Podsothoth: A Lovecraft Book Club

Podsothoth is a horror and comedy podcast dedicated to the works (and foibles) of H.P. Lovecraft, hosted by recovering goth and internet D-lister celebrity, Tod Beardsley. Every Lovecraft story will be covered over two episodes each. First, Tod will read the story with minimal production, and ideal for people who just want to hear Lovecraft's words. This is the horror part. Following each story is a discussion of, about, and around that story, and have plenty of jokes and giggles. This is the comedy part. Follow the show at https://defcon.social/@podsothoth, or email the show at hideous@podsothoth.club. Other media may crawl out from the chaos iN ThE ineffAbLE fUTUrE, beyOnD tHe KEn OF MAN OR BEAST ALIKE AND IN A TIME OF THE GREAT RETURN OF THE OLD ONES, WHO WILL F'THAGN R'YL'EHHHHH IA IA!!!!!

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Podsothoth: A Lovecraft Book Club

73: The Last Test

January 24, 2026 • Huge Success, LLC • Season 1 • Episode 73

A reading of "The Last Test" by H.P. Lovecraft and Adolphe de Castro. It was first published in the November 1928 issue of Weird Tales, under de Castro's name, and first read aloud here, by me, in January of 2026.

Please note: this is a horror podcast, and may not be for everyone. In particular, this story touches on sensitive subjects such as suicide, the unethical treatment of animals, the unethical treatment of humans, the lost city of Atlantis, hypodermic needles, California politics, prison administration, unkind characterizations of Tibetans and Mexican-Americans, Nyarlathotep (also known as the Crawling Chaos), wildly unethical journalism, and the vilification of medical science. If this subject matter is likely to disturb or offend you, you may wish to skip this episode.

You can read this story yourself at HPLovecraft.com, or enjoy the ambient "Chambers of Torture" by Michael Ghelfi Studios at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzYZQySL8Ac.

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