THE ALCHEMIST is a gothic horror short story first written in 1908 when Lovecraft was just 17 years old. It was later published in the United Amateur in November 1916.

The story follows Antoine, the last in a noble lineage plagued by a sinister curse. For centuries, the men of his family have all mysteriously died at the age of 32. Antoine, approaching this doomed age himself, delves into the history of his ancestors and discovers a vengeful alchemist who centuries ago placed a powerful curse upon his bloodline.