The Moon Pool
#8183.33 adjusted 3.62 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 1919 Reading commitment Low A. Merritt Last reviewed 2026-08-26
Overview
The Moon Pool is a pulp-era lost-world fantasy novel by A. Merritt, originally serialized in two parts in a pulp magazine in 1918 and 1919 before being combined and expanded into a single novel for its 1919 book release. It follows Dr. Walter Goodwin, a botanist who investigates the disappearance of a fellow scientist's wife at the ruins of Nan Madol in the Pacific, where an ancient moon-worshipping civilization once thrived. The trail leads Goodwin and a small expedition through a hidden entrance into a vast underground world governed by the Shining One, an ancient, alien, and morally ambiguous intelligence tied to the ruined temple above. The novel's blend of scientific-expedition framing with cosmic, otherworldly awe made it influential on the lost-world and planetary-romance traditions that followed, and it remains one of Merritt's most frequently cited works from the early pulp-fantasy era.
Mythic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
The Moon Pool A. Merritt
| Work | Year | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Moon Pool | 1919 | core | 3.33 (1,204 ratings) |
The two original 1918-1919 magazine serials were reworked into one novel for its 1919 book publication.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Moon Pool? The Moon Pool's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is The Moon Pool finished? Complete (1919).
- How much reading does The Moon Pool take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book).
- How is The Moon Pool ranked? #818 in this site's official ranking, based on 1,204 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #818?
Ranked #818 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.33 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (1,204 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- 0.28 behind #817, Magic for Liars.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
- A single standalone novel: ranked on that one book alone.
Why explore this universe?
Modestly rated · 1 book · Complete · 1k ratings · Ranks #818 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment mythic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.33 across 1,204 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Admit The Moon Pool (A. Merritt) accepted 2026-08-26
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-26
Rule: Core Canon is the single 1919 novel, combining the two original serial halves. A recurring character reappears in a later, separate novel by the same author with its own distinct setting, which is not catalogued here.