Best HP Lovecraft Work Collection?

[ChristmasFanatic]

There are many out there, but which is the best one do you suggest? I read a few of his work, and wanna read more.

THANKS!

[Expletive Deleted]

The Library of America volume is a pretty good sampling.

[ChristmasFanatic]

Thanks! Will check. Here in the Philippines, its rare(I have to order online or ask bookstore to do it for me which may take months)... I saw the Necronomicon one though.

[berk]

I like the Penguin ones that came out a few years ago. Nicely packaged, with well-chosen cover illustrations, they're also annotated by S. T. Joshi and cover the bulk of Lovecraft's output, although not exhaustively and not in chronological order. I think Joshi has edited a more complete set of Lovecraft collections for another publisher, but the Penguins are cheaper and probably easier to find.

There was another thread about this some time ago and IIRC there were a few other suggestions I wasn't familiar with. Should be able to find it with a search.

edit: here's that other thread

[ChristmasFanatic]

Thanks, but just wanna make sure... there are 3 Penguin books right:

The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories
The Dreams in the Witch House: And Other Weird Stories
The Thing on the Doorstep and Other Weird Stories

Those 3 better than the Library of America? Its ok if I dont read the collaborations or ghost writings(unless you guys really claim its THAT good), I just want his main works.

THANKS AGAIN!

[BcAugust]

Thanks, but just wanna make sure... there are 3 Penguin books right: The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories The Dreams in the Witch House: And Other Weird Stories The Thing on the Doorstep and Other Weird Stories Those 3 better than the Library of America? Its ok if I dont read the collaborations or ghost writings(unless you guys really claim its THAT good), I just want his main works. THANKS AGAIN!

Well, you'll probably find one of his ghost written ones in any collection(Under the Pyramids, which is fairly good). They look okay, though it always is a bit risky with "corrected" editions, given it changes a few stories a bit(Mountains of Madness being one, I'm aware of three different versions.). Looking at the Penguin versions, they do have some of the collaborations(including one of my favorites, the Tree). I'd probably grab the Library of America collection instead, though that's mainly to avoid the annotations, there are more then a few intentional...let's say very uncharitable takes on Lovecraft's stories by that particular scholar, which aren't backed up by Lovecraft's letters or friends and family. If you're interested, there's always more to look up later, including his collaborations.

[ChristmasFanatic]

Well, you'll probably find one of his ghost written ones in any collection(Under the Pyramids, which is fairly good). They look okay, though it always is a bit risky with "corrected" editions, given it changes a few stories a bit(Mountains of Madness being one, I'm aware of three different versions.). Looking at the Penguin versions, they do have some of the collaborations(including one of my favorites, the Tree). I'd probably grab the Library of America collection instead, though that's mainly to avoid the annotations, there are more then a few intentional...let's say very uncharitable takes on Lovecraft's stories by that particular scholar, which aren't backed up by Lovecraft's letters or friends and family. If you're interested, there's always more to look up later, including his collaborations.

Great help. Thanks Temari! My favorite woman in Naruto.

[destro]

The key is to avoid the newer collections written by other people that usually have HP LOVECRAFT emblazoned at the top which could easily fool a new HPL fan into thinking they are buying something he wrote.

Other than that I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. I know a nice leather bound edition called Necronomicon came out recently which I think collects all his his works aside from possibly the poetry.

[ChristmasFanatic]

The key is to avoid the newer collections written by other people that usually have HP LOVECRAFT emblazoned at the top which could easily fool a new HPL fan into thinking they are buying something he wrote.

Other than that I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. I know a nice leather bound edition called Necronomicon came out recently which I think collects all his his works aside from possibly the poetry.

Its the one with Cthulhu's head on the cover right?

[destro]

Its the one with Cthulhu's head on the cover right?

Yes that's the one. Looks like a really nice collection if you don't mind spending the money on it. Really though I don't think you can go wrong with any of the collections, as long as it's pure HPL and not mixed in with the Derleth stuff (which to be fair some people enjoy). I just think it's worth reading the HPL stories 1st.

[berk]

Yes that's the one. Looks like a really nice collection if you don't mind spending the money on it. Really though I don't think you can go wrong with any of the collections, as long as it's pure HPL and not mixed in with the Derleth stuff (which to be fair some people enjoy). I just think it's worth reading the HPL stories 1st.

I have a copy of "Dweller on the Threshold", which is billed as a Lovecraft/Derleth novel with Derleth's name in comparatlvely very small print- anyone tried it? Is it more Derleth than Lovecraft? Or can you tell?

[Gothos]

I have a copy of "Dweller on the Threshold", which is billed as a Lovecraft/Derleth novel with Derleth's name in comparatlvely very small print- anyone tried it? Is it more Derleth than Lovecraft? Or can you tell?

I read it but don't remember much about it. That's reason enough for me to suspect that it's mostly Derleth.

Great title, though. One of HPL's best.

EDIT: It now occurs to me that the book I read was titled "LURKER on the Threshhold."

[berk]

I just looked at my copy and it is indeed Lurker on the Threshold, not "Dweller". Still, a good title, I agree. I might have been confusing it with the Van Morrison song with a similar tag.

[Zagra]

The one you want is Barnes and Nobles Leatherbound Classics: The Complete Fiction of HP Lovecraft. For less than 20 bucks you get all his short stories, novellas and poems. The only ones you don't get are his colaborations, but those really were just Lovecraft-approved fan fiction. Also, it's hardcover bound in some leather imitation and it's pure awesome.