Lavinia Rising is a novella written by Farah Rose Smith in 2022, retelling the story of The Dunwich Horror by H. P. Lovecraft with a Perspective Flip.
Told from the point of view of Lavinia Whateley, the albino daughter of Pa Whateley, she shares her struggles of growing up in the town of Dunwich with a father who only sees her as a means to an end for a goal she doesn't fully understand and people who look at her as though a freak because of her deformity and albino appearance.
After a horrifying encounter with an otherworldly creature, she gives birth to twins, and is witness to not only the corruption of her sons by her own father's machinations, but she has to come to terms with what transpires after she had vanished from her home.
"Let me tells you about the examples in Lavinia Rising...":
- Abusive Dad: Pa has abused Lavinia physically, financially and emotionally throughout her life, even being treated like an idiot who doesn't understand anything despite all her efforts to please him.
- Abusive Offspring: Wilbur mistreats Lavinia, his own mother, in a similar way to his grandfather up until her escape from Dunwich.
- Albinos Are Freaks: Lavinia has experienced the prejudices firsthand because she was born with it, contributing to her struggles to live among people in Dunwich and beyond.
- Content Warnings: Lavinia Rising contains warnings from the author about the contents present in the novella, such as depictions of abuse and racist language, but with intent of realism than simply for shock.
- Death by Adaptation: Dr. Armitage meets a rather grim end when Lavinia sets the office afire, with him trapped and possibly unable to escape the blaze.
- Destination Defenestration: After setting Dr. Armitage's office on fire, Lavinia makes her departure from the burning office by jumping through a window, but not without a glass shard piercing her heart in the process.
- Fallen-on-Hard-Times Job: Having no funds to support herself after her escape from Dunwich, she temporarily took up a job cutting fish in Innsmouth for what pay she can get.
- Foregone Conclusion: Readers who know the events of The Dunwich Horror know Wilbur and his twin brother are never going to last long after their grandfather's demise.
- The Freakshow: According to Lavinia, her mother originated from Barnum's Aquarial Gardens, where she was treated as a sideshow attraction.
- Human Sacrifice: Lavinia comes to realize - to her horror - that the disappearances of Dunwich children were instigated by Wilbur as not just part of the rituals with Yog-Sothoth, but he also fed the remains to his brother.
- "It" Is Dehumanizing: Lavinia hated how her father and Wilbur referred to Walter as "it" as though her twin son was nothing but an animal, being the only one who regards Walter as a son.
- Missing Mom: Lavinia's mother was horrifically slain when she was young, leaving her with her horrible father.
- No Name Given:
- Lavinia's mother is named Agathe.
- The Dunwich Horror was given the name Walter by Lavinia, albeit spoken to him only in secret.
- Parental Favoritism: Pa almost immediately gives his full attention to Wilbur as his favored grandson and student to teach everything in the ancient tomes he accumulated and then carry out his goal to unleashing the Ancient Ones upon the world.
- The Unfavorite: Walter, who wasn't treated well by either his grandfather or his brother. Only his mother, Lavinia, loved him as her child.
