American author A. wrote the fantasy book ''The Face in the Abyss.'' by Abraham Merritt. It consists of "The Snake Mother," the sequel to the novelette of the same name. Horace Liveright published it for the first time in its entirety in 1931. The first publication of the novelette "The Face in the Abyss" was in the September 8, 1923 issue of Argosy All-Story Weekly. Beginning on October 25, 1930, "The Snake Mother" was first published in Argosy as a serial in seven parts. American mining engineer Nicholas Graydon is the subject of the book. In South America, he runs upon Suarra, the handmaiden of the Snake Mother of Yu-Atlanchi, while looking for lost Inca wealth. She takes Graydon to a pit where the Lord of Evil Nimir is held captive in a face of gold. Graydon is spared by Suarra and the Snake Mother, joining them in their fight against Nimir, while his friends are turned into globules of gold by the face due to their avarice. The most "visual" novel ever written for the world of fantasy, this great narrative is full of strange ideas, wonderful prose, horror, and beauty. A grand book with a grand cast of characters is The Face in the Abyss.