The Moon Pool

The narrative is presented as Dr. Walter T. Goodwin's account of an expedition that begins with the puzzling reappearance and subsequent disappearances of colleagues and leads into the ruined islands of the South Pacific. Investigation uncovers a mysterious lunar pool that opens into an ancient, subterranean realm inhabited by amphibious creatures and governed by alien cultic forces, including a luminous deity and its priestess. The party confronts strange biology, psychic influence, and elemental horrors while attempting rescues; themes include forbidden knowledge, the collision of modern science with lost mythic technology, and escalating sacrifice amid supernatural wonder and dread.