overcome with a great sense of dread. It hit her with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-ursu/this-morning-as-charlotte-approached-the-brick-facade-of-hartnett-she/) [Anne Ursu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-ursu/) > [Even before 9/11 I was gripped by a sense of dread: our lack of criticism about what we were doing in the Middle East…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/even-before-9-11-i-was-gripped-by-a-sense-of-dread-our-lack-of/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [The one test of the really weird (story) is simply this--whether or not there be excited in the reader a profound sense of dread,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-one-test-of-the-really-weird-story-is-simply-this-whether-or-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There often is a dark secret in books... 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But the truth is that the massive processor known as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/the-vast-majority-of-us-imagine-ourselves-as-like-literature-people/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [The human brain is an incredible pattern-matching machine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/the-human-brain-is-an-incredible-pattern-matching-machine/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [When I look at the human brain I'm still in awe of it. Every single time you lift off the bone and open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/when-i-look-at-the-human-brain-i-m-still-in-awe-of-it-every-single/) [Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/) > [Translating is a respectable, valuable, creative and worthwhile use of a human brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bellos/translating-is-a-respectable-valuable-creative-and-worthwhile-use-of/) David Bellos ## More by H.P. Lovecraft > [“Damn it, it wasn’t quite fresh enough!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/damn-it-it-wasn-t-quite-fresh-enough/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [“Fear best lends itself to the creation of Nature-defying illusions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/fear-best-lends-itself-to-the-creation-of-nature-defying-illusions/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [“a new chill from afar out whither the condor had flown, as if my flesh had caught a horror before my eyes had seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/a-new-chill-from-afar-out-whither-the-condor-had-flown-as-if-my-flesh/) [H.P. 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Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [“Our apprehensions were over what we might find, or fail to find, at the end of our journey; for silence continued to answer all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/our-apprehensions-were-over-what-we-might-find-or-fail-to-find-at-the/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [“What we heard was not the fabulous note of any buried blasphemy of elder earth from whose supernal toughness an age-denied polar sun had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/what-we-heard-was-not-the-fabulous-note-of-any-buried-blasphemy-of/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [“The Lurking Fear: Shrieking, slithering, torrential shadows of red viscous madness chasing one another through endless, ensanguined condors of purple fulgurous sky... formless phantasms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/the-lurking-fear-shrieking-slithering-torrential-shadows-of-red/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) [Explore all 148 H.P. Lovecraft quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) ## More Dread quotes > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Smart people duck when they hear the dread announcement 'I'm going to be perfectly honest with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/smart-people-duck-when-they-hear-the-dread-announcement-i-m-going-to/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [In times of dread, artists must never choose to remain silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/in-times-of-dread-artists-must-never-choose-to-remain-silent/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Oh, I'm being eaten By a boa constrictor, A boa constrictor, A boa constrictor, I'm being eaten by a boa constrictor, And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/oh-i-m-being-eaten-by-a-boa-constrictor-a-boa-constrictor-a-boa/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [Present sufferings seem far greater to men than those they merely dread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/livy/present-sufferings-seem-far-greater-to-men-than-those-they-merely/) [Livy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/livy/) > [The advance of science spares us from irrational dread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/the-advance-of-science-spares-us-from-irrational-dread/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [I think writer's block is simply the dread that you are going to write something horrible. 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The unexpected around the corner gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-stanley-jones/many-live-in-dread-of-what-is-coming-why-should-we-the-unknown-puts/) [E. 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