Never read lovecraft, where should I start?

[fadedface]

Start with the Outsider

[Emin]

I always prefer the creepy ambience of Arthur Machen to H.P. Lovecraft.

Interesting, I shall look for his works to read.

[buckskin scout]

Barnes & Noble has his complete fiction published in a single leather bound volume, and for a reasonable price of $20 or so, ISBN-13: 9781435122963.

Lovecraft did help other authors rewrite some of their work, or co-wrote with them, and even did some ghost writing under other names. These will not be in that collection, but there is a book title 'The Horror in the Museum' published by Delrey, which is a collection of most of these other stories. From this collection, a few good ones are 'The Mound', 'The Curse of Yig', and 'The Horror at the Museum'.

This volume is a steal. It offers you all 74 of H.P. Lovecraft novels, novellas, and short stories for a mere $20 in their brick and mortar stores and $18 in their online store.

But here's the catch, buyer beware of the 2008 version with the gold book ribbon because it is full of typos.

Barnes & Noble proofread their volume properly in the 2010/11 version with the purple book ribbon because it has corrected all of the typos.

Gold ribbon (2008) = bad

Purple ribbon (2010/11) = good

But I doubt they have any of the gold ribbon volumes in their brick and mortar stores or online available anymore.

Interesting, I shall look for his works to read.

I suggest reading these 7 short stories in this order:

The Great God Pan

The White People

The Novel Of The Black Seal

The Shining Pyramid

Out Of The Earth

The Terror

The Novel Of The White Powder

These seven alone represent the very best of Machen horror, and also not all of Machen's stories are horror either.

Some find The White People challenging because it relies on images seen through the eyes of a adolescent girl. One has to read between the lines and remember Machen was a master at early decadent horror.

EDIT: Forgot Out Of The Earth!

Edited December 28, 2012 by Ambush Bug

[buckskin scout]

Here are free etexts of these Arthur Machen stories.

THE GREAT GOD PAN

THE WHITE PEOPLE

THE NOVEL OF THE BLACK SEAL

THE SHINING PYRAMID

OUT OF THE EARTH

THE TERROR

THE NOVEL OF THE WHITE POWDER

Enjoy.

[Insanity]

This volume is a steal. It offers you all 74 of H.P. Lovecraft novels, novellas, and short stories for a mere $20 in their brick and mortar stores and $18 in their online store.

But here's the catch, buyer beware of the 2008 version with the gold book ribbon because it is full of typos.

Barnes & Noble proofread their volume properly in the 2010/11 version with the purple book ribbon because it has corrected all of the typos.

Gold ribbon (2008) = bad

Purple ribbon (2010/11) = good

But I doubt they have any of the gold ribbon volumes in their brick and mortar stores or online available anymore.

I suggest reading these 7 short stories in this order:

The Great God Pan

The White People

The Novel Of The Black Seal

The Shining Pyramid

Out Of The Earth

The Terror

The Novel Of The White Powder

These seven alone represent the very best of Machen horror, and also not all of Machen's stories are horror either.

Some find The White People challenging because it relies on images seen through the eyes of a adolescent girl. One has to read between the lines and remember Machen was a master at early decadent horror.

EDIT: Forgot Out Of The Earth!

Correct, the purple book ribbon and silver leafed pages is the correct edition. I happen to own both due to this problem, but I am certain you are correct as well that the old print is no longer available. B&N has several books along the same, nice collections of good authors in same style books for around $20, I have one that has several works of H.G. Wells.

I shall have to look up Arthur Machen.

China Miéville is another author of similar to Lovecraft that was recommended by a friend and I yet have to read his works.

[buckskin scout]

Correct, the purple book ribbon and silver leafed pages is the correct edition. I happen to own both due to this problem, but I am certain you are correct as well that the old print is no longer available. B&N has several books along the same, nice collections of good authors in same style books for around $20, I have one that has several works of H.G. Wells.

I shall have to look up Arthur Machen.

China Miéville is another author of similar to Lovecraft that was recommended by a friend and I yet have to read his works.

Yes, they have alot of classic authors such as Asimov, Austen, L. Frank Baum, Bradbury, Lewis Carroll, Dickens, Arthur Conan, Doyle, Gaiman, Hemingway, Poe, Stoker, Twain, Verne, Wells, Wilde, etc. They are called Barnes & Noble leatherbound classics.

The Island Of Dr Moreau is my favorite Wells story btw.

I have read two of China Mieville books years ago, yes, one could say he has Lovecraft elements meets steampunk otherworlds. I think he may be just up your alley.

They have a Stephen King volume that contains Carrie, Salem's Lot, and The Shining that represent some of his best work ever.

[buckskin scout]

Not necessarily a piece of weird fiction but what was dubbed by Lovecraft himself as the best horror story ever written:

ALGERNON BLACKWOOD'S THE WILLOWS

The atmospheric creep factor is through the roof with this story!

[buckskin scout]

Dont me to spam or move the thread off topic:

Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Classics Series A Classic Offer: Buy 2, Get a 3rd Free!

Stock up on the classics you've always meant to read. Between now and January 29th, buy two B&N Classics from a selection of more than 200, and get your third free.

I am eyeballing that Bradbury volume and some other selections!

[buckskin scout]

[Urisk]

Jenkins, thank you for the links to Machen's work. I'm trying to remember if I've read any of his stuff... I've got a couple compilations that have stories like Tindalos, Surtsey, Notebook Found in a Deserted House etc, there might be one by him in there.

Anyone else got the Cthulhu 2000 compilation? Some pretty good stories on there!

[buckskin scout]

Jenkins, thank you for the links to Machen's work. I'm trying to remember if I've read any of his stuff... I've got a couple compilations that have stories like Tindalos, Surtsey, Notebook Found in a Deserted House etc, there might be one by him in there.

Anyone else got the Cthulhu 2000 compilation? Some pretty good stories on there!

You're welcome, The Great God Pan, The White People, and Blackwood's The Willows are absolute must reads! I am not a great fan of Algernon Blackwood because quite frankly he can be boring. But The Willows is stupendously brilliant. No one can depict mundane nature with such forboding and menace than in the writings of Algernon Blackwood.

I haven't read Cthulhu 2000 but upon checking the table of contents it looks liked it is really stacked quite nicely. I prefer to read author collections than compilations most of the time.

[cultanorak]

Shadow Over Innsmouth is a good place to start and representative of the Cthulhu mythos (a phrase Lovecraft himself never used but was coined later by August Derleth) and the story is also quite underrated in Lovecraft's oeuvre.

[krypter3]

I have H.P Lovecrafts necromancer and let me just say, his work is not easy to read. If you are not accustomed to how he writes and you only read modern stuff, it could be a tad difficult. It's a bit over the top, but that's what Lovecraft is.

[Frank Merton]

Don't read Lovecraft if you are prone to depression or have trouble getting to sleep.

[Insanity]

Don't read Lovecraft if you are prone to depression or have trouble getting to sleep.

Or if you suffering from fever dreams from a cold or other illness.

[xYlvax]

Lovecraft is pure genius..

I didn't know where to start either, so I picked up a large volume filled with most of his writings and became absorbed from the start. I didn't stop until I finished reading it, then I started reading my favorites over and over. It is quite a journey!

Edited April 25, 2013 by AliveInDeath7