Reading – Horror Out of Arkham
Lovecraft Library Volume 1: Horror Out of Arkham*, a hardcover collection from IDW, reprints six stories by H.P. Lovecraft in a beautiful hardcover that’s illustrated by Menton3 (website, Deviant Art). The stories are old, yes, but the artwork and presentation of the collection is fantastic and when I spotted the book I just had to grab a copy for my shelves.
Six Classic Tales
The six stories inside the book are:
- Herbert West — Reanimator
- The Unnamable
- The Colour Out of Space
- The Dunwich Horror
- The Dreams in the Witch House
- The Thing on the Doorstep
Now I am not a Lovecraftian scholar and won’t even bother trying to give reviews of the individual stories in the book. People far, far more experienced and immersed in Lovecraft’s fiction than I am have tackled these tales time and again — it is here where I’ll suggest Ken Hite’s Tour de Lovecraft: The Tales* both because I helped finance the book and because I deeply respect Ken’s work — and your time is much better spent reading their thoughts than my own. Personally, I enjoy all of the stories (saying The Thing on the Doorstep is my favorite in this collection) . . . but it was the art that led me to buy the book.
Almost Twenty Images
I count 19 paintings inside the book, all of which are by Menton3 (website, Deviant Art) and all of which are beautiful. Shown here are two paintings from inside the book (as well as the cover), and if you like what you see then you want to buy a copy of the book. And one thing I can say about buying the book is that it now has me looking for more work by the artist; this is exactly the style of art I can get behind and I’m happy to have the chance to (perhaps) introduce some of you to an artist I was unfamiliar with before I found the book.
Closing Thoughts
Lovecraft Library Volume 1: Horror Out of Arkham* may be a collection of old stories that I already owned, but the production qualities and artwork make it a volume I am happy to own and one that I hope is just the first on my shelf. (That “volume one” part sounds promising.) If you’ve never read any of Lovecraft’s work then this is a great starting point while those of you who already own these stories will want this if any of the art shown here speaks to you.
Thanks, IDW! I hope that you continue to produce books in this line . . . and that you continue to produce fiction in this size and format. Great work!