A Voyage to Arcturus · Chapter
I: The Séance explained
At a séance hosted by Montague Faull at Prolands in Hampstead, the medium Backhouse attempts a materialization.
What happens
At a séance hosted by Montague Faull at Prolands in Hampstead, the medium Backhouse attempts a materialization. The evening is disrupted by a mysterious crash, the late arrival of Maskull and Nightspore, and the eventual appearance of a phantom youth. A brash intruder, Krag, bursts in and interacts roughly with the apparition.
Themes in this chapter
The Nature of God and Creation
The materialization of a phantom youth blurs the boundary between the spiritual and material worlds, raising questions about the nature of existence and creation.
The Search for Ultimate Truth
The séance is framed as an attempt to contact the invisible world, reflecting a quest for hidden knowledge beyond ordinary perception.
Characters to notice
- Maskull
Arrives late with Nightspore; described as a giant with a full beard and sparkling black eyes; watches the séance with glittering anticipation.
- Nightspore
Arrives with Maskull; of middle height with a hairless face and wild eyes; appears bored during the séance and paces impatiently afterward.
- Krag
Bursts into the room unannounced; a thick, shortish man with a large head and piercing voice; thumps Faull and addresses the phantom youth.
- Backhouse
The medium; a little, thickset person with a pointed beard; conducts the materialization and looks haggard afterward.
- Montague Faull
The host; a South American merchant with metallic-looking skin and a bored demeanor; squeezes the apparition's hand and feels intense pleasure.
Key passages
“I dream with open eyes, and others see my dreams. That is all.”
Backhouse explains his mediumistic ability as a waking dream that becomes visible to others.
Backhouse describes his psychic gift to Mrs. Jameson.
“The dividing wall between himself and the spiritual world was broken in many places.”
Backhouse's nature allows spirits to pass through gaps in his mind into the physical world.
Narrative explanation of Backhouse's unique mediumistic constitution.