Lovecraft described his planned novel as a "weird Eastern tale in the 18th century manner" and as a "weird Vathek-like novel", referring to a novel of Arabia written by William Thomas Beckford in 1786.
H.P. Lovecraft envisioned his upcoming novel as an "exotic Eastern story inspired by the 18th century" and described it as a "Vathek-esque tale," drawing inspiration from William Thomas Beckford's 1786 novel, "Vathek."