Brian Lumley Quotes

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"In the vasty malign, where the starless ocean's waist is bound with indigo, and the seas above are pearled with great unguent tears, lies the land of lost dreams."

This quote by Brian Lumley depicts a haunting, mysterious, and dreamlike realm, often associated with the unknown or subconscious mind. The "vasty malign" suggests a vast, dark, and malevolent expanse, symbolizing the depths of one's fears or uncertainties. The "starless ocean's waist," likely an imagery of a body of water, is bound with indigo, a deep purple color often associated with mystery and spirituality. This could represent the boundaries between reality and imagination, or the struggle to find meaning in an uncertain world. Lastly, the "seas above" are pearled with great unguent tears, implying the presence of sorrow or regret, possibly symbolizing the remnants of lost dreams or ambitions. Overall, the quote paints a picture of a distant, melancholic land where one's lost dreams reside, suggesting a sense of longing and nostalgia for what once was or could have been.

"The city that is not is yet built within our souls, and in her darkened streets walk Nightgaunts and their fellows, dread creatures of haggard imagination."

This quote by Brian Lumley suggests the existence of an imaginary, ominous city within each person's soul. The "city that is not" symbolizes a place where our deepest fears and unrealized dreams reside. The "Nightgaunts and their fellows," representing unsettling or fearsome entities, signify the manifestation of our repressed anxieties and darker impulses within this internal cityscape. This city serves as a metaphor for our subconscious minds, where both beautiful and terrifying aspects of ourselves dwell.

"A madness came upon me then, a lust for the darkness and the unknowable, a longing to plumb the blackest abysses, to venture where no man had ever gone before."

This quote expresses an intense desire or obsession to explore unknown, dark, and potentially dangerous realms. The speaker feels compelled to delve into these abysses, driven by a mix of curiosity, madness, and the thrill of venturing where no one has gone before. This could be metaphorical for personal growth, scientific discovery, or even an adventure into the unknown aspects of life, human nature, or the universe itself.

"In that realm of nightmare, there are no rules but those that fear and superstition have written in their own blood."

This quote by Brian Lumley suggests that in the domain of terrifying or nightmarish experiences, there are no universal laws or principles. Instead, the "rules" governing such realms are shaped by fear and superstition, which are deeply rooted in the collective psyche of human beings and often based on personal, cultural, or historical accounts of terror or dread. This implies that the nature of nightmares and horror is highly subjective and can vary greatly from one person to another, making them difficult to predict or control.

"They come from the black lands under the world, from the realms of the forgotten, the lost dreams, the unremembered terrors, the shunned memories."

This quote by Brian Lumley refers to entities originating from distant, unexplored, and possibly dread-filled realms deep within our collective subconsciousness. These are figments of our forgotten dreams, lost memories, and terrors we've shunned or repressed as a society. The "black lands under the world" symbolize the unknown and hidden aspects of our psyche.