Reddit mentions of H. P. Lovecraft: Tales (LOA #155) (Library of America)

The Library of America one is a nice hardcover with a great collection and some decent contextual biographical information. They do good work, and it gives Lovecraft legitimacy that they did an edition for him.

http://www.amazon.com/H-P-Lovecraft-Library-America/dp/1931082723

I also HIGHLY recommend audio versions. Talented reader + Lovecraft = amazing.

I would suggest The Music of Erich Zann. (you might guess that's one of my faves.)

Also: Beyond the Wall of Sleep is a good one that I don't see mentioned enough.

There are a bunch of his works here. Read at your leisure.


Here are some print collections of his work that you might like if you prefer reading paper instead of a screen.


(and as you noted, the ones in the sidebar are indeed a perfect place to start, they are some of the best.)

Favorite books include the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. No one turns classic fantasy tropes on their ear and makes me consistently laugh out loud like he does. Particular highlights of that series include any books featuring Death and his granddaughter Susan, and the men of Ankh-Morpork's City Watch. I use the term "men" loosely. Good Omens, the book he co-authored with Neil Gaiman, is one of my all-time favorites. As far as other fantasy goes, I'm a big fan of Michael Moorcock's work, in particular the Elric series and the Books of Corum. Stephen Lawhead's Song of Albion trilogy is a favorite as well. It's about two Oxford students who discover a magic portal to an ancient version of the British Isles. Focuses on Celtic mythology a great deal. Very different from your typical Tolkien-inspired contemporary fantasy. Though yes... of course, I'm also a fan of George R.R. Martin. It's almost a chore to mention these days that I love his Song of Ice & Fire, because basically everybody does. Guess there's a reason for that though.

Outside of fantasy, I like a few sci-fi authors, but not too many. I enjoy storytelling that focuses on character far more than it does on technology, so hard sci-fi isn't really my thing. Though I fucking love cyberpunk. Gibson and Stephenson especially. The purists would say Stephenson is post-cyberpunk, but seriously, fuck purists. IMO, Snow Crash is the pinnacle of the genre, and one of the very best books I've ever read. It's got a main character named Hiro Protagonist (really) who's a genius hacker and programmer/swordsman, who delivers pizza for the mafia. He's one of the architects of the Metaverse, basically the Matrix before the Matrix. There's also a big huge Aluet dude who uses glass knives that can cut through anything. And he's got a nuclear bomb strapped to his motorcycle that will go off if he's ever killed. There's just so much crazy shit in that book, like rocket-powered cyberdogs and a massive floating shantytown hitched to a derelict aircraft carrier, and so much more I really don't have time to get into. But it's completely awesome from beginning to end. Currently reading The Diamond Age by Stephenson, which could be considered a follow-up to Snow Crash set in that world's future. Not a sequel though.

Another of my favorite books is World War Z. Even if you're not the horror aficionado I am, or you're sick of zombies, this book is kind of amazing. It discusses the effects of a zombie apocalypse in so many ways most people would never think of. It's easy to see why it was so hard to adapt into a movie. They basically didn't even bother adapting it. The movie is an entirely different animal, so even if you've seen it, you're spoiling nothing of the book.

And I can't mention horror without bringing up H.P. Lovecraft, one of my all-time favorite authors. He invented cosmic horror, and you can see his influence in so many other works out there today. Get yourself a collection of his stuff and just enjoy the trip. Also, House of Leaves is a pretty fantastic horror novel that I finally just got around to finishing recently.

I would suggest buying H.P. Lovecraft: Tales and just starting from the first story. It begins with "The Statement of Randolph Carter" which is a quick and interesting read. Some of the earlier ones are "The Outsider" and "The Music of Erich Zann" (which used to be my personal favorite) and they are a good introduction to his style. Then you'll be ready for things like "The Call of Cthulhu," "The Shadow Over Innsmouth," "The Shadow Out of Time," and then "At the Mountains of Madness." I would not suggest reading The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. It's his only full-length novel and it's just...not his best, at all.

I have the library of America edition too, it's a good inexpensive hardcover collection of a lot of his major stories.

http://www.amazon.com/H-P-Lovecraft-Library-America/dp/1931082723/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261864434&sr=8-1

Pick up H.P. Lovecraft: Tales and read "Call of Cthulhu" first. While not his absolute best short story, it's the ideal starting point. My favorite is "The Shadow Out of Time", which is also included in that collection.

The thing about Lovecraft is that you'll probably love him or hate him. It all comes down to whether or not you like his writing style. "Call of Cthulhu" will give you a good introduction.

http://www.amazon.com/H-P-Lovecraft-Library-America/dp/1931082723/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396570805&sr=8-1

One of the best volumes of horror writing you will ever find, and the vast majority of respected horror writers since have been crediting him as an influence.

The Library of America collection (it's called "Tales") is, apparently, the definitive collection of his short stories. It's hard back and written on papery-thin bible-esque pages (which I find mildly annoying), but it has all of his essential stories. If you're into short horror fiction, you will not be disappointed - he is my absolute favorite. (http://www.amazon.com/H-P-Lovecraft-Library-America/dp/1931082723/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t/184-6430677-0677735) If you're not sure whether or not you want to drop the $25 outright, his writings have all fallen into the public domain, and are available for free online. (http://www.hplovecraft.com/)

Potentially off-topic, but there's also a game by the name of "Call of Cthulhu" for the original Xbox system. The game is based upon his story, "The Nightmare at Innsmouth," and it's a lot of fun. If you dig Lovecraft, it's an essential play-through.

Amazon.com (maybe this one?)(Israel shipping rates) would be reasonable choice.

Click through to Amazon, then hover and Look Inside This Book
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1931082723/ref=sib_dp_pop_toc?ie=UTF8&p=S00F#reader-link

I recently bought the Library of America collection of Lovecraft's tales. I've been told it is an excellent entry point, although I've also been warned that it will leave me hungry for more! Nevertheless, it contains what are most popularly considered the "major" works of Lovecraft, including the Cthulu cycle. I am quite happy with it :)

This one is my favorite. But, if cost is a concern, note that there are links to a free PDF/e-book collection in the sidebar of this sub.

http://www.amazon.com/H-P-Lovecraft-Library-America/dp/1931082723?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

Some day I'll find where exactly to buy the vaguely mentioned "Tales" Lovecraft-bible I found in the library, but I'm worried about how much 860 pages of the most famous horror writer would cost.

UPDATE : wow, that was too easy, but I'm pleasantly surprised about the price! http://www.amazon.com/H-P-Lovecraft-Library-America/dp/1931082723/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312503496&sr=1-1

It's been nearly 100 years since HP Lovecraft wrote, and his stories are still the gold standard for Horror fiction.