The Fog Horn: Difference between revisions

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One night late in November, Johnny and his boss McDunn are working at a remote lighthouse. Several years ago, McDunn recounted an experience in which numerous fish gathered around the bay, swimming around until midnight when they seemed to vanish back into the sea. He speculates that the fish had gathered to "worship" the lighthouse, among other things.
One night late in November, Johnny and his boss McDunn are working at a remote lighthouse. Several years ago, McDunn recounted an experience in which numerous fish gathered around the bay, swimming around until midnight when they seemed to vanish back into the sea. He speculates that the fish had gathered to "worship" the lighthouse, among other things.


As the Foghorn blows every fifteen seconds, McDunn later takes Johnny upstairs to show him something. Johnny asks McDunn if he is wanting to show him the schools of fish, McDunn replies telling him no and that he had held off telling him about this believing he would be seen as daft for tonight was when “it” came as it came the previous year as he refuses to go into further detail and tells Johnny to simply wait to see it for himself.
As the Foghorn blows every fifteen seconds, McDunn later takes Johnny upstairs to show him something. Johnny asks McDunn if he is wanting to show him the schools of fish. McDunn rejects the offer and tells him that he had held off telling him about this, believing he would be seen as daft, for tonight was when “it” came the previous year. However, he refuses to go into further detail and tells Johnny to simply wait to see it for himself.
McDunn offers Johnny to leave tomorrow after he witnesses “it” stating this is the third time in three years straight it's appeared now but is now the first time anyone else is with him to witness and verify what he is witnessing and demands Johnny to wait and watch. Half an hour passes without much said. McDunn begins to discuss theories with a metaphorical story on why this thing keeps returning to the lighthouse every year speculating it is the Foghorn itself that beckons it as the Foghorn blows.
McDunn offers Johnny to leave tomorrow after he witnesses “it” stating this is the third time in three years straight it's appeared now but is now the first time anyone else is with him to witness and verify what he is witnessing and demands Johnny to wait and watch. Half an hour passes without much said. McDunn begins to discuss theories with a metaphorical story on why this thing keeps returning to the lighthouse every year speculating it is the Foghorn itself that beckons it as the Foghorn blows.


McDunn silences an interrupting Johnny as he points out a mass swimming towards the lighthouse rises revealing a large head attached to an immensely long neck followed by its body covered in coral shells and crayfish while Johnny estimates the creature to be ninety or a hundred feet in size. Johnny is flabbergasted at the sight of the Beast exclaiming it’s impossible while McDunn retorts saying it is them who is impossible for they have changed over millions of years while the beast has stayed the same as the beast continues to swim. Johnny exclaims that the creature is a [[Rhedosaurus|dinosaur]] and that it should have died out long ago while McDunn responds suggesting that the creature was able to continue existing in the most unfathomable deepest parts of the ocean.
McDunn silences, interrupting Johnny as he points out a mass swimming towards the lighthouse. It rises, revealing a large head attached to a long-necked reptilian body. Johnny estimates the creature to be ninety or a hundred feet in size. He is flabbergasted at the sight of the Beast, exclaiming it’s impossible. McDunn retorts, saying "it is them who is impossible, for they have changed over millions of years while the beast has stayed the same." As the beast continues to swim, Johnny exclaims that the creature is a [[Rhedosaurus|dinosaur]] that should have died out long ago. McDunn responds, suggesting that the creature was able to continue existing in the most unfathomable deepest parts of the ocean.
A panicked Johnny asks what to do as McDunn tells him to continue working in the lighthouse believing it is safer there than on a boat out there. Johnny then asks why the creature comes here receiving his answer in the form of the Foghorn blowing once again and the monster responded with an anguished cry sounding identical to the Foghorn.


McDunn believes the creature comes every year from the bottom of the ocean, possibly the last surviving member of its kind and the sound of the FogHorn resembling the calls of its kind calls it forward to appear. He later speaks about how last year the creature swam around and around all night not coming close to the lighthouse possibly due to being puzzled or afraid and maybe even a bit angry. The next day as the fog cleared the creature left leaving McDunn to speculate it went off brooding on it for a year.
A panicked Johnny asks what to do. McDunn tells him to continue working in the lighthouse, believing it is safer there than on a boat. Johnny then asks why the creature comes here, receiving his answer in the form of the monster responding to the Foghorn with an identical cry. McDunn believes the creature comes every year from the bottom of the ocean, possibly the last surviving member of its kind and that it thinks the sound of the Fog Horn is one of its kind, attracting it to the shore. He later speaks about how last year, the creature swam around and around all night while coming close to the lighthouse. The next day, the creature left, leaving McDunn to speculate that it went off brooding for a year.


The monster then rushes towards the lighthouse as the Foghorn blew once again, McDunn then switches it off Causing the Beast to stop in its tracks simply observing the two men in anger, Johnny demands McDunn to turn the horn back on but as he fumbled to switch it back on the Beast began to rear up revealing its webbed paws as it claws at the lighthouse as the Foghorn blew again the Beast returned a cry as it seized the tower and gnashed against the windows shattering them The two men both panicked and attempted to run downstairs to hide in the cellar under the stairs as the foghorn stopped abruptly the Beast crashed itself against the crumbling tower left the two men no choice but to kneel and hold on to each other.
The monster then rushes towards the lighthouse as the Foghorn blew once again. McDunn then switches it off, causing the Beast to stop in its tracks. It simply observes the two men in anger, before Johnny demands McDunn to turn the horn back on. He fumbles to switch it back on. The Beast rears up and claws at the lighthouse, right as the Foghorn blows again. It returns a cry as it seizes the tower and gnashes at the windows, shattering them. The two men both panic and attempt to run downstairs to hide in the lighthouse's cellar. The foghorn stops abruptly as the Beast crashes into the lighthouse. As the tower crumbles over them, John and McDunn are left with no choice but to kneel and hold on to each other.  
Both men survived hiding under the collapsed cellar listening to the repetitive anguished cries of loneliness from the monster all throughout the night. The morning after the men were rescued from the cellar with McDunn creating a fabricated story of how waves caused the tower to collapse as an explanation to the rescuers and pinching Johnny to comply with the cover story.


A year later a new lighthouse was constructed with steel-reinforced concrete. Johnny drives down to the bay parking across from the lighthouse around the same time as last year to ask McDunn if it ever came back. McDunn tells him the creature didn’t return this year and that it had gone back to the deepest parts of the ocean once again waiting again for another million years while humans continue to exist and eventually will die off as it will continue to wait for its kind. Johnny sits in his car, unable to see the tower or the light, listening to the Foghorn as he has nothing to say.
Both men survive, listening to the repetitive anguished cries of loneliness from the monster all throughout the night. The morning after, the men were rescued from the cellar. McDunn fabricates a more believable story of how waves caused the tower to collapse, pinching Johnny to comply with it.
 
A year later a new lighthouse is constructed with steel-reinforced concrete. Johnny drives down to the bay, parking across from the lighthouse around the same time as last year. He asks McDunn if it ever came back. McDunn tells him the creature didn’t return this year and that it had gone back to the deepest parts of the ocean, once again waiting for another million years. Johnny sits in his car, unable to see the tower or the light, listening to the Foghorn as he has nothing to say.
==Appearances==
==Appearances==
===Characters===
===Characters===

Revision as of 00:59, 8 November 2021

"The Fog Horn"
The cover of the 1987 illustrated edition of "The Fog Horn"
Author(s) Ray Bradbury
Publisher The Saturday Evening Post
Publish date June 23, 1951 (first printing);[1]
1953, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1987, etc.
Genre Science fiction

"The Fog Horn" is a 1951 American science fiction short story written by renowned genre author Ray Bradbury. The story served as the basis for the 1953 monster film The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, which itself inspired the creation of the 1954 Godzilla.[2] Japanese filmmaker Daisuke Sato adapted the story into a short film of the same name in 2007,[3] and later revisited it for his 2019 movie Howl from Beyond the Fog.[4]

Plot

One night late in November, Johnny and his boss McDunn are working at a remote lighthouse. Several years ago, McDunn recounted an experience in which numerous fish gathered around the bay, swimming around until midnight when they seemed to vanish back into the sea. He speculates that the fish had gathered to "worship" the lighthouse, among other things.

As the Foghorn blows every fifteen seconds, McDunn later takes Johnny upstairs to show him something. Johnny asks McDunn if he is wanting to show him the schools of fish. McDunn rejects the offer and tells him that he had held off telling him about this, believing he would be seen as daft, for tonight was when “it” came the previous year. However, he refuses to go into further detail and tells Johnny to simply wait to see it for himself. McDunn offers Johnny to leave tomorrow after he witnesses “it” stating this is the third time in three years straight it's appeared now but is now the first time anyone else is with him to witness and verify what he is witnessing and demands Johnny to wait and watch. Half an hour passes without much said. McDunn begins to discuss theories with a metaphorical story on why this thing keeps returning to the lighthouse every year speculating it is the Foghorn itself that beckons it as the Foghorn blows.

McDunn silences, interrupting Johnny as he points out a mass swimming towards the lighthouse. It rises, revealing a large head attached to a long-necked reptilian body. Johnny estimates the creature to be ninety or a hundred feet in size. He is flabbergasted at the sight of the Beast, exclaiming it’s impossible. McDunn retorts, saying "it is them who is impossible, for they have changed over millions of years while the beast has stayed the same." As the beast continues to swim, Johnny exclaims that the creature is a dinosaur that should have died out long ago. McDunn responds, suggesting that the creature was able to continue existing in the most unfathomable deepest parts of the ocean.

A panicked Johnny asks what to do. McDunn tells him to continue working in the lighthouse, believing it is safer there than on a boat. Johnny then asks why the creature comes here, receiving his answer in the form of the monster responding to the Foghorn with an identical cry. McDunn believes the creature comes every year from the bottom of the ocean, possibly the last surviving member of its kind and that it thinks the sound of the Fog Horn is one of its kind, attracting it to the shore. He later speaks about how last year, the creature swam around and around all night while coming close to the lighthouse. The next day, the creature left, leaving McDunn to speculate that it went off brooding for a year.

The monster then rushes towards the lighthouse as the Foghorn blew once again. McDunn then switches it off, causing the Beast to stop in its tracks. It simply observes the two men in anger, before Johnny demands McDunn to turn the horn back on. He fumbles to switch it back on. The Beast rears up and claws at the lighthouse, right as the Foghorn blows again. It returns a cry as it seizes the tower and gnashes at the windows, shattering them. The two men both panic and attempt to run downstairs to hide in the lighthouse's cellar. The foghorn stops abruptly as the Beast crashes into the lighthouse. As the tower crumbles over them, John and McDunn are left with no choice but to kneel and hold on to each other.

Both men survive, listening to the repetitive anguished cries of loneliness from the monster all throughout the night. The morning after, the men were rescued from the cellar. McDunn fabricates a more believable story of how waves caused the tower to collapse, pinching Johnny to comply with it.

A year later a new lighthouse is constructed with steel-reinforced concrete. Johnny drives down to the bay, parking across from the lighthouse around the same time as last year. He asks McDunn if it ever came back. McDunn tells him the creature didn’t return this year and that it had gone back to the deepest parts of the ocean, once again waiting for another million years. Johnny sits in his car, unable to see the tower or the light, listening to the Foghorn as he has nothing to say.

Appearances

Characters

  • Johnny
  • McDunn

Monsters

Gallery

Adaptations

Main articles: The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Howl from Beyond the Fog.

In other languages

Language Name Meaning
Flagicon Japan.png Japanese 霧笛 Muteki Translation of English name
Flagicon France.png French La Corne de brume Translation of English name
Flagicon Spain.png Spanish La sirena Translation of English name

Trivia

  • The original title for the story was The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. However, when Warner Bros. executives bought the rights to the story for their derivative film (then called Monster from Beneath the Sea) and changed its title to reflect this, Bradbury retitled the story to “The Fog Horn”.[1]

References

This is a list of references for The Fog Horn. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Macini, Mark (7 September 2017). "11 Deep Facts About The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms". Mental Floss.
  2. Ragone, August (6 May 2014). Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters (paperback ed.). Chronicle Books. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-4521-3539-7.
  3. Hood, Robert (14 October 2009). "New Daikaiju Appears Through a Fog of Obscurity". Undead Backbrain. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021.
  4. Chaffins, Benjamin (2 April 2020). "HOWL FROM BEYOND THE FOG Interview with Daisuke Sato". SciFi Japan.

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