Randolph Carter thrice dreams of a glorious sunset city and resolves to petition the gods of the Dreamlands for its location, sailing to unknown Kadath at the world's rim. His odyssey takes him through guarded gates and into the company of ghouls before he confronts the lords of dream.
The longest of Lovecraft's dream-cycle works, the novella draws heavily on the fantasy tradition of Lord Dunsany. Its climax, in which Nyarlathotep reveals the cosmic irony behind the quest, distills the Mythos' central theme: humanity's insignificance before indifferent powers.