Lovecraft's Monsters - Softcover

Gaiman, Neil; Lansdale, Joe R.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 161696121X ISBN 13: 9781616961213

Publisher: Tachyon Publications, 2014

Synopsis

Prepare to meet the wicked progeny of the master of modern horror. In Lovecraft's Monsters, H. P. Lovecraft's most famous creations—Cthulhu, Shoggoths, Deep Ones, Elder Things, Yog-Sothoth, and more, appear in all their terrifying glory. Each story is a gripping new take on a classic Lovecraftian creature, and each is accompanied by a spectacular original illustration that captures the monsters' unique visage.

Contributors include such literary luminaries as Neil Gaiman, Joe R. Lansdale, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Karl Edward Wagner, Elizabeth Bear, and Nick Mamatas. The monsters are lovingly rendered in spectacular original art by World Fantasy Award–winning artist John Coulthart (The Steampunk Bible).

Legions of Lovecraft fans continue to visit his bizarre landscapes and encounter his unrelenting monsters. Now join them in their journey...if you dare.

About this title

From the Author:

Interest in H. P. Lovecraft's fiction never seems to wane. His influence on his contemporaries and on so many writers since he died is a testament to the power of
his imagination. Why might this be? Possibly it's the richness of the mythos he created. The monsters, the unseen world behind the screen of normality in our world.
My initial exposure to the mythos was during my early teens, when I was reading lots of science fiction, so my experience with Lovecraft strongly contrasted with the sense of wonder and embrace of the unknown in science fiction. H. P. Lovecraft's hidden worlds and the mythos he created seemed inspired by and in turn promoted a sense of  fear and dread of the unknown.
Over time, I've read numerous pastiches of Lovecraft, but most --for me, at least--are too obvious, and bring little new to the table. I'm far more impressed and often surprised by writers who use the mythos in ways that its creator never dreamed of (and might indeed have him spinning in his grave).
            This is the second time I've edited a Lovecraftian anthology. My first was Lovecraft Unbound, containing mostly new stories inspired by Lovecraft. As readers familiar with my theme anthologies, I always attempt to push thematic boundaries to the breaking point: that is, if I can justify to myself that a story I encounter (by commissioning originals, or by researching and listening to suggestions for reprints) fits within the theme of my book, and I love that story I'll acquire and publish it.
For Lovecraft's Monsters, I had three goals in choosing stories: the first, as usual, was to avoid pastiches; the second was to use stories that have not been overly reprinted in the many recent mythos anthologies; third, I wanted to showcase Lovecraftian influenced stories by at least some authors not known for that kind of story. So in this case there are stories by Gemma Files, Steve Rasnic Tem, Karl Edward Wagner, Joe R. Lansdale, Brian Hodge, Nadia Bulkin, and a collaboration by Howard Waldrop and Steven Utley.
I believe I've succeeded in all three goals and hope that you enjoy reading Lovecraft's Monsters as much as I did working on it.

About the Author:

Ellen Datlow is one of the most successful editors in the genres of fantasy and horror. She was the fiction editor of OMNI for nearly twenty years, and has since edited the online magazines Event Horizon and Sci Fiction. Her many anthologies include the Year's Best Fantasy and Horror series; Naked City: Tales of Urban Horror; Snow White, Blood Red; and Darkness: Two Decades of Modern Horror. She has won five Hugo, eight Locus, three Bram Stoker, two Shirley Jackson, and nine World Fantasy awards. Datlow lives in New York City.  

Neil Gaiman is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Neverwhere, Stardust, the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning American Gods, Anansi Boys, and Good Omens (with Terry Pratchett), the young adult novel Coraline, as well as the short story collections Smoke and Mirrors and Fragile Things. He is the originator of the Sandman series and his novels and stories have been adapted for television, screen, and stage. He lives in Minneapolis, MN.  

Joe R. Lansdale is the author of more than 30 novels, including the Edgar Award-winning Hap and Leonard mystery series (Mucho Mojo; Two Bear Mambo), and the New York Times Notable Book The Bottoms. Over 200 of his stories have appeared in outlets such as Tales from the Crypt and Pulphouse, and his work has been adapted for The Twilight Zone and Masters of Horror. Lansdale has written for several graphic novel series including Batman and Fantastic Four. He is a tenth-degree black belt and the founder of the Shen Chuan martial art. He lives in Nacodoches, TX.  

Caitlín R. Kiernan is the author of nine science fiction and fantasy novels, including Silk, Murder of Angels, and Blood Oranges; the long-running Dancy Flammarion series; as well as eleven short story collections, and nonfiction about paleontology. She has received four International Horror Guild Awards and the Tiptree Award. She lives in Providence, RI.  

Elizabeth Bear is the author of over 25 novels including the Jenny Casey series (Hammered; Scardown; Worldwired), Range of Ghosts, and Shattered Pillars. She has received the Hugo, Tiptree, Sturgeon, Campbell, Spectrum, and Locus Awards. She lives in Hartford, CT.

About this edition

• Publisher: Tachyon Publications
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 161696121X
• ISBN 13: 9781616961213
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432
• Editor: Datlow Ellen