Review: A flawless collection, no matter how you look at it, and an essential purchase
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 8, 2012
Collections like this have to be evaluated on a variety of levels, but it's a joy to review one that succeeds on every one of them. First, of course, there are the stories themselves. What can be said about Lovecraft that hasn't already been said? From the unsettling nature of his early works to his mind-expanding galaxial horrors that hovered over his later tales, Lovecraft had a unique voice and vision, one that continues to be felt today. And in collecting all of the fiction stories he wrote alone (leaving out his collaborations and non-fiction pieces), this collection provides a dizzying array of examples to the man's genius. How incredible is it, for instance, that even almost a century after they were written, "The Call of Cthulhu" and "At the Mountains of Madness" hold up both as wholly unique visions and incredibly unsettling narratives? How astonishing is it to find that even as familiar as we all are with the Cthulhu mythos, tales like "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" and "The Colour Out of Space" still surprise, shock, and even horrify? No, from a content perspective, there's absolutely nothing I can say to malign this collection. But what about the anthology itself? How much quality can you really expect for 99 cents? The answer: an absurd amount. The time spent to construct this anthology is evident on every page, from the painstakingly recreated texts to the fact that they're arranged beautifully in chronological order (which provides a fascinating window into Lovecraft's developing voice and style), and in an era where much of Lovecraft is dumped out haphazardly, it's a joy to find a collection this thorough and this well-constructed. If there's a gripe to be had, it's the fact that some of the collaborations had to be left out - it's painful to not read "In the Walls of Eryx," one of my favorite Lovecraft stories of all time in here. But that's a minor, minor complaint in the face of this amazing collection. For any serious horror fan, this is a no-brainer; for anyone interested in Lovecraft, don't let the massive size fool you. Pick this up and start diving in to some of the more famous works. And if you're a long-time fan like me, enjoy being able to read all of these in order and presented in their entire glory. In short? It's an absolutely essential purchase on just about any level.