Selected Weird Tales

by H.P. Lovecraft

Genres: Fiction, Horror

203 pages, Hardcover

Published June 1, 2022

About the author

Howard Phillips Lovecraft, of Providence, Rhode Island, was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction.

Lovecraft's major inspiration and invention was cosmic horror: life is incomprehensible to human minds and the universe is fundamentally alien. Those who genuinely reason, like his protagonists, gamble with sanity. Lovecraft has developed a cult following for his Cthulhu Mythos, a series of loosely interconnected fictions featuring a pantheon of human-nullifying entities, as well as the Necronomicon, a fictional grimoire of magical rites and forbidden lore. His works were deeply pessimistic and cynical, challenging the values of the Enlightenment, Romanticism and Christianity. Lovecraft's protagonists usually achieve the mirror-opposite of traditional gnosis and mysticism by momentarily glimpsing the horror of ultimate reality.

Although Lovecraft's readership was limited during his life, his reputation has grown over the decades. He is now commonly regarded as one of the most influential horror writers of the 20th Century, exerting widespread and indirect influence, and frequently compared to Edgar Allan Poe.
See also Howard Phillips Lovecraft.

— Wikipedia

Reviews

[Alex]

H.P. Lovecraft's work is foundational to the horror genre. At some point, you must read him.

Yes, his prose is turgid. Yes, he was a racist. Yes, you've probably already been exposed to his particular brand of cosmic horror through the lens of later writers. But, by Yog-Sothoth, his stories are still nightmare-inducing. As in, literally nightmare-inducing. As in this book gave me nightmares.

'Selected Weird Tales' includes famous classics like 'The Call of Cthulhu,' alongside lesser-known stories like 'The Rats in the Walls.' As a reading experience, they take some getting used to. Lovecraft wrote in a particularly formalized and stylistic hand, giving his works the feel of arcanum best left unseen by human eyes. I advise impatient readers to give his work some time, read it closely, and let Lovecraft's peculiar voice find its footing in their imaginations. Once entranced, readers will find themselves off-kilter, working to stay afloat in a sea of imagery and concepts that range from the deliciously overwrought to the deeply unsettling. However, I do not recommend reading these stories at bedtime. Once Lovecraft gets his hooks in you, he gets them in deep. After reading him, I awoke with a start, my mind swirling with otherworldly visions of cosmic horror.

In other words: Fantastic! Great Stuff!

So, why four stars for a collection of foundational and still-effective horror stories? The racism—oof— is a lot to swallow. From racist names to monsters that remind the reader of the miscegenation fears of the past, Lovecraft shocked me out of stories on more than one occasion. It's like rocking along during a terrific horror movie, only to have someone shoot a water pistol at you when you least expect it. It breaks the spell.

Nevertheless, these stories are the real deal. If you love horror, you must read H.P. Lovecraft.

[David Booy]

"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn."

I can't believe I waited this long to read The Call of Cthulhu. The Moon-Bog and Rats in the Walls were great as well. Lovecraft's writing is unbelievably good.

It is important to note that some of the language and opinions Lovecraft expresses were very much a product of their time. While I don't think these texts should be suppressed, it is important to acknowledge this when reading his work.

[Maryna Ponomaryova]

Зібрання 5 коротких повістей, 3 зовсім короткі і дві довші. Довші (Поклик Ктулху і Дунвіч Горрор) класні, у них вже прописані персонажі та сюжет, цікаво дізнаватися більше про моторошних істот і як вони взаємодіють з людьми. А короткі виглядають більше як синопсисами, і не зовсім страшні коли читаєш - про болото, яке не треба було осушувати, про старовинний амулет, про крис у стінах.

[Christina Sopp]

There are some parts that should be changed for a modern audience… like give that cat a different name

[860Books2go]

Read 5 of the 8 stories in this, mostly just to get to the “Call of Cthulhu”. I wasn’t too sure what to expect, besides outdated racism. On both fronts I was thoroughly surprised. I wouldn’t call this horror, more eerily written monster stories. I definitely enjoyed it, I think Lovecraft created a genre all his own, but the racist character names were completely unnecessary.

[Vira Sakhniuk]

2.5 ⭐ The Moon-Bog
2.5 ⭐ The Hound
3 ⭐ The rats in the walls
4 ⭐ The call of Cthulhu
4.5 ⭐ The Dunwich Horror

[Chris]

There are, perhaps, some words (and opinions) best ignored in here; but the vibes are exactly as off as they occultly should be.

[Murmur]

"We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far."

[Jonathan Garcia]

spooky

[Eva Marzidovšek Grudnik]

It exists.