The Metal Monster

"The Metal Monster" by Abraham Merritt is an early 20th-century science fiction story about Dr. Walter T. Goodwin, a botanist, who finds himself in Central Asia, a land full of ancient ruins and weird creatures. He teams up with a young engineer named Richard Drake to solve the mysteries of a valley filled with blue poppies. Dr. Goodwin, fresh off adventures in the Carolines, seeks peace in nature’s beauty, but instead, the pair encounter strange sunsets and uncover mysterious footprints in the valley. The mood changes between wonder and coming danger as they see strange lights in the sky and think about what secrets the valley holds, and whether their search will lead them to answers, or put them in danger.