Randolph Carter, the alter ego of Lovecraft, is now an adult and has lost the ability to vividly dream. Despite considering the waking world as dull and mundane, he desires to reconcile with it. He tries to enrich it with literature and art, and eventually with physical pleasures. However, nothing brings him satisfaction. Finally, he returns to the regions where he grew up. There, he will find what he was looking for, and even more.