The Complete Fiction of H. P. Lovecraft

Mythos Monday
Thoughts on reading The Complete Fiction of H. P. Lovecraft.

[@freelivefree7221]

Lovecraft became a better stylist and craftsman as time went on, however, even his crudely done early stories often have a certain power to them that is lacking in supposedly better writers. It's interesting that he never lost that as he became a more refined writer.

[@markw.loughton6786]

Lovecraft to my mind is equally an existential writer as well as the godfather of modern horror. I just love all of his work.

[@mattlawyer3245]

I am a mathematician. When I read Dreams in the Witch House, I was simultaneously surprised and endlessly delighted that the main character was a mathematician, and that all the magic was given grounding in math! What made it even better was that I have studied some of the specific mathematics which are alluded to in the story, and this made it very fun to read.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

I just hope you have a better fate! Beware little human headed rodents!

[@mattlawyer3245]

@@michaelk.vaughan8617 Indeed! I hope that the equations I produce never lead to such encounters, but in case they do, I already know to promptly step on the beast!

[@kevinmorrice]

Which is funny to me because Lovecraft had to delicate of a constitution for math

[@granvillesimmons6033]

Thank you for this deeply respectful video on Lovecraft's work. What a pity that one of the greatest horror/fantasy writers of all time died in poverty, never knowing how his genius would heavily influence so MANY writers and film producers many decades after his death.

[@stews9]

Hooray for making clear that his writing is not all purple prose, and that he grew into mastery of his style, which is his own and no one else's. How many "pulp" writers achieved that? Bravo, sir.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Thanks Gene!

[@petssound]

I'm filling in a lot of gaps in my Lovecraft reading. I used to find that over wrought style a real barrier but I'm coming to realise there is some really great writing there too. I may well do this chronological read through one day if I find myself in an abandoned shack in a cursed wood.

[@tonygriego6382]

I love how Roger spruced up your bookcase for the holidays.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

He is very festive.

[@mc_zittrer8793]

I have this particular edition! It's been a fixture of my nightstand for seemingly an endless amount of time. I love cracking that thing open to read when I wanna shut the rest of the world out.

[@richardbrown8966]

The Shadow Out of Time is a brilliant science fiction horror story, might be my favourite Lovecraft story, although I love them all.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

That is a great story.

[@davidbarron4118]

Simply put Michael one if not the best master of the weird fiction genre along obviously with RE Howard & Clarke Ashton Smith thanks again for posting his tragic early death along with Howard's tragic early death in my personal opinion robbed the world of what I believe would have been fabulous writers well into the middle of the 20th century his imagination along with the authors mentioned above as with Machen Blackwood was astonishing and since childhood I've been a huge fan 🥰👍

[@frankmorlock9134]

I never could get in to Lovecraft. Back in the day when I was into reading Horror Lovecraft was almost impossible to get hold of. He wasn't alone in that regard M.R. James was another. Ditto Machen and others. I was also put off by names like Chthulu. Chthulu ??? But a man who loved E.A. Poe and especially Lord Dunsany (one of my favorites) can't be all bad. BTW, speaking of E.A. Poe, I worked for a year in Baltimore and used to go by Poe's burial site where mysterious bouquets of flowers used to appear on his tomb. I don't think anyone ever found out who put them there. Nice introduction, as always, Michael.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Thanks Mr. Morlock. Of course Cthulhu is a perfectly respectable name for an extraterrestrial monstrosity.

[@charliedogg7683]

Very good overview of HPL's stories Michael. His skill as a writer definitely evolved, especially his ability to communicate the inescapability of one's doom whether as punishment for hubris or, worse in my view, when the protagonist is the target of an incomprehensible and inexorable power. When I received that Barnes and Noble volume as a gift I was able to replace a number of very tatty paperbacks with it - a lovely volume with a cover that, disturbingly, calls to me to stare into its depths..... As to your question about reading HPL all the way through, I did but with breaks between groups of stories: half a dozen short stories or a couple of longer ones, then an SF anthology or novel before returning for the next bracket of HPL tales.

[@Carlo-V.]

I like all your videos, but you're particularly good when you talk about HPL. Thank you.

[@rowdybobjr4080]

Michael…great video, thanks. I purchased this very book this past Saturday. Just need to find time to read it…

[@enragedkaiser237]

I really love Lovecraft and recently started reading his complete works in e-book form published by Delphi Classics which does contain his collaborations with other authors, poetry and essays. You can really feel Poe's influence in Howard's early stories and all of his poems.

[@reaperofthegrey7294]

lovecrafts complete works is the kind of mythos you need to read through at least twice from the start. how he seeds places, events, people and mythos that come together to form both the dreamlands and Eldritch earth is amazing. he crafted a fantastic world and it would of been amazing to see what he would of done to continue it

[@bookMark2967]

I love Mythos Monday! Great video Michael...I like to think Roger was manning the camera.

[@garylovisi357]

Michael, Very well done and enjoyable examination of HPL, hope you will do more on him, and REH and CAS.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

I will, for sure. Thanks!

[@cfytcf]

A very good review of this book, thanks.

[@carbonc6065]

Now I know which one to buy (finally)--Thank You!

[@konstantinos-6-6-6-8]

Definitely worth reading everything! He is the greatest horror author of all time.

[@granvillesimmons6033]

Correction: He is one of the greatest writers of all time period. A genius decades ahead of his time.

[@konstantinos-6-6-6-8]

@@granvillesimmons6033 you know, I don’t think he was ahead of his time, because I don’t think any one else could have done what he did. Same thing with EAP for example, but he was more of a modern writer in the sense that he wrote a wide range of stuff. That’s the thing with HPL too, 90+% of his fiction feels cohesive, and it just keeps building up to something.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

I agree, of course.

[@stephenwalker2924]

Well done for holding aloft the quite mighty The Complete Fiction of HPL for a good 15 mins! Heavy book, man. Heavy! 😰

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

My Kryptonian strength comes in handy for these videos 😉

[@christopherwurtz650]

Holmes is smoking blue flame.

[@crawdad19141]

lol. great catch! I wonder if the placement of the light was intentional?

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Not intentional but now I’m going to have to do it this way every year.

[@RickClassico]

When I was in Providence earlier this year I bought a hardcover collection of the Complete Tales of H.P. Lovecraft. It has a green cover with Cthulhu on both covers.

[@LeoniFermer-vi4dc]

This is a wonderful introduction to The Master! Can't believe I didn't watch it before; this edition is Fabulous. I've worn my copy out.

[@MarshOakDojoTimPruitt]

thanks

[@MagusMarquillin]

I started HPL chronologically; I'm still in his early period at 1919's the White Ship - though I need to go back to Samuel Johnson and Sweet Ermengarde (which I skipped because they aren't horror and it was October) - though "not the best", I've found them all very enjoyable, even his juvenalia written when he was 7 showed the great promise awakening, so long as you take them for what they are (kind of adorable). Maybe only "Beast in the Cave" was a bit too basic, but it already showed a fine mastery of language at 15. They are all short anyway, so it's no great time sink to try one, then another, if one wants a holistic view of his work.

[@danielmarlett1421]

I read through this edition last year. I like Lovecraft a lot but I do reach a saturation point with his stories. I'm glad I did it but I think I'll space it out next time.

[@turtleanton6539]

Try the mangas

[@theramblingreviewer5150]

Excellent video, Michael! And just in keeping with the spirit of Christmas! Cthulhu in Christmas!!! ♫♪♪ For even death may die my dear, for even death my die! Alhazred said 'that is not dead, which can eternal lie!' ♫♪♪ (Sung in parody of Auld Lang Syne) Here's hoping you'll put out some more eldritch festivities! Tis the season! Iä iä! And I must also wonder about Edgar? Did he run off somewhere? Please tell me he hasn't come under the nasty influence of that old khemite Pharoah, Nephren-Ka. He's always up to some nasty business.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Roger is always getting into some kind of trouble.

[@grantross2609]

you're often left wondering exactly what kind of stories he might have written had he had the chance...... Weird Tales & the SF mags continued for a fair while and of course WW2 was just round the corner when he died.... we'll never know of course ! we can merely rejoice in what we have......

[@Coreyw_art]

Hey Michael, thanks for the vid! I’m glad you mentioned that Lovecraft’s views changed as he got older. That’s something that people on the internet seem to either forget or gloss over. BTW, there’s a graphic novel called Lovecraft by Hans Rodionoff. The artwork is very interesting and is all done in watercolour and ink. Not too sure about the story but the art looks great. Just thought I’d let you know 😅 Cheers!

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Thanks Corey!

[@Coreyw_art]

@@michaelk.vaughan8617 No worries! I forgot that you aren’t buying any books right now. But just for future reference…In case you need a suggestion for epic comic book Wednesday. 👍

[@lucascoval828]

As long as his views are not in the realm of Marion Zimmer Bradley, I'm all good.

[@Marco_Cadabra]

I‘m a huge Lovecraft fan since I first read him as a child. I appreciate the impact Poe had - not only on Lovecraft. But unlike with Lovecraft, I always found Poe‘s work to be somewhat boring.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Really? I’ve always enjoyed Poe.

[@turtleanton6539]

Cool 😊😊😊😊

[@pedroribeiro7922]

The Barnes and Noble edition is also missing his poem Fungi from Yugoth.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

That’s true.

[@zombieprincess82]

Such an interesting video, about an interesting guy. Makes me want to read a really good biography about him.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

I Am Providence by S. T. Joshi is the best.

[@zombieprincess82]

@@michaelk.vaughan8617 thank you, will check it out. In about 3 years when I've finished the challenge!

[@turtleanton6539]

There is one

[@DDB168]

Yeh I know I should read him, I just haven't got around to it. I would prefer something smaller though to start with.

[@BarberShave19]

Not sure if you know this already, but Lovecraft was also friends/penpals with Robert E. Howard, the original creator of Conan the Barbarian himself.

[@milesknightestrada3286]

After careful consideration, I decided to spring for The Complete Fiction from Barnes and Noble. Have I chosen wisely?

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Yes!

[@turtleanton6539]

U cant miss with lovecraft

[@anotherbibliophilereads]

I haven’t read everything by Lovecraft, but I have read most, excluding the revisions. I have the four Arkham hardcovers and a complete works on Kindle. I have an ebook of the revisions but it excluded the Loved Dead.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

The Loved Dead is a good one! It should be in your Arkham edition at least.

[@Kikilang60]

Every year at this time before Christmas, BJs whole sale club sells off copyright material. Lovecraft is always there. The books are printed with copious colored gilt, and fake black leather. There is ribbions to use as book marks. The price is hard to beat, but sadly the paper quality has gone done, but that does vary depending on the year. I'm not an expert on Lovecraft, so don't know how the stories are aranged. Still it's hard to beat a black book with tentacles in gold and red gilt.

[@timmeyer9191]

Thanks for the great video. About what point do you think Lovecraft finally became his best (what story was it)? Was it Call of Cthulu? Or was it somewhere else in his bibliography? Have a great night and have a great reading experience.

[@granvillesimmons6033]

That's a superb question. Personally, I think it wàs probably with The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. That, or possibly Dreams in The Witch House.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Tough call. I would say on his return to Providence after his New York experience he improved significantly. So Call of Cthulhu would be about right.

[@knittymama570]

Haven't read Lovecraft yet. Maybe 2023 is the year.

[@turtleanton6539]

Why not

[@TheWRYYYYYYY]

How is the Barns & Noble edition? I remember hearing it had a lot of typos when it was first published, have they been corrected in later printings?

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

The first printing was a mess. It was a typo filled nightmare. Fortunately the current editions are all good.

[@digitalbibliophilia1387]

I have the commemorative edition of Necronomicon by Victor Gollancz. Where does this volume sit in amongst others? Is it missing works from the Barnes and Noble edition you are holding in this video?

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

That edition is not complete. It’s missing a lot. Nice book though.

[@turtleanton6539]

Get the companion book eldritch tales

[@crawdad19141]

Hey!!! Michael, when are you going to read and review "A means to Freedom the letters of HP Lovecraft and Robert E Howard" Volumes 1 and 2? Being a fan of both authors, it seems a no brainer.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

It does. I will eventually.

[@brianjauch9958]

Wild, I just ordered this volume last week and am expecting it any day. Read it all at once? Would I not expire in gibbering madness?

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

You might.

[@joedenby2645]

You should look into The Bizarchives

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Okay. Thanks!

[@MasterMalrubius]

So, where's Roger? Probably snuck out to buy more books.

[@snowysnowyriver]

I think Roger has a second tomb below Rustic Vaughan Lodge and he is hiding his illicit book hauls down there.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

I wouldn’t put it past him.

[@sammywilliam8156]

And now people want his works taken away and destroyed because the way he acted man this world is going downhill real f****** quick long live ake p love craft