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H. P. Lovecraft Tales of Horror (Leather-bound Classics)
"H.P. Tales of Horror" presents a captivating compilation of the master of cosmic horror's most iconic and spine-tingling tales. From the chilling depths of "The Shadow over Innsmouth" to the mind-bending terror of "At the Mountains of Madness," Lovecraft's stories are a mesmerizing blend of horror, science fiction, and existential philosophy. With his vivid descriptions and unparalleled imagination, Lovecraft transports readers to nightmarish worlds where ancient gods and eldritch horrors reign supreme. As you journey through the twisted landscapes of the Cthulhu Mythos, you'll encounter forbidden knowledge, forbidden cults, and the maddening realization that humanity is but a speck in the vastness of the cosmos. Whether you're a seasoned Lovecraftian aficionado or new to the world of cosmic horror, "H.P. Tales of Horror" is a must-read for anyone who dares to explore the darkest corners of the human psyche and confront the cosmic horrors that lurk beyond the veil of reality.
417 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 5, 2024
364 people are currently reading
567 people want to read
About the author
H.P. Lovecraft
6,040 books19.2k followersHoward 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
September 5, 2024
Entertaining horror listening ✨😮🎶😯🎵
This kindle e-book novel is from Amazon for a small amount
Eight H. P. Lovecraft horror stories. Each story stands another with interesting characters actions and misdirection leading to each conclusion.
I would recommend this novel to readers of horror stories. 2024
This kindle e-book novel is from Amazon for a small amount
Eight H. P. Lovecraft horror stories. Each story stands another with interesting characters actions and misdirection leading to each conclusion.
I would recommend this novel to readers of horror stories. 2024
September 13, 2023
What a book.
Definitely recommendable to anyone looking into cool, old-school horror.
A compilation of many stories which at first seem completely independent from one another, but slowly turn into a single universe.
Lovecraft is a big fan of writing with grand and sometimes obscure words. There were moments where I almost felt like I needed a dictionary alongside the book.
However I do think it aids in setting the scene for when and where all these stories take place.
The addition of a small biography about Lovecraft at the start of the book was also really nice. It gives you a really good insight into who he is and how to look at his stories.
Definitely recommendable to anyone looking into cool, old-school horror.
A compilation of many stories which at first seem completely independent from one another, but slowly turn into a single universe.
Lovecraft is a big fan of writing with grand and sometimes obscure words. There were moments where I almost felt like I needed a dictionary alongside the book.
However I do think it aids in setting the scene for when and where all these stories take place.
The addition of a small biography about Lovecraft at the start of the book was also really nice. It gives you a really good insight into who he is and how to look at his stories.
May 2, 2025
I was originally afraid to start reading Lovecraft. I'm most likely not alone in being more worried about Lovecraft's personal reputation, than what he actually wrote. However, Ken Mondschein's fantastic intro eased my worries and convinced me to read Lovecraft despite his racist undertones.
When I first started reading Lovecraft, I was wrongly told he wrote about demons and exorcists. This is not exactly the case. He writes more about aliens than demons, and after reading, I can safely call his writing Cosmic horror (duh). Entities that are beyond human comprehension liter his work. The dead walk and monsters live underground all while arrogant people tamper with things they shouldn't.
Lovecraft as a person must have lived in constant fear of everything. Differing from Stephen King, the characters of Lovecraft are mostly blank slates, giving you ample room to put yourself in their shoes to feel afraid. The fear of the unknown and the fear of people is a constant throughout his work. Stories like "The Lurking Fear" or "Pickman's Model", are some examples.
Lovecraft's fear of people feels very similar to today's fears but in a slightly different way. It's something I can't quite place my finger on. I also never really felt the suspense in his stories. Maybe the closest was "The Whisperer in the Dark" where the dumbest/boldest character goes where he obviously should not.
My favorite stories are "Harbert West- Reanimator", "The Thing On the Doorstep", and "The Color Out of Space" - a story everyone should read. A lot of my enjoyment has to go to this collection because each story felt like an extension of the last. If you're interested in Lovecraft I recommend Tales of Horror. His writing is superb and his imagination is terrifying. I found myself constantly asking the question: Who hurt this man?
When I first started reading Lovecraft, I was wrongly told he wrote about demons and exorcists. This is not exactly the case. He writes more about aliens than demons, and after reading, I can safely call his writing Cosmic horror (duh). Entities that are beyond human comprehension liter his work. The dead walk and monsters live underground all while arrogant people tamper with things they shouldn't.
Lovecraft as a person must have lived in constant fear of everything. Differing from Stephen King, the characters of Lovecraft are mostly blank slates, giving you ample room to put yourself in their shoes to feel afraid. The fear of the unknown and the fear of people is a constant throughout his work. Stories like "The Lurking Fear" or "Pickman's Model", are some examples.
Lovecraft's fear of people feels very similar to today's fears but in a slightly different way. It's something I can't quite place my finger on. I also never really felt the suspense in his stories. Maybe the closest was "The Whisperer in the Dark" where the dumbest/boldest character goes where he obviously should not.
My favorite stories are "Harbert West- Reanimator", "The Thing On the Doorstep", and "The Color Out of Space" - a story everyone should read. A lot of my enjoyment has to go to this collection because each story felt like an extension of the last. If you're interested in Lovecraft I recommend Tales of Horror. His writing is superb and his imagination is terrifying. I found myself constantly asking the question: Who hurt this man?
June 21, 2023
Book: Tales of Horror
Author: HP Lovecraft
Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars
I hate reviewing bind ups. There are always a few stories that I would give a five-star rating and some that I struggle to get through. This is the case here. I found myself fully immersed in some of the stories and others I didn’t care about.
Lovecraft is one of the founding fathers of the horror genre. He is the one whom many of our modern-day horror authors look up to. His impact extends beyond authors and into the music and movie industry. Without him, the horror genre would not be what is it today. This is one of those cases that you have to step back and realize that. You also have to go into his writing knowing the time period. If you were to read it in today’s terms, you would be appalled. I am also against calling classics “racist.” If you don’t like it, then you don’t have to follow me. You have to take it in the time that it was written. Now, this does not mean that you can’t talk about the problematic material and why it problematic and how how we have changed or can change. In order to grow as human beings, we have to be willing to look at the context and talk about it. Just labelling something as problematic and cancelling it does not solve the problem. We have to be willing to talk about it.
Okay…Now, that I have that out of my system, let’s dive into this.
Lovecraft’s writing is very dense. Whenever I first starting reading, it took me forever to get through a short story. That is because I had to really slow down my reading pace and take in what I was writing. He also does a lot of tell not show. This makes his writing very chunky and very info dumpy. Once you do get beyond that, you can see how unsettling and immersive his writing actually is. He takes what is different and odd and twists it into these very unsettling stories. His style of horror realls real. He gives you these everyday who have found themselves in certain situations and now have to work through it. now, his story telling does get repetitive, but it is always so unsetteling.
Dreams, empty houses, and people who don’t fit into society all become something different. They are gothic and dark. Lovecraft takes these things and twists them. He turns them into places where ghouls live, where monsters linger, and the mind is falling apart. He takes what seems innocent, adds some whispers, and turns it into a full-blown horror story. You find yourself thinking that will never happen, but then you read more of the story and you can see it. You can see that it could happen even though it’s not possible. It’s almost like Lovecraft is putting down all of his nightmares on the page and giving them to you to read. What makes it even more twisted is how he makes everything come across as childlike. This makes you stop and think about what you are reading.
Overall, I see the impact of this book. Again, it’s really difficult to rate collections because there are some that I enjoy and some that I do not.
Author: HP Lovecraft
Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars
I hate reviewing bind ups. There are always a few stories that I would give a five-star rating and some that I struggle to get through. This is the case here. I found myself fully immersed in some of the stories and others I didn’t care about.
Lovecraft is one of the founding fathers of the horror genre. He is the one whom many of our modern-day horror authors look up to. His impact extends beyond authors and into the music and movie industry. Without him, the horror genre would not be what is it today. This is one of those cases that you have to step back and realize that. You also have to go into his writing knowing the time period. If you were to read it in today’s terms, you would be appalled. I am also against calling classics “racist.” If you don’t like it, then you don’t have to follow me. You have to take it in the time that it was written. Now, this does not mean that you can’t talk about the problematic material and why it problematic and how how we have changed or can change. In order to grow as human beings, we have to be willing to look at the context and talk about it. Just labelling something as problematic and cancelling it does not solve the problem. We have to be willing to talk about it.
Okay…Now, that I have that out of my system, let’s dive into this.
Lovecraft’s writing is very dense. Whenever I first starting reading, it took me forever to get through a short story. That is because I had to really slow down my reading pace and take in what I was writing. He also does a lot of tell not show. This makes his writing very chunky and very info dumpy. Once you do get beyond that, you can see how unsettling and immersive his writing actually is. He takes what is different and odd and twists it into these very unsettling stories. His style of horror realls real. He gives you these everyday who have found themselves in certain situations and now have to work through it. now, his story telling does get repetitive, but it is always so unsetteling.
Dreams, empty houses, and people who don’t fit into society all become something different. They are gothic and dark. Lovecraft takes these things and twists them. He turns them into places where ghouls live, where monsters linger, and the mind is falling apart. He takes what seems innocent, adds some whispers, and turns it into a full-blown horror story. You find yourself thinking that will never happen, but then you read more of the story and you can see it. You can see that it could happen even though it’s not possible. It’s almost like Lovecraft is putting down all of his nightmares on the page and giving them to you to read. What makes it even more twisted is how he makes everything come across as childlike. This makes you stop and think about what you are reading.
Overall, I see the impact of this book. Again, it’s really difficult to rate collections because there are some that I enjoy and some that I do not.
May 8, 2023
I, like most people, was well aware of H.P. Lovecraft's racism going into this book. Even still, H.P. Lovecraft is long dead, so I don't need to worry so much about the things that would make me hesitate to read a still living author with his views. Canterbury Press puts out absolutely beautiful books (honestly, this book is so pretty that I had to buy it even if I didn't especially want to), and so I'm happy to support them, and I'm interested in Lovecraftian horror as a genre and thought I'd look into its roots a little bit.
I was disappointed on multiple levels in this book. First and foremost was, in fact, the racism. H was under the impression that a lot of Lovecraft fans were shocked! Shocked they say!! when they learned that Lovecraft was an unrepentant racist, and so I assumed that whatever his views were, in his writing's they'd be tone down or disguised. How wrong I was. It's very clearly laid out, in the vilest of terms, what he thinks of people who aren't white. It's not subtle, it's not metaphorical. It's there in clear language on the page.
Even aside from the racism, these weren't great. I found myself bored to tears more often than not (yes, even in the early stories of this collection, before they started expressing the clear racism. I read thirteen stories in this collection of 27, and of those thirteen, only four of them had the very clear racism). There were some stories I enjoyed, like "The Music of Erich Zann" but most of them were flops for me.
Included in the 13 stories I read was the novella "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath" which, frankly, read like a child with a prodigious vocabulary wrote it. "This happened and then this happened and then this happened and then I talked with the general of the cat arm and then I made friends with a ghoul and then these other guys who were mean to me before became my friend! And they let me ride them!" before it finishes off with a love-letter to Boston (which was, admittedly, beautifully written, and was the one thing in the story that seemed to have any sort of feeling behind it).
Also included in the 13 stories was "The Cats of Ulthar" which was actually delightful and my favourite part of the nearly two weeks I spent with this book.
I was disappointed on multiple levels in this book. First and foremost was, in fact, the racism. H was under the impression that a lot of Lovecraft fans were shocked! Shocked they say!! when they learned that Lovecraft was an unrepentant racist, and so I assumed that whatever his views were, in his writing's they'd be tone down or disguised. How wrong I was. It's very clearly laid out, in the vilest of terms, what he thinks of people who aren't white. It's not subtle, it's not metaphorical. It's there in clear language on the page.
Even aside from the racism, these weren't great. I found myself bored to tears more often than not (yes, even in the early stories of this collection, before they started expressing the clear racism. I read thirteen stories in this collection of 27, and of those thirteen, only four of them had the very clear racism). There were some stories I enjoyed, like "The Music of Erich Zann" but most of them were flops for me.
Included in the 13 stories I read was the novella "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath" which, frankly, read like a child with a prodigious vocabulary wrote it. "This happened and then this happened and then this happened and then I talked with the general of the cat arm and then I made friends with a ghoul and then these other guys who were mean to me before became my friend! And they let me ride them!" before it finishes off with a love-letter to Boston (which was, admittedly, beautifully written, and was the one thing in the story that seemed to have any sort of feeling behind it).
Also included in the 13 stories was "The Cats of Ulthar" which was actually delightful and my favourite part of the nearly two weeks I spent with this book.
October 14, 2025
This collection of works by H.P. Lovecraft really shows how great of a writer he was. Almost every story in this book was a great thriller, and fun to read. The only real problem I tended to find was the blatant racism that Lovecraft constantly put into his stories. The amount of slurs I had to read in The Call of Cthulhu alone was unpleasant. Other than that though, Lovecraft was an amazing author, and a pioneer for the horror genre as a whole.
The structure of the book didn’t affect my reading very much, and, if anything, improved my experience when reading. The immediate jump to a new story allowed my brain to absorb the twists that tended to be at the end of each story, or at the end of each chapter. It also allowed me to read a larger amount of stories in one sitting, as I didn’t have to keep searching for the stories individually, and I could move on to the next story immediately. All in all, I would recommend this book to any fans of horror or thrillers, and I would rate this book 8.4 / 10.
The structure of the book didn’t affect my reading very much, and, if anything, improved my experience when reading. The immediate jump to a new story allowed my brain to absorb the twists that tended to be at the end of each story, or at the end of each chapter. It also allowed me to read a larger amount of stories in one sitting, as I didn’t have to keep searching for the stories individually, and I could move on to the next story immediately. All in all, I would recommend this book to any fans of horror or thrillers, and I would rate this book 8.4 / 10.
April 30, 2024
FINALLY! interesting read especially for lovers of classic and eldritch horror. very cool to see how lovecraft laid the foundations for the genre. the stories do get repetitive in formula and take-away but are fun reads nonetheless. i appreciated how the introduction discusses lovecraft’s life and his racist beliefs. while they excluded his stories that have the most racist views, there were still moments in the other stories where his casual racism took me completely out of the narrative. something to be aware of for anyone considering reading.
that being said: 3.5 stars. there a few stories i can see coming back and rereading when in the mood.
that being said: 3.5 stars. there a few stories i can see coming back and rereading when in the mood.
September 27, 2024
I did know before this that HP Lovecraft was a racist... I did not expect it to be so prevalent and VILE. It really detracted from what would have been good stories. I get he wrote these in the early 1900's, but to put things into perspective; Mark Twain was 55 years older than Lovecraft and he was leagues more progressive than him. So really, there's not much of an excuse.
Other than all that, I can certainly see why Lovecraft's work was so influential on the Horror and Dark Fantasy genres. He was very good at writing horror (when he wasn't busy being racist). My favorite story in the collection was "Herbert West-Reanimator"
Other than all that, I can certainly see why Lovecraft's work was so influential on the Horror and Dark Fantasy genres. He was very good at writing horror (when he wasn't busy being racist). My favorite story in the collection was "Herbert West-Reanimator"
May 21, 2025
Written by someone who definitely likes the sound of his voice. Also a racist. These stories would work so much better if they were condensed. A lot of them is just build up on build up and then at the end...nothing.
Having said that however, the ideas behind the stories are really good and I was fascinated by most of them.
Having said that however, the ideas behind the stories are really good and I was fascinated by most of them.
April 10, 2024
"read it" is a lie ive been reading it and i really like the stories maybe im just cold blooded, but none of the stories are very scary but they're really cool and id recommend reading some. Plus depending on which version you get looks really cool and mystical
October 31, 2024
So Dark and twisted definitely the mind of a horror writer.
I love how the descriptions really draw you in just wanting to learn more. I just love how with Lovecraft there really is no limits. That's what I really enjoy about him as a writer in a whole.
I would highly recommend this.
I love how the descriptions really draw you in just wanting to learn more. I just love how with Lovecraft there really is no limits. That's what I really enjoy about him as a writer in a whole.
I would highly recommend this.
August 6, 2023
This guy loves fish
September 6, 2023
A good introduction to the Cthulhu mythos and a fun collection of short horror stories.
October 9, 2023
Cosmic horror classics. Worth the read
December 13, 2023
Definitely worth a read, even if it comes off as ponderously slow and clearly showing its age.
October 21, 2024
Nice universe and I can see his modern day influence but not overall impressed...
March 15, 2025
Great collection. Awesome stories. Still hate the racism.
NEVER say the cat's name in my presence. NEVER EVEN MENTION THE CAT.
NEVER say the cat's name in my presence. NEVER EVEN MENTION THE CAT.
July 13, 2025
very spoopy
October 20, 2025
3.25★
COSMIC DREAD ✦ INSIGNIFICANCE
COSMIC DREAD ✦ INSIGNIFICANCE
December 10, 2025
Creepy stories. Lovecraft has this uncanny ability to transport the reader into his nightmarish mind. I enjoyed it.
October 11, 2025
Only read Cthulhu, Erich Zahn, Pickmans Model, whisperers, colour out of space, mountains, Dagon & Dunwich Horror… most were pretty dry 🐙👹😱
December 3, 2024
Dagon - I should draw this puked up rotting fish bed, and the large cone type myior that he traveled upon to the monument.
Randolph Carter statement - This is exactly the prank you'd expect from a young man to fake his death in 1848. I'm sure the crypts are connected. Although if not, and the entity was talking in his voice, he clearly left it ample time to escape.
Cats of Ulthar - yes, obviously don't kill cats. Who is so self destructive that you think cats are plotting against you ?, of course if it offered a secret Egyptian afterlife reward or magic then maybe I would conspire with them.
The Temple -
Randolph Carter statement - This is exactly the prank you'd expect from a young man to fake his death in 1848. I'm sure the crypts are connected. Although if not, and the entity was talking in his voice, he clearly left it ample time to escape.
Cats of Ulthar - yes, obviously don't kill cats. Who is so self destructive that you think cats are plotting against you ?, of course if it offered a secret Egyptian afterlife reward or magic then maybe I would conspire with them.
The Temple -
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2025
After reading two collections of Lovecraft’s works, here are my top ten:
1. The Whisperer in the Darkness
2. Rats in the Walls
3. The Temple
4. The Thing on the Doorstep
5. The Colour Out of Space
6. At the Mountains of Madness
7. The Shadow Out of Time
8. The Dunwich Horror
9. The Call of Cthulu
10. Pickman’s Model
This particular publication did a fantastic job of ordering the stories in this collection. Careful readers will pick up many connections interwoven throughout.
1. The Whisperer in the Darkness
2. Rats in the Walls
3. The Temple
4. The Thing on the Doorstep
5. The Colour Out of Space
6. At the Mountains of Madness
7. The Shadow Out of Time
8. The Dunwich Horror
9. The Call of Cthulu
10. Pickman’s Model
This particular publication did a fantastic job of ordering the stories in this collection. Careful readers will pick up many connections interwoven throughout.
July 2, 2025
this made me realize I'm a lot bigger fan of Lovecraft in concept than I am in practice.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews