H.P. Lovecraft in "Supernatural Horror in Literature" said of Arthur Machen: "Of living creators of cosmic fear raised to its most artistic pitch, few if any can hope to equal the versatile Arthur Machen, author of some dozen tales long and short, in which the elements of hidden horror and brooding fright attain an almost incomparable substance and realistic acuteness."

This article was written in direct response to S.T. Joshi's 2005 statement published in the introduction to his important Chaosium Book collection THE TERROR AND OTHER STORIES: VOL. 3 OF THE BEST WEIRD TALES OF ARTHUR MACHEN: "[S]ome stories--such as "N,"...are so poor that they have not been included here."

This article is dedicated to Roger Dobson.

One of Arthur Machen's most important stories is also one his least known. Thos. Kent Miller provides a comprehensive look into "N".

Undoubtedly, 'N' is something of a mystery story. It unfolds subtly in the manner of 'The Novel of the Black Seal', 'The Red Hand', and THE TERROR, slowly building up particulars that lead to the denouement. Little by little we hear about situations and circumstances that belie common sense. And, then, of course, there is the very title of the story, which is imbued with so much mystery. The title 'N' is at odds with title conventions of the entire Machen corpus. Typically, his titles are straight-forward, regardless of the subtlety and charm of language with which he crafted his stories. Why would Arthur Machen chose such an obtuse and puzzling title that seems completely at odds with his many straightforward titles? Why would he choose a title that we all have had to guess and conjecture so hard about for decades?