Tony's Review of Celephaïs

Celephaïs is a different shade of Lovecraftian storytelling one that exchanges cosmic horror for dreamlike escapism. First published in 1922, this short story is part of Lovecraft’s Dream Cycle, a collection of works that delve into the ethereal and fantastical rather than the existential dread of a hostile, indifferent universe. But while Celephaïs is undeniably imaginative, it also feels like one of Lovecraft’s weaker efforts, more a sketch of an idea than a fully realized narrative.

The story follows Kuranes, a man disillusioned with reality, longing for the fantastical visions he once experienced in his dreams. In his waking life, he is nothing—a forgotten relic of an uncaring world, cast aside as he descends into poverty and obscurity. But in his dreams, he finds Celephaïs, a city of impossible beauty, suspended in eternal splendor within the Dreamlands. Kuranes becomes obsessed with returning, and as his earthly life crumbles, he ultimately succeeds—though in a way that is both triumphant and tragic.

Lovecraft’s prose is at its most flowery here, dripping with imagery of shimmering domes, violet seas, and impossibly grand towers. There’s a real sense of longing woven into the narrative—an unspoken belief that the dreamworld is superior to reality. This melancholic undercurrent is one of the story’s strongest aspects, touching on themes of alienation and the pain of losing something wondrous to the mundane grind of life. In that regard, Kuranes is one of Lovecraft’s most tragically human characters, embodying the same nostalgia and yearning for lost beauty that Lovecraft himself often expressed.

However, despite these strengths, Celephaïs struggles as a story. It lacks tension, forward momentum, or any real stakes beyond Kuranes’ personal desire to escape. Moreover, the story’s central idea that the dreamlands offer an escape from the dullness of reality feels more like a personal fantasy than something deeply compelling. Lovecraft often explored the notion of retreating into dreams as a way to find meaning beyond the limitations of human existence, but in Celephaïs, this idea isn’t challenged or complicated it’s simply presented as an ideal. The result is a story that, while beautiful in places, ultimately feels hollow.

While the story lacks in many respects, it does touch your inner child. That part that wishes many of our dreams are true. This fact often made me thing of the Netflix show The Sandman. Which is based on the comic book of the same name by Neil Gaiman.