Gruselkabinett, Folge 144: Der gewaltige Gott Pan

Geschrieben von Arthur Machen

Erzählt von Michael-Che Koch, Thomas Balou Martin, Bodo Primus und Jacques Breuer

Mr. Clarke willigt ein, als Zeuge einem gewagten Experiment seines Freundes Dr. Raymond beizuwohnen, welches eine leichte Gehirn-Operation beinhaltet und der siebzehnjährigen Probandin Mary so Zugang zu geistigen Dimensionen eröffnen soll, in denen der gewaltige antike Gott Pan herrschtâ ¦

• Sprache: Deutsch
• Herausgeber: Titania Medien
• Erscheinungsdatum: 29. März 2019

Arthur Machen

Arthur Machen (1863–1947) was a Welsh author and actor best known for his fantasy and horror fiction. He grew up with intentions of becoming a doctor, but followed a boyhood passion of the supernatural and occult and started to write. In 1890, Machen began publishing short stories in literary magazines. Four years later, he released his breakthrough work, The Great God Pan. Decried upon initial publication for its depictions of sex and violence, the tale has since become a horror classic and has been hailed as “maybe the best [horror story] in the English language” by Stephen King. Machen continued to publish supernatural novels but spent time as actor in a traveling player company after his wife’s death. His literary career revived once more with the publication of his works The House of Souls and The Hill of Dreams. During World War I, Machen became a full-time journalist. Though he rallied for republications of his works, Machen’s literary career ultimately diminished, and he lived much of his life in poor finances. 

Rezensionen für Gruselkabinett, Folge 144

[mirekluza · Bewertung: 3 von 5 Sternen]

Technically well made audioplay, which unfortunately suffers from the original story which did not age well.

The core of the story relies too much on the basic principle equating the Evil with some unimaginable sexual perversions/orgies as they were supposedly done in ancient Greece/Rome. Additionally all this is represented using victorian puritanism - so no details at all of what these perversions should be and the investigators just talking all the time about some unspecified unimaginably horrible things... Nowaday their behavior looks rather absurd, I would say almost laughable. Also the idea that sex perversions are the core part of the Evil is outdated (as if there could not be evil having nothing to do with sex - at least so it looks like in the story). It is almost caricature of victorian attitude to sex. Unfortunately it is so already in the original story by Arthur Machen and the audioplay authors could not change it (it would mean writing a new story).