"The Other Gods" is a short story written by American horror
writer H. P. Lovecraft on August 14, 1921.[1] It was first
published in the November 1933 issue of The Fantasy Fan.

Barzai the Wise, a high priest and prophet greatly learned in
the lore of the "gods of earth", or Great Ones, attempts to
scale the mountain of Hatheg-Kla in order to look upon their
faces, accompanied by his young disciple Atal. Upon reaching
the peak, Barzai at first seems overjoyed until he finds that
the "gods of the earth" are not there, but rather the "other
gods, the gods of the outer hells that guard the feeble gods
of earth!" Atal flees and Barzai is never seen again.

The story resembles the many tales of hubris written by Lord
Dunsany, like "The Revolt of the Home Gods" from The Gods of
Pegana (1905).

The Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan (misprinted as "...of Earth"
in the story's original publication) appear for the first time
in "The Other Gods". They, too, reappear in Dream-Quest.
The Pnakotic Manuscripts make their second appearance in
"The Other Gods", having been introduced in "Polaris", along
with Lomar.

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