The Classic Horror Stories - Hardcover

Lovecraft, H. P.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0199639574 ISBN 13: 9780199639571

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2013

Synopsis

H. P. Lovecraft (1890-1937) was a reclusive scribbler of horror stories for the American pulp magazines that specialized in Gothic and science fiction in the interwar years. He often published in Weird Tales and has since become the key figure in the slippery genre of "weird fiction." Lovecraft developed an extraordinary vision of feeble men driven to the edge of sanity by glimpses of malign beings that have survived from human prehistory or by malevolent extra-terrestrial visitations. The ornate language of his stories builds towards grotesque moments of revelation, quite unlike any other writer.

This new selection brings together nine of his classic tales, focusing on the "Cthulhu Mythos," a cycle of stories that develops the mythology of the Old Ones, the monstrous creatures who predate human life on earth. The stories collected here include some of Lovecraft's finest, including "The Call of Cthulhu," "At the Mountains of Madness," "The Dunwich Horror," "The Colour Out of Space," "The Shadow over Innsmouth," and "The Shadow out of Time." The volume also includes vital extracts from Lovecraft's critical essay, "Supernatural Horror in Literature," in which he gave his own important definition of "weird fiction." In a fascinating introduction, Roger Luckhurst gives Lovecraft the attention he deserves as a writer who used pulp fiction to explore a remarkable philosophy that shockingly dethrones the mastery of man.

Featuring a chronology, bibliography, and informative notes, this is a must-have critical edition for Lovecraft aficionados, and the best introduction to his work for first-time visitors to his strange fictional world.

About this title

About the Author

Roger Luckhurst is Professor of Modern Literature at Birkbeck College, University of London. An expert on science fiction and Gothic literature, he is the author of The Invention of Telepathy, Science Fiction, The Trauma Question, and The Mummy's Curse: The True History of a Dark Fantasy.

Reviews

When an author’s name becomes synonymous with a genre or, indeed, a descriptor—Lovecraftian—it’s safe to assume the ground has already been worn flat. However, the release of Lovecraft’s most famous stories, nine in total and edited by Luckhurst, still has room to entice. Containing biographical information, author notes, an intelligently constructed introduction from Luckhurst, and samplings from Lovecraft’s own critical writings on “weird fiction,” this edition is far beyond a simple anthology of reprints. Although many of these stories are pushing well past 70 years since their first publication, they continue to hold up remarkably well. Dripping with plush, ornamental language, Lovecraft’s work still has the ability to surprise and scare. These stories forerun many genres, and their influence is still felt far and wide in contemporary “weird fiction.” For those interested in Lovecraft but unsure of where to start, this book rolls out the welcome mat. Highly recommended for both new readers and seasoned veterans with an eye toward literary curatorship. --James Orbesen

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0199639574
• ISBN 13: 9780199639571
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 487
• Editor: Luckhurst Roger