This is a possible timeline for William Hope Hodgson's weird fiction, and for stories published on this site. Note that none of it is carved in stone — not all stories on the site agree with each other. They may not agree with this timeline. Also, please note that the story positions on the timeline are only approximate.
Please note further that Mr. Hodgson never wrote anything about space travel in any of his speculative fiction. Some stories on this site assume that Man achieved interstellar flight, encountered Great Monsters in space, and was eventually driven back to Earth. But stories in which Man never left the Solar System could also fit Mr. Hodgson's milieu.
The Night Land, The House on the Borderland, the Carnacki stories, and the sea horror stories share a cosmology, even though they don't all belong to the same genres.
We also have a chronological list of stories that are, or were, published on this site.
The Days of Light
Unknown antiquityThe origin of the Saaamaaa Ritual used by Carnacki, evidently known to, and perhaps created by, certain ancient abhuman priests.
16th centuryThe Sigsand Manuscript is written.
17th century "... a far vision, strangely hallowed with peacefulness and light."
Late 18th century Events in the Recluse's own lifetime.
1877 The Recluse's diary is discovered.
Early 20th century
Thomas Carnacki's cases.
Man in Space
1 million A.D.Three separate spacefaring civilizations pass. Encounter with the Eaters, between the stars, and flight back to Manhome.
2 million A.D.
The Slow Sun
3 million A.D. The Sun has cooled to gold and the Earth's rotation has been markedly slowed by tidal drag. Owing to the oblateness of the Earth, equatorial sea-floor is — very slowly — becoming dry, and lands near the poles are being inundated, with equal want of speed. The greatest of all building projects — the World Road system — is begun.
4 million A.D.Many have dug in underground to escape the extremes of temperature, now that Earth's days and night are greatly lengthened. Some mobile arcologies have been built. The first World Road is complete near the Earth's equator.
5 million A.D.
6 million A.D.Earth's day has lengthened to months. High latitudes are inundated by the oceans; the former ocean floor in low latitudes is dry. Cities move round the world on fixed roads, staying in the light. The World-Road has been greatly expanded.
7 million A.D.The Sun has cooled to orange. A vast procession of Moving Cities traverses the World Roads. The Earth has a band of dry land around its equator; the poles and the higher-latitude zones are drowned forever. Tribes of walkers accompany the Moving Cities.In higher latitudes, likewise, there are people following the Slow Sun in vast ships or fleets of boats.
The Cataclysm
8 million A.D.A vast explosion bursts the world "along a great curve where it had weakness." An ocean falls into the rift and bursts into a super-Krakatoa. A great Valley is formed, comparable to the Valles Marineris on Mars. Massive die-off and volcanic winter.
Earth's rotation slows to 1 day/year (tidelock), so that it always turns the same face to the Sun. One hemisphere is in eternal night.
The Great Descent
8.5 million A.D.The Valley cools and becomes habitable. The people known as the Road-Makers begin a long, slow descent into the Valley. Over countless generations, they slowly descend and adapt, building the Road from which they get their name. Some make dwellings along the cliffs; others remain with the very few Moving Cities to surve the Cataclysm, as they travel the Road. A small number of surviving Moving Cities will reach the Valley floor.
9 million A.D.The Sun begins to die. The upward Earth grows quiet, cold, and "not good to live upon". Humanity cannot survive without protective clothing anywhere.
Humans take over the floor of the Valley, displacing the dominant species there. They build cities along the Valley to the Bight where it turns northward, and continue their colonisation northward into the Shadow: but are repelled by the inhabitants of the Shadow, who are intelligent, but not human.
Humans take over the floor of the Valley, displacing the dominant species there. They build cities along the Valley to the Bight where it turns northward, and continue their colonisation northward into the Shadow: but are repelled by the inhabitants of the Shadow, who are intelligent, but not human.
The Days of Darkening
10 million A.D.All biological life on the Earth's upper surface ends.
The Road Makers increase their population and come to a time of ease and some decadence. They investigate the Forces which hold them in stalemate at the Bight. Exploration into time and other dimensions allows disastrous irruptions of other Outer forces.
The decadent consort with Outside forces and with beast-men. The first Giants appear.
The Road Makers are attacked by the inhabitants of the Shadow, and driven back from the Bight. Pandemonaeum and despair among the cities of the Valley.
Telepathic gifts start to show up in humanity at moderate frequency.
11 million A.D.
The Last Redoubt: The Second History of the World
12 million A.D.The Road Makers repel their enemies and construct a great arcology at the Bight, the Redoubt, drawing its power from geoelectricity.
Humanity retires within the Redoubt, continuing to tunnel down into the Earth to construct the Underground Fields.
Humanity retires within the Redoubt, continuing to tunnel down into the Earth to construct the Underground Fields.
Outside the Redoubt, the Unforgiven and the Hybrids continue to mix with Outside entities.
A rebellious sub-faction builds a second Redoubt, only 0.5% of the volume of the Great Redoubt, located far to the north.
The Master-Word is encoded and fixed in human genetics.
13 million A.D. The Great Redoubt is completed: the last of the Underground Fields are hollowed and litten. Human population reaches 500 million.
14 million A.D.Age of the Flying Ships. Humanity turns outward again and explores the unknown and forgotten world beyond the two Redoubts.
15 million A.D.Unprecedented developments within the Night Land bring an end to the age of exploration.
The first appearance of Pneumavores and other Dark Forces.
The first appearance of Pneumavores and other Dark Forces.
The ability to project the Master-Word telepathically is now considered the major criterion of true humanity.
The Night Land
16 million A.D.Nightfall. The Sun is no longer visible to human eyes.
The North-West Watcher appears. The Redoubt is henceforth under siege.
Foundation of the Guild of Monstruwacans.
Appearance of other Watchers.
Monsters and Forces multiply within the Night Land. The Great Redoubt is attacked many times. The lower half-mile is abandoned and the Air Clog (force-field) is put in place around the Redoubt at ground level.
The South Watcher is first sighted.
17 million A.D.
The South Watcher is first sighted.
18 million A.D.
19 million A.D.The last airship flight.
The Fall of the Lesser Redoubt
20 million A.D.The Lesser Redoubt falls. X journeys out into the Night Land and rescues Naani.
From X and Naani, the inhabitants of the Redoubt learn of the habitable Land of Seas and Volcanoes in the old sea bed to the north.
From X and Naani, the inhabitants of the Redoubt learn of the habitable Land of Seas and Volcanoes in the old sea bed to the north.
21 million A.D.
22 million A.D.
23 million A.D.Some humans attempt to colonize the Land of Seas and Volcanoes.
The heresy of Scyrr.
24 million years
The Earth Current weakens. The Watchers advance upon the Redoubt.
The Fall of the Last Redoubt
25 million A.D.The Earth Current fails. Almost all the Millions commit suicide to avoid the Pneumavores. A few survivors flee to the Land of Seas and Volcanoes.
26 million A.D.The last humans are living in the land of Seans and Volcanoes.
27 million A.D.
28 million A.D.
29 million A.D.
30 million A.D.The last true human dies.
The Earth Dies
Tens or hundreds of millions of yearsExtinction of all life on Earth.
Billions of years pass, far more time than has been accounted for up till now.
Earth falls into the dead Sun.
Many hundreds of billions of years pass.
The Sun falls into the great Central Star of the Universe.
All lovers are reunited.
