Horror Review: The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson (1908, Chapman & Hall/Public Doman)

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I truly enjoyed this story, though for the longest time after reading it I'd have been hard-pressed to explain why. Now that a few months have passed though, I can put it down to Hodgson's genius-level grasp of the language required to lead his reader through the mindtwist of time and space occupied by this book. Much like the Doctor's TARDIS, The House on the Borderland is larger on the inside than it seems on the outside.

You know that classic film technique where they dolly the camera backwards while simultaneously zooming the lens in towards their subject, thus creating the effect of space physically stretching out and deforming around a character while he or she remains in perfect focus? Reading The House on the Borderland is like experiencing this for yourself. Something gets warped, but just like in a dream you're helpless to resist and it still seems normal. All you can do is go with the flow and hope you emerge unscathed at the end.

Hodgson's tale is difficult to classify--it's equally at home being called science fiction, horror, or suspense, and it's inspired countless authors of all three genres since its publication in 1908. Not being a fan of one particular genre won't automatically disqualify it from interest though, so even if horror's not your thing you can still appreciate it. (I'd still feel compelled to fight you in real life, but that's my problem, so don't take it out on Hodgson). It's more Lovecraft than King, more cerebral than blood 'n guts. It's intelligent, but you don't need a master's degree in order to follow. Hodgson just drags you (whether you want to go or not) and the only way to escape is to put down the book.

You won't want to put it down though. It's an absorbing read, a story-within-a-story of two friends on a hunting trip explore deep into the Irish woods where they find the ruin of an old building, and a waterlogged book within the crumbling house, inscribed with what seem to be diary entries explaining the awful things that happened in, around, and to the house and its two occupants. Think of it like a low-tech version of The Blair Witch Project, where you're seeing everything happen through someone else's eyes. One thing's for certain: you'll never look at pigs the same way.

In the end, you'll probably want to re-read it but you won't desire to do so anytime soon. Let it settle and let yourself forget some of the details before you commit, and you'll enjoy the ride just as much subsequent times around.

Now for the best news of all. Since it was penned back before the first World War, the copyright on Hodgson's tale has expired, and the story has entered the public domain in the United States. Project Gutenberg has it preserved on their site, so grab your favorite electronic format and put it in your 'to be read' queue guilt-free.

Prefer to have someone read to you instead? I highly recommend the BBC episodic version read by Jim Norton for raising goosebumps. Turn out the lights, build a soft fire, put on the headphones and get lost in the atmosphere:

Let me know what you think either way if you take the plunge.