Lovecraft's Monsters

Prepare to meet the wicked progeny of the master of modern horror. In Lovecraft's Monsters, H. P. Lovecraft's most famous creations—Cthulhu, Shoggoths, Deep Ones, Elder Things, Yog-Sothoth, and more—appear in all their terrifying glory. Each story is a gripping new take on a classic Lovecraftian creature, and each is accompanied by a spectacular original illustration that captures the monsters' unique visage.Contributors include such literary luminaries as Neil Gaiman, Joe R. Lansdale, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Karl Edward Wagner, Elizabeth Bear, and Nick Mamatas. The monsters are lovingly rendered in spectacular original art by World Fantasy Award–winning artist John Coulthart (The Steampunk Bible).Legions of Lovecraft fans continue to visit his bizarre landscapes and encounter his unrelenting monsters. Now join them in their journey...if you dare.

Washington Post

“Some of the best Lovecraftian short fiction of the past 30 years.”

Book Riot

“If you like Lovecraft even a little bit, this collection is a must.”

The Arkham Digest A Creature Feature Top Ten Book of 2014

“Ellen Datlow's second editorial outing into the realm of Lovecraft proves even more fruitful than the first. Focusing on Lovecraftian monsters, Datlow offers readers sixteen stories and two poems of a variety that should please any fans of the genre.”

Creature Feature

“Fans of the HBO True Detective series (and those who are not) will love this new themed anthology from acclaimed genre editor, Ellen Datlow.”

Rue Morgue

“There’s no need to have previously read Lovecraft’s work to enjoy Lovecraft’s Monsters, but the collection will surely leave you with the desire to acquaint or reacquaint you with HPL canon.”

Horror Talk

“In the case of Lovecraft's Monsters, edited by the great Ellen Datlow, the quality of the stories is both a celebration of HPL's legacy and a reminder of the wealth of talent the genre has to offer.”

Lit/Rant

“[T]he queen of anthologies, Ellen Datlow, has brought together the usual outstanding group of writers. . . . This is a must-have anthology for fans of things that go squick in the night.”

Count Gore

“Each story is a dark wonder and the volume itself is absolutely gorgeous, sumptuously illustrated throughout with steampunky-baroque original art by World Fantasy Award-winning artist John Coulthart. Lovecraft’s Monsters is a must-have for every fan of dark speculative fiction, so click on the cover graphic and grab it!”

Dark Corner

“Amazing and creative tales each with a striking illustration by John Coulthart. . . . I fully recommend adding this nice anthology for all fans of Lovecraft.”

The Jaded Consumer

“The result is a delightful array of little pieces that range in mood and subject. Unholy sacrifice, forbidden love, a private dick on the trail of a murderer―there’s something there for everyone.”

Diabolique Magazine

“Editor Ellen Datlow has put together an anthology that will rock your liquid fantasies. Tachyon Publications has produced an excellent themed anthology. Lovecraft enthusiasts will plunge into the volume and be happily immersed in the content.”

Hellnotes

“Where else, in one anthology, can a reader jump from roman noir werewolves to steampunk tanks in the Amazon to tales of forbidden love on the Innsmouth shore to Pinkerton agents in the Wild West?... Fortunately, we have Ellen Datlow to lead the way.”

The Tomb of Dark Delights

“Each story is a dark wonder and the volume itself is absolutely gorgeous, sumptuously illustrated throughout with steampunky-baroque original art by World Fantasy Award-winning artist John Coulthart. Lovecraft’s Monsters is a must-have for every fan of dark speculative fiction, so click on the cover graphic and grab it!”

Innsmouth Free Press

“With Ellen Datlow at the helm, there was never really any doubt about the quality of the selections on hand . . . .Lovecraft’s Monsters is certainly a worthy addition to any horror library.”

Geek Smash

“Lovecraft’s Monsters is a must-read for any fans of the Cthulhu Mythos.”

The Jaded Consumer

“[A] delightful array of little pieces that range in mood and subject.... Unholy sacrifice, forbidden love, a private dick on the trail of a murderer―there's something there for everyone.”

The Bookend Family

"So I am telling you now, in the name of Yog-Sothoth, get this book, and prepare to lose some sleep."

Fear.net

“Lovecraft's Monsters, edited by Ellen Datlow and published by Tachyon Publications, is a reprint anthology of some carefully chosen and mighty fine Lovecraftian short stories, novellas and poems.... All in all it is a terrific selection of works, and one that any fan of Lovecratian works should add to their collection.”

Starburst

“There’s a lot to love in Lovecraft’s Monsters, an anthology which is both faithful and inventive at the same time. Unafraid to take risks and snazzily illustrated, this collection is proof that the Cthulhu cult remains as strong as ever.”

January Magazine

“Datlow brings together some of the top SF/F and horror writers working today and has them play in Lovecraft’s bizarre world. And that’s a delight.”

Complex

“Each writer had the same agenda: come up with a fresh take on one of the legendary author’s otherworldly creatures, like Cthulhu, the Shoggoths, the Elder Things and Yog-Sothoth. (Trust, they’re scarier than those tongue-twisting names suggest.”

LitReactor

“Will appeal to fans of Lovecraft’s work, particularly his Mythos stories, and to readers of dark fiction everywhere. Datlow is an experienced and keen editor of dark fiction and has assembled a truly impressive list of stories.”

Shattered Ravings

“An amazing and diverse treasure trove of stories. As an avid fan of Lovecraft’s monstrous creations, THIS is the anthology I’ve been waiting for.”

G. R. Wilson, author of Right Behind You

“Lovecraft’s Monsters is a kick-ass anthology, and if you’re a Mythos devotee you’ll love it.”

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

From "Only the End of the World Again" by Neil GaimanThere was a note under the door from my landlady. It said that I owed her for two weeks’ rent. It said that all the answers were in the Book of Revelations. It said that I made a lot of noise coming home in the early hours of this morning, and she’d thank me to be quieter in future. It said that when the Elder Gods rose up from the ocean, all the scum of the Earth, all the non-believers, all the human garbage and the wastrels and deadbeats would be swept away, and the world would be cleansed by ice and deep water. It said that she felt she ought to remind me that she had assigned me a shelf in the refrigerator when I arrived and she’d thank me if in the future I’d keep to it.I crumpled the note, dropped it on the floor, where it lay alongside the Big Mac cartons and the empty pizza cartons, and the long-dead dried slices of pizza.It was time to go to work.I’d been in Innsmouth for two weeks, and I disliked it. It smelled fishy. It was a claustrophobic little town: marshland to the east, cliffs to the west, and, in the centre, a harbour that held a few rotting fishing boats, and was not even scenic at sunset. The yuppies had come to Innsmouth in the 80s anyway, bought their picturesque fisherman’s cottages overlooking the harbour. The yuppies had been gone for some years, now, and the cottages by the bay were crumbling, abandoned.The inhabitants of Innsmouth lived here and there in and around the town, and in the trailer parks that ringed it, filled with dank mobile homes that were never going anywhere.I got dressed, pulled on my boots and put on my coat and left my room. My landlady was nowhere to be seen. She was a short, pop-eyed woman, who spoke little, although she left extensive notes for me pinned to doors and placed where I might see them; she kept the house filled with the smell of boiling seafood: huge pots were always simmering on the kitchen stove, filled with things with too many legs and other things with no legs at all.There were other rooms in the house, but no-one else rented them. No-one in their right mind would come to Innsmouth in winter.

About the Author

Neil Gaiman is the author of many bestsellers for readers of all ages including Stardust (the basis for the blockbuster movie), Fragile Things, Anansi Boys, Interworld, and Coraline. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.Ellen Datlow has been editing science fiction, fantasy, and horror short fiction for almost thirty years. She was the fiction editor of Omni magazine and Sci Fiction and has edited more than fifty anthologies. She has also won many awards for her work, including the Bram Stoker Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, and the Hugo Award, among many others.

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