Lovecraft Mythos New & Classic Collection

by Ramsey Campbell (Foreword), Ambrose Bierce (contributor), Robert Bloch (contributor)

Featuring new stories specially commissioned for the collection this offering of H.P. Lovecraft's shared universe is a thrilling immersion into the world of Old Ones and the Elder Gods, an ancient race of terrifying beings. In Lovecraft's vision we live in a deep, but fragile illusion, unable to comprehend the ancient beings, such as the Cthulhu who lies dead but dreaming in the submerged city of R'lyeh, waiting to rise then wreak havoc on our realm of existence.

Lovecraft used the mythos to create a background to his fiction, and challenged many writer companions to add their own stories. Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E. Howard, Robert Bloch, Frank Belknap Long, Henry Kuttner were amongst the first but over the years many others such as Ramsey Campbell, Lin Carter and August Derleth added their voices to the many mythic cycles, developing themes and new fictional pathways for the town of Arkham, and the creatures Azathoth and Nyarlathotep.

The Lovecraft Mythos is fertile ground for any writer of supernatural, horror, fantasy and science fiction, so for this edition we opened our submissions for brand new stories, many published here for the first time, to continue expanding the shared universe.

Contents List:
- Haita the Shepherd by Ambrose Bierce
- Notebook Found in a Deserted Houseby Robert Bloch
- Cthulhu-Seltzer by Hal Bodner
- Offspring by Evey Brett
- The Franklyn Paragraphs by Ramsey Campbell
- The Yellow Sign by Robert W. Chambers
- Foxfire Future by Helen E. Davis
- The Return of Hastur by August W. Derleth
- The Kith of the Elf-folk by Lord Dunsany
- Grave Secrets by JG Faherty
- He Opens a Window by Cody Goodfellow
- The Fire of Asshurbanipal by Robert E. Howard
- Worms of the Earth by Robert E. Howard
- The Innsmouth of the South by Rachael K. Jones
- The Damage by Scott R. Jones
- Black Ships Seen South of Heaven by Caitlín R. Kiernan
- Always a Castle? by Nancy Kilpatrick
- The Hunt by Henry Kuttner
- Let It Stand by N.R. Lambert
- Up from Slavery by Victor LaValle
- Diary in the Snow by Fritz Leiber
- The Hounds of Tindalos by Frank Belknap Long
- Dagon by H. P. Lovecraft
- The History of the Necronominicon by H. P. Lovecraft
- Nyarlathotep by H. P. Lovecraft
- The Color Out of Space by H. P. Lovecraft
- The Curse of Yig by H. P. Lovecraft and Zealia Bishop
- Out of the Aeons by H. P. Lovecraft and Hazel Heald
- The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen
- The Whisper of Stars by Thana Niveau
- My First Abomination by John Possidente
- By Any Other Name by John Llewellyn Probert
- A Gentleman from Mexico by Mark Samuels
- The Beat of Averogine by Clark Ashton Smith
- Usurped by William Browning Spencer
- Entirely Surrounded by Water by R.S. Stefoff
- Shed a Tear for Asenath by Jonathan Thomas
- Cloaca Maxima by Donald Tyson
- Tracking the Black Book by Douglas Wynne

Flame Tree Gothic & Fantasy, as well as Classic Stories and Epic Tales collections, bring together the entire range of myth, folklore, epic literature and modern short fiction. Highlighting the roots of suspense, supernatural, science fiction and mystery stories, the books in Flame Tree Collections series are beautifully presented, perfect as a gift and offer a lifetime of reading pleasure.

Genres: Horror, Gothic, Fantasy, Short Stories, Lovecraftian, Anthologies, Fiction

480 pages, Hardcover

First published November 5, 2020

About the author

Ramsey Campbell is a British writer considered by a number of critics to be one of the great masters of horror fiction. T. E. D. Klein has written that "Campbell reigns supreme in the field today," while S. T. Joshi has said that "future generations will regard him as the leading horror writer of our generation, every bit the equal of Lovecraft or Blackwood."

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovecraft to me is a visionary author. He helped create a whole sub-genre of horror, science fiction/fantasy. What this volume highlights is that he is not a wonderful writer (for me).

Others took his ideas and made them better. This was glaringly obvious when you saw more skilled writers next to the dense prose of Lovecraft. Howard, for example, still old school prose, writes a much more entertaining story for me than all of Lovecraft’s stories here.

I enjoyed the book. I appreciate Lovecraft for his ideas. Just wasn’t spectacular. 3.5 stars.

[Maven Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovecraft Mythos New & Classic Collection is a sprawling anthology that brings together stories from the original H. P. Lovecraft inspired mythos alongside newly commissioned tales by modern horror writers, a tribute to cosmic dread that spans from the roots of the Mythos to fresh, contemporary voices. It offers readers a journey through strange, unsettling landscapes populated by “Old Ones” and eldritch forces, in which the world we think we understand is only a fragile veil over something far darker.

From the very first page I felt the thrill of being lost in uncanny corners of reality. What struck me first was how the new stories hold their own, they don’t feel like pale imitations of Lovecraft, but rather honest expansions of the universe. For instance, one reviewer on the community page singled out “Offspring” by Evey Brett for its “sick body horror … perfect for anyone who loves both Lovecraft and Clive Barker,” and “He Opens a Window” by Cody Goodfellow for its “great imagery and ideas” even if “a touch on the confusing side at times.” These tales lured me into dread and disorientation in ways that often felt more visceral and immediate than some of the older classic stories.

At the same time, reading the older works side by side with newer ones highlighted something essential: the idea behind the Mythos, the notion that hidden horrors lurk beyond human comprehension remains the same, but the way those horrors are approached evolves. The pacing of the newer tales often felt sharper, the horror more personal. As a reader, I found myself more invested in the human protagonists: their fear, their fascination, their slow unraveling. The anthology made me reflect on how horror doesn’t always need grand cosmic revelations, sometimes it thrives in intimate dread, creeping atmosphere, and the unknown just beyond perception.

If I were to offer any gentle caveat, I might say that because it’s a collection with many voices and styles, some stories resonated more for me than others, which is natural in anthologies. But that variety also means the book seldom feels monotonous, and there are enough standout moments to make the volume worth returning to. On the whole, I found this collection to be a haunting, rich tribute to the Mythos and its ongoing influence; it felt like an open door to endless night‑marish possibilities.

Rating: 4/5 — It’s a beautiful, compelling anthology that honors the spirit of Lovecraft while giving new writers room to terrify, unsettle, and expand the mythos in unexpected ways.

[Storm Bookwyrm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting colleciton, not only following through on its promise to incorporate some classics (Like 'The Call of Cthulhu' itself) with the new, but also adding some stories that, while not inherently 'Lovecraftian', had historical significance in their relationship to H.P.L. , like Haita the Shepherd and the Kith of the Elf-Folk.

Among the new, I found a few stand-outs:

Offspring, by Evey Brett - deliciously sick body horror to satisfy anyone who loves both Lovecraft and Clive Barker, and would like to see the two work together.

He Opens a window, by Cody Goodfellow - Great imagery and ideas. A touch on the confusing side at times, but the concept and result of that concept were fascinating.

Up From Slavery, by Victor Lavalle - It definitely pays to have read 'At the Mountains of Madness' prior to reading this one. It's always fun to see the big Mr. N himself make an appearance.

My First Abomination, by John Passidente - Felt a bit like 'what if the Addams family were practitioners of the eldritch arts of Cthulhu'.

[Sheila Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good collection of short horror stories.

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazone

Well made and well thought out anthology

This is a truly lovely thing in and of itself. The cover is embossed and gilded really nicely.

That said, what a great collection of stories. Some tongue-in-cheek, some post-apocalyptic, all really good regardless of the time/era of their composition.

£20 well spent and not even cheesed off to see it at a better price.

Saxonish