Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890 – 1937) was an American writer of weird, science, fantasy, and horror fiction. Lovecraft is best known for his creation of a body of work that became known as the Cthulhu Mythos.
Lovecraft was relatively unknown during his lifetime. While his stories appeared in prominent pulp magazines such as Weird Tales, not many people knew his name. He did, however, correspond regularly with other contemporary writers such as Clark Ashton Smith and August Derleth, who became his friends, even though he never met them in person. This group became known as the “Lovecraft Circle”, since their writings freely borrowed Lovecraft’s motifs, with his encouragement. He borrowed from them as well. For example, he made use of Clark Ashton Smith’s Tsathoggua in The Mound.
After Lovecraft’s death, the Lovecraft Circle carried on. August Derleth founded Arkham House with Donald Wandrei to preserve Lovecraft’s works and keep them in print. He added to and expanded on Lovecraft’s vision, not without controversy. While Lovecraft considered his pantheon of alien gods a mere plot device, Derleth created an entire cosmology, complete with a war between the good Elder Gods and the evil Outer Gods, such as Cthulhu and his ilk. The forces of good were supposed to have won, locking Cthulhu and others beneath the earth, the ocean, and elsewhere. Derleth’s Cthulhu Mythos stories went on to associate different gods with the traditional four elements of fire, air, earth and water, which did not line up with Lovecraft’s original vision of his mythos. However, Derleth’s ownership of Arkham House gave him a position of authority in Lovecraftiana that would not dissipate until his death, and through the efforts of Lovecraft scholars in the 1970s.
H. P. Lovecraft’s works have influenced many writers and other creators. Stephen King has cited Lovecraft as a major influence on his works. As a child in the 1960s, he came across a volume of Lovecraft’s works which inspired him to write his fiction. He goes on to argue that all works in the horror genre that were written after Lovecraft were influenced by him. In the field of comics, Alan Moore has also described Lovecraft as having been a formative influence on his graphic novels. Film director John Carpenter’s films include direct references and quotations of Lovecraft’s fiction, in addition to their use of a Lovecraftian aesthetic and themes. Guillermo del Toro has been similarly influenced by Lovecraft’s corpus.
In 2016, Lovecraft was inducted into the Museum of Pop Culture’s Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. Three years later, Lovecraft and the other mythos authors were posthumously awarded the 1945 Retro-Hugo Award for Best Series for their contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos.
H. P. Lovecraft – First Edition Books Identification Guide
Note: This list only includes works published prior to 1977.
| Year | Title | Publisher | First edition/Printing Identification Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS AND OTHER NOVELS | Sauk City: Arkham House: Publishers, 1964 | No statement of printing on © page. Four printings, priority as listed:
ALSO: New York: Beagle Books, [1971]. Wrappers. First printing: January 1971 on © page. A Beagle Horror Collection 95041 (95¢). Abridged reprint. Prints four of the eight stories in the Arkham House collection. |
| 1934 | THE BATTLE THAT ENDED THE CENTURY (MS. FOUND IN A TIME MACHINE) | [De Land, Florida: Robert H. Barlow, [1934] | Mimeographed on two sheets of 8 1/2 x 14 paper. Printed on rectos only. Caption title. Note: L. Sprague de Camp, in Lovecraft: A Biography (Garden City: Doubleday, 1975), p. 394, states, "While Lovecraft was at De Land, he and Barlow composed a little literary spoof called 'The Battle That Ended the Century.' ... Barlow printed the composition as a brochure [sic] and mailed it out to other fans and members of the Lovecraft circle." |
| 1945 | BEST SUPERNATURAL STORIES OF H. P. LOVECRAFT | Cleveland and New York: The World Publishing Company, [1945] | TOWER BOOKS EDITION /First Printing April 1945 on © page. Edited, with introduction, by August Derleth. All fiction reprinted from earlier books. Note: So far no copy stating first printing without the "Tower Books Edition" on the © page has been located. Cumulative Book Index lists only the initial Tower Books printing in 1945 with a list price of 49¢. The deposit copy of this printing was received at the Library of Congress 28 April 1945. All three Tower printings were printed on high pulp content wartime paper stock. Reprinted in 1950 on better quality text paper and listed at $1.49. This reprint has no statement of printing on © page, but code WP 9-50 is present. |
| 1943 | BEYOND THE WALL OF SLEEP | Sauk City: Arkham House, 1943 | No statement of printing on © page. Collected, with introduction, by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei. |
| 1951 | THE CASE OF CHARLES DEXTER WARD | London: Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1951 | No statement of printing on © page. Collected earlier in BEYOND THE WALL OF SLEEP. Notes: (1) The text of the Gollancz edition is basically the version printed in the anthology Night's Yawning Peal edited by August Derleth, with Lovecraft's antiquated spelling modernized and a number of serious misprints. (2) Whitaker's Cumulative Book List assigns a publication date of February 1952. |
| 1935 | THE CATS OF ULTHAR | [Cassia, Florida: The Dragon-Fly Press], Christmas 1935 | Wrappers 42 copies printed. Two issues, no priority:
|
| 1954 | THE CHALLENGE FROM BEYOND | N.P.: [4 Weltschmerz Pub/Bill Evans/Franklin Kerkhof, Printer/The Pennsylvania Dutch Cheese Press/February 1954] | Self wrappers. No statement of printing. Mimeographed, stapled. Cover title. With C. L, MOORE, A. MERRITT, ROBERT E. HOWARD, and FRANK BELKNAP LONG. Notes: (1) Published by William H. Evans for distribution through the Fantasy Amateur Press Association (FAP A). (2) Not to be confused with a booklet of identical title and format with a different round-robin story by Stanley G. Weinbaum and others. |
| 1977 | COLLAPSING COSMOSES | [West Warwick, R.I.: Necronomicon Press, 1977] | Wrappers. This edition, the first... is limited to a numbered printing of 500 copies on page[8]. Offset from typewritten copy. Issued as F & SF Fragments 1. |
| 1964 | THE COLOUR OUT OF SPACE | New York: Lancer Books, [1964] | Wrappers. A Lancer Book 1964 on © page. Lancer Books 73-425 (60¢). Reprint collection. |
| 1958 | CRY HORROR | New York: Avon Publications, Inc., [1958] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. AVON T-284 (35¢). Reprint of the 1947 Avon edition of THE LURKING FEAR AND OTHER STORIES. |
| 1953 | THE CURSE OF YIG | Sauk City: Arkham House, 1953 | No statement of printing on © page. Short stories written by Lovecraft from plot outlines by Zealia B. Bishop. All fiction printed here originally collected in BEYOND THE WALL OF SLEEP and MARGINALIA. |
| 1965 | DAGON AND OTHER MACABRE TALES | Sauk City: Arkham House: Publishers, 1965 | No statement of printing on © page. Four printings, priority as listed:
|
| 1966 | THE DARK BROTHERHOOD | Sauk City: Arkham House: Publishers, 1966 | No statement of printing on © page. Edited, with an introduction, by August Derleth. Note: Includes collaborations with DERLETH and C. M. EDDY, JR. |
| 1971 | THE DOOM THAT CAME TO SARNATH | New York: Ballantine Books, [1971] | Wrappers. First Printing: February, 197J on © page. Ballantine Books 02146-0-095 (95¢). Edited, with introduction and notes, by Lin Carter. All fiction reprinted from earlier books. |
| 1955 | THE DREAM QUEST OF UNKNOWN KADATH | Buffalo: Shroud, Publishers, 1955 | 1500 numbered copies printed. Binding sequence presumed as listed:
|
| 1970 | THE DREAMQUEST OF UNKNOWN KADATH | New York: Ballantine Books, [1970] | Wrappers. First Printing: May, 1970 on © page. Ballantine Books 01923-7-095 (95¢). Edited, with introduction, by Lin Carter. All fiction reprinted from earlier books. |
| 1962 | DREAMS AND FANCIES | Sauk City: Arkham House: Publishers, 1962 | No statement of printing on © page. All fiction reprinted from earlier books. |
| 1945 | THE DUNWICH HORROR | New York: Published by Bartholomew House, Inc., [1945] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Bart House Mystery 12 (25¢). Reprint collection. |
| 1945 | THE DUNWICH HORROR AND OTHER WEIRD TALES | New York: Editions for the Armed Services, Inc., [1945] | Wrappers. Nd statement of printing on © page. Armed Services Edition 730. Selected, with introduction, by August Derleth. All fiction reprinted from earlier books. Differs from the Bart House collection. |
| 1963 | THE DUNWICH HORROR AND OTHERS | Sauk City: Arkham House: Publishers, 1963 | No statement of printing on © page. Four printings, priority as listed:
|
| 1969 | EX OBLIVIONE | [Glendale: Roy A. Squires], 1969 | Wrappers. One hundred twenty-five copies ... have been printed during November of 1969 on page [12]. Two issues, no priority:
|
| 1951 | THE HAUNTER OF THE DARK | London; Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1951 | No statement of printing on © page. Edited, with introduction, by August Derleth. All fiction reprinted from earlier books. Note: Proof copies have title pages dated 1950. |
| 1977 | HERBERT WEST REANIMATOR | [West Warwick, R.I]: Necronomicon Press, 1977 | Wrappers. One thousand copies of this edition - the first -... have been printed. This is copy number ... on copyright leaf. Offset reproduction printed on rectos only, stapled. Note: This six-part series is reproduced in facsimile from its original serialized appearance in six issues of Home Brew, February-July, 1922. |
| 1975 | THE HORROR IN THE BURYING GROUND AND OTHER TALES | [Frogmore]: Panther, [1975] | Wrappers. First published in Great Britain in 1975 ... on © page. Panther Fiction/Fantasy & Horror 586 04231 8 (60p). Abridged reprint. All stories reprinted from the Arkham House edition of THE HORROR IN THE MUSEUM AND OTHER REVISIONS. |
| 1970 | THE HORROR IN THE MUSEUM AND OTHER RE VISIONS | Sauk City: Arkham House: Publishers, 1970 | No statement of printing on © page. Two printings, priority as listed:
|
| 1945 | THE LURKER AT THE THRESHOLD | Sauk City: Arkham House, 1945 | No statement of printing on © page. With AUGUST DERLETH. |
| 1947 | THE LURKING FEAR AND OTHER STORIES | New York: Avon Book Company, [1947] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Avon 136 (25¢). Reprint collection. Reissued as CRY HORROR! |
| 1964 | THE LURKING FEAR AND OTHER STORIES | [London]: A Panther Book, [1964] | Wrappers. This collection first published in Great Britain ... November 1964 on © page. Panther 1759 (3'6). Reprint collection. Contents differ from 1947 Avon collection. |
| 1971 | THE LURKING FEAR AND OTHER STORIES | New York: Beagle Books, [1971] | Wrappers. First printing: January 1971 on © page. A Beagle Horror Collection 95042 (95¢). Reprint collection. Contents differ from 1947 Avon and 1964 Panther collections . |
| 1944 | MARGINALIA | Sauk: City: Arkham House, 1944 | No statement of printing on © page. Edited by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei. |
| 1969 | MEMORY | [Glendale: Roy A. Squires], 1969 | Wrappers. One hundred twenty-five copies ... have been printed during October of 1969 on page [12]. Two issues, no priority:
|
| 1971 | NINE STORIES FROM THE HORROR IN THE MUSEUM AND OTHER REVISIONS | New York: Beagle Books., [1971] | Wrappers. First printing: October 1971 on © page. A Beagle Boxer Horror Anthology 95159 (95¢). Abridged reprint. Collects ten (not nine) of the twenty stories in the Arkham House edition of THE HORROR IN THE MUSEUM AND OTHER REVISIONS. |
| 1970 | NYARLATHOTEP | [Glendale: Roy A. Squires], 1970 | Wrappers. This booklet... has been printed as an edition of 125 copies during December of1969 on page [16]. Two issues, no priority:
|
| 1939 | THE OUTSIDER AND OTHERS | Sauk City: Arkham House, 1939 | No statement of printing on © page. Edited, with introduction, by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei. Note: Various auction and bookseller catalogues have recorded a "second state" dust jacket. Arkham House produced one printing of the jacket. In 1974 Gerry de la Ree of Saddle River, N.J., produced a facsimile reprint, and this later reprint has been incorrectly termed "second state." Commenting on the original dust jacket, August Derleth remarked, "I'm sorry, but no kind of 'Outsider' d/j is still around. I suppose these were destroyed. When A[rkham] H[ouse] was begun, I didn't know enough about publishing to have extra d/j [s] made ..." (letter to Gerry de la Ree from Derleth written in 1970, quoted in Gerry de la Ree, ed., Fantasy Collector's Annual-1974 [Saddle River, N.J.: Gerry de la Ree, 1974], p. 5). |
| 1968 | THE SHADOW OUT OF TIME AND OTHER TALES OF HORROR | London; Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1968 | Boards. No statement of printing on © page. Ten of these sixteen stories were written by AUGUST DERLETH from story fragments and plot outlines by Lovecraft. All stories reprinted from earlier collections. Note: All observed copies have the half title mounted on a stub. |
| 1936 | THE SHADOW OVER INNSMOUTH | Everett Pennsylvania: Visionary Publishing Co., 1936 | Published, April, 1936 on © page. Note: Publisher states that approximately 400 copies were printed, of which about 200 were bound with the remainder later destroyed. See William L. Crawford, "Lovecraft's First Book," The Shuttered Room (Sauk City: Ark ham House: Publishers, 1959), pp. 287-90. Earliest copies contain numerous corrections in ink in Lovecraft's holograph. An errata leaf and dust jacket were added later. In some eases these were supplied to those receiving early copies without them. Two dust jacket variants: (1) White paper stock printed in yellow; (2) White paper stock, lettering in silver, illustration in green. |
| 1971 | THE SHADOW OVER INNSMOUTH AND OTHER STORIES OF HORROR | New York Toronto London Auckland Sydney: Scholastic Book Services, [1971] | Wrappers. 1st printing ... December 1971 on © page. Scholastic TK1934 (75¢). Reprint collection. All stories reprinted from earlier books. |
| 1928 | THE SHUNNED HOUSE | Athol. Mass.: Published by W. Paul Cook, The Recluse Press, 1928 | No statement of printing on © page. 300 copies printed. Paper stock watermarked "Canterbury Laid." Priority of circulation as follows:
It is rumored that no more than seven copies were cased or given paper covers, and the remainder of the copies he distributed were sets of unbound sheets. Additionally, one copy was bound in full brown leather and presented to Lovecraft in 1935.
|
| 1959 | THE SHUTTERED ROOM AND OTHER PIECES | Sauk City: Arkham House: Publishers, 1959 | No statement of printing on © page. Edited with completions, by August Derleth. |
| 1970 | THE SHUTTERED ROOM AND OTHER TALES OF HORROR | London: A Panther Book, [1970] | Wrappers. Panther Books edition published 1970 oh © page. Panther 586 033998 (30p). With AUGUSTDERLETH. Abridged reprint. Collects the ten Lovecraft/Derleth collaborations from THE SHADOW OUT OF TIME AND OTHER TALES OF HORROR. |
| 1971 | THE SHUTTERED ROOM AND OTHER TALES OF TERROR | New York: Beagle Books,[1971] | Wrappers. First printing: April 1971 on © page. A Beagle Horror Anthology 950.68 (95¢). With AUGUST DERLETH. Reprint collection. Contents differ from 1959 Arkham House and 197'0 Panther Books collections. |
| 1949 | SOMETHING ABOUT CATS | Sauk City: Arkham House, 1949 | No statement of printing on © page. Edited, with preface, by August Derleth. |
| 1957 | THE SURVIVOR AND OTHERS | Sauk City: Arkham House: Publishers, 1957 | No statement of printing on © page. With AUGUST DERLETH. |
| 1967 | 3 TALES OF HORROR | [Sauk City]: Arkham House, [1967] | No statement of printing on © page. Stories reprinted from earlier books. |
| 1969 | THE TOMB AND OTHER TALES | [London]: A Panther Book, [1969] | Wrappers. These stories were first published in Great Britain as part l of a collection, Dagon and other macabre tales, by Victor Gollancz Limited 1967. Panther edition of the Tomb published 1969 on © page. Panther 586 02903 6 (25p). Reprint collection. All stories reprinted from earlier books. |
| 1974 | THE WATCHERS OUT OF TIME AND OTHERS | Sauk City: Arkham House: Publishers, 1974 | No statement of printing on © page. With AUGUST DERLETH. Reprint collection with the exception of "The Watchers Out of Time." |
| 1944 | THE WEIRD SHADOW OVER INNSMOUTH AND OTHER STORIES OF THE SUPERNATURAL | New York: Published by Bartholomew House, Inc., [1944] | Wrappers. No statement of printing on © page. Bart House Novel 4 (25¢). Reprint collection. |
| 1970 | WHAT THE MOON BRINGS | [Glendale: Roy A. Squires], 1970 | Wrappers. One hundred twenty-five copies ... have been printed during January and February of 1970 on page [16]. Two issues, no priority:
|
H. P. Lovecraft – First Printing Dust Jacket Identification Points
Gallery of First state Dust Jackets of Lovecraft’s works. Only includes the first appearance in book form. Either the UK or US edition and does not include later printings.
Reference:
- Wikipedia
- L. W. Currey, Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors: A Bibliography of First Printings of Their Fiction and Selected Nonfiction.
