Arkham House

Arkham House was a publishing house specializing in weird fiction founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to preserve in hardcover the best fiction of H. P. Lovecraft. The company's name is derived from Arkham, Lovecraft's fictional New England city. Arkham House editions are noted for the quality of their printing and binding. The colophon for Arkham House was designed by Frank Utpatel.
==Under August Derleth==
August Derleth was the guiding force behind Arkham House, financing the company and, after Wandrei resigned his interest in the firm after World War II, serving as sole editor and publisher.
In addition to volumes of H. P. Lovecraft's fiction, Arkham House published a five-volume edition of Lovecraft's Selected Letters that gives an overview of Lovecraft's correspondence to peers, friends, and family--including Arkham House founders Derleth and Wandrei. (Arkham House's volumes of Lovecraft's letters are highly abridged; unabridged volumes of Lovecraft's letters to individual correspondents have been issued progressively by Hippocampus Press).
Arkham House also published horror and fantasy fiction by many of Lovecraft's contemporaries, including Ray Bradbury, Robert E. Howard, Frank Belknap Long, Clark Ashton Smith, Robert Bloch, and Derleth himself; classic genre fiction by authors such as William Hope Hodgson (under the prompting of Herman Charles Koenig), Algernon Blackwood, H. Russell Wakefield, Seabury Quinn, and Sheridan Le Fanu; and later writers in the Lovecraft school, such as Ramsey Campbell and Brian Lumley to whom Derleth gave their earliest publication in hardcover.
Despite the wealth of talented writers who appeared under the Arkham House imprint, it was not a financial success. Derleth wrote in 1970, "[T]he fact is that in no single year since its founding have the earnings of Arkham House met the expenses, so that it has been necessary for my personal earnings to shore up Arkham House finances." Robert Weinberg, "Science Fiction Specialty Publishers" in Hall, Hal W. (ed). Science Fiction Collections: Fantasy, Supernatural and Weird Tales. Haworth Press, 1983, p. 129 Robert Weinberg, a later editor at the publishing house, wrote that "intense competition from the SF (science fiction) small presses as well as slow sales of certain titles put August Derleth in a precarious bind. Only a generous loan from Dr David H. Keller prevented Arkham from going bankrupt during a period of cash flow problems. Robert Weinberg, "Science Fiction Specialty Publishers" in Hall, Hal W. (ed). Science Fiction Collections: Fantasy, Supernatural and Weird Tales. Haworth Press, 1983, p. 126 Sam Moskowitz, "I Remember Derleth", Starship (Winter 1981), pp. 10-11 
After Derleth's death in 1971, Wandrei briefly acted as editorial director, but declined to resume his interest in the firm permanently.
Prior to the 1980s, Arkham House did not generally reprint its books (with some exceptions, such as Someone in the Dark and Night's Yawning Peal: A Ghostly Company, and the core Lovecraft collections issued in the 1960s -- Dagon and Other Macabre Tales, At the Mountains of Madness and Other Novels and The Dunwich Horror and Others). (Rights were occasionally sold during the 1960s and 1970s to other publishers, who issued paperback editions of Arkham House titles). This policy changed in the 1980s, with multiple printings of books like New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos, edited by Ramsey Campbell; Necropolis by Basil Copper; The Wind from a Burning Woman by Greg Bear; and The Jaguar Hunter by Lucius Shepard.
==Under April Derleth ==
After August Derleth's death, his children April (Rose) and Walden (Wally) Derleth co-owned the business, with April actively running the business. April, who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1977, became majority stockholder, president, and CEO of Arkham House in 1994, in which capacity she remained until her death.
Wandrei was succeeded as editorial director by Jim Turner. Turner expanded the company's range of authors to include such prominent science fiction and fantasy writers as Michael Bishop, Lucius Shepard, Bruce Sterling, James Tiptree, Jr., Michael Shea, and J. G. Ballard, often publishing hardcover collections of shorter works. Turner's acquisitions took the publisher away from its roots in weird and horror fiction, and he was eventually dismissed by April Derleth.
April became president of Arkham House in 2002, having appointed Peter Ruber as her consulting editor and successor to Turner. She made the house’s mission a return to classic weird fiction, which Ruber sought to do. Ruber drew criticism for the hostile opinions of various authors he expressed in his story introductions within Arkham's Masters of Horror (2000). Rumours of his ill-health circulated for some time, and it appears his editorial duties at Arkham House lapsed due to this.
The house's publishing schedule slowed considerably between 2000-2006, with only nine books issued—In the Stone House by Barry N. Malzberg (2000); Book of the Dead by E. Hoffmann Price (a collection of memoirs of writers known by Price, 2001); Arkham House's Masters of Horror (ed. Peter Ruber, 2000); The Far Side of Nowhere by Nelson Bond (2002); The Cleansing by John D. Harvey (a horror novel, 2002); Selected Letters of Clark Ashton Smith (ed. Scott Connors, 2003); Cave of a Thousand Tales by Milt Thomas (a biography of pulp writer Hugh B. Cave, 2004); Other Worlds Than Ours, another collection by Nelson Bond (2005); and Evermore (a collection of tales in tribute to Edgar Allan Poe, ed. James Robert Smith & Stephen Mark Rainey, 2006).
In 2005, Arkham House was awarded the World Fantasy Award for Small Press Achievements—the trophy at the time was a bust of H. P. Lovecraft.
No books were issued under Arkham House's sole imprint after 2006. Books had previously published in almost every year since 1939 (except for 1940 and 1955/56), so the four-year gap 2006-10 could be seen to mark the lowest point thus far in Arkham House's publishing fortunes.
In early 2009 it was announced that George Vanderburgh, of the small press Battered Silicon Dispatch Box, and Robert Weinberg would jointly take over the editorial duties at Arkham House. That year Battered Silicon Dispatch Box issued four new volumes of stories by August Derleth under a joint imprint with Arkham House, which constituted the latter's only output since 2006.
In 2010 The Arkham Sampler (1948-49) was reissued in a limited edition (250 sets), two-volume facsimile reprint of the now-rare magazine issued by Arkham House that ran four issues a year 1948-1949. This work was co-published with the August Derleth Society. In the same year, Jon Lellenberg's novel Baker Street Irregular was issued under the Mycroft & Moran imprint.
April Derleth died March 21, 2011. The publisher's website announced in April 2011 that her children would take over the running of the firm. Danielle Jacobs was named president, and her brother Damon Derleth vice president.
==Post-April Derleth==
George Vanderburgh's blog at Battered Silicon Dispatch Box announced a number of Arkham House titles for 2011 and after, none of which had appeared as of April, 2014. The announced titles are:
* Deadly Dimensions and Other Blasphemies, a Novel and Short Weird Fiction by Lois H. Gresh, announced for publication in 2011. Hardcover edition limited to 1000.
* The Gargoyle and Others: A Quarto of Horror, by Greye La Spina, announced for publication in 2011. Four short horror novels from the early pages of Weird Tales magazine, including the classic werewolf novel "Invaders from the Dark," along with "The Gargoyle," "Fettered," and "The Portal to Power."
* The Arkham House H.P. Lovecraft, The digital edition in 13 volumes, announced for publication in 2011. The first authorized digital edition, suitable for all forms of e-book readers.
* Seventy-Five Years of Arkham House, announced for publication in 2014.
As of 2024 Arkham House is no longer in business. The exact reasons for this are not known and can only be speculated upon. No official statements or reasons were ever given to announce the publishers closing however it can be inferred due to the lack of published material since 2011, the website going down in June of 2023, and the trademark for Arkham House Publishers expiring due to failure to renew.United States Patent and Trademark Service, Arkham House: Publishers
==Other imprints==
Arkham House published under two additional imprints during its history.
In 1945 the Mycroft & Moran imprint was launched for the publication of weird detective and mystery stories, including Derleth's Solar Pons series. The title of the imprint was inspired by characters from the Sherlock Holmes stories: Sherlock's brother Mycroft Holmes, and the villain Colonel Moran. Some Mycroft & Moran titles since 1993 have also been issued by Battered Silicon Dispatch Box.
Arkham also introduced Stanton & Lee Publishers in 1945, with the intention of publishing cartoons by Clare Victor Dwiggins. Stanton & Lee Publishers went on to publish poetry and the regional writings of August Derleth.
Additionally, August Derleth sub-contracted certain books which were nominally published by Arkham House to other publishers, including Villiers Publications of England, and Pelligrini and Cudahy of New York.
==Selected Bibliography==
===2010s===
* The Arkham Sampler (1948-1949), edited by George Vanderburgh and Robert Weinberg (2010)
===2000s===
* The Macabre Quarto, by August Derleth
**vol. 1: Who Shall I Say Is Calling & Other Stories edited by Stephen Dziemianowicz and Robert Weinberg (2009)
**vol. 2: The Sleepers and other Wakeful Things introduced by Ramsey Campbell (2009)
**vol. 3: That Is Not Dead introduced by David Drake (2009)
**vol. 4: August Derleth's Eerie Creatures introduced by Brian Lumley (2009)
* The Shunned House Facsimile, by H. P. Lovecraft and Robert Weinberg (2008)
* Selected Letters of Clark Ashton Smith, by Clark Ashton Smith (2003)
===1990s===
* Sixty Years of Arkham House, edited by S. T. Joshi (1999)
* Lovecraft Remembered, edited by Peter Cannon (1998)
* Cthulhu 2000: A Lovecraftian Anthology, edited by Jim Turner (1995)
* Miscellaneous Writings, by H. P. Lovecraft, edited by S. T. Joshi (1994)
===1980s===
* Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos, by H. P. Lovecraft and Divers Hands (1989)
* The Horror in the Museum and Other Revisions, by H. P. Lovecraft (1989)
* A Rendezvous in Averoigne, by Clark Ashton Smith (1988)
* Dagon and Other Macabre Tales, by H. P. Lovecraft (1986)
* At the Mountains of Madness and Other Novels, by H. P. Lovecraft (1985)
* The Dunwich Horror and Others, by H. P. Lovecraft (1985)
* Lovecraft's Book, by Richard A. Lupoff (1985)
* New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos, edited by Ramsey Campbell (1980)
===1970s===
* The Horror at Oakdeene and Others, by Brian Lumley (1977)
* Selected Letters of H. P. Lovecraft V (1934–1937), by H. P. Lovecraft (1976)
* Selected Letters of H. P. Lovecraft IV (1932–1934), by H. P. Lovecraft (1976)
* Dreams from R'lyeh, by Lin Carter (1975)
* The House of the Worm, by Gary Myers (1975)
* Howard Phillips Lovecraft: Dreamer on the Nightside, by Frank Belknap Long (1975)
* The Watchers Out of Time and Others, by H. P. Lovecraft and August Derleth (1974)
* Demons by Daylight, by Ramsey Campbell (1973)
* The Arkham Collector: Volume I, edited by August Derleth (1972)
* Selected Letters of H. P. Lovecraft III (1929–1931), by H. P. Lovecraft (1971)
* The Arkham Collector (1970-1971)
* Dark Things, edited by August Derleth (1971)
* The Arkham Collector Number Nine: Spring, 1971
* The Horror in the Museum and Other Revisions, by H. P. Lovecraft (1970)
* Thirty Years of Arkham House, 1939-1969: A History and Bibliography, prepared by August Derleth (1970)
===1960s===
* Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos, by H. P. Lovecraft and Others (1969)
* The Arkham Collector Number Five: Summer, (1967-1969)
* Selected Letters of H. P. Lovecraft II (1925–1929), by H. P. Lovecraft (1968)
* Three Tales of Horror, by H. P. Lovecraft (1967)
* Travellers by Night, edited by August Derleth (1967)
* The Dark Brotherhood and Other Pieces, by H. P. Lovecraft & divers hands (1966)
* Dagon and Other Macabre Tales, by H. P. Lovecraft (1965)
* Selected Letters of H. P. Lovecraft I (1911–1924), by H. P. Lovecraft (1965)
* At the Mountains of Madness and Other Novels, by H. P. Lovecraft (1964)
* The Inhabitant of the Lake and Less Welcome Tenants, by J. Ramsey Campbell (1964)
* Autobiography: Some Notes on a Nonentity, by H. P. Lovecraft: annotated by August Derleth (1963)
* The Dunwich Horror and Others, by H. P. Lovecraft (1963)
* Collected Poems, by H. P. Lovecraft (1963)
* The Horror from the Hills, by Frank Belknap Long (1963)
* The Trail of Cthulhu, by August Derleth (1962)
* Dark Mind, Dark Heart, edited by August Derleth (1962)
* Dreams and Fancies, by H. P. Lovecraft (1962)
* The Shunned House, by H. P. Lovecraft (1961)
===1950s===
* The Shuttered Room and Other Pieces, by H. P. Lovecraft and Divers Hands (1959)
* Some Notes on H. P. Lovecraft, by August Derleth (1959)
* Arkham House: The First 20 Years, by August Derleth (1959)
* The Mask of Cthulhu, by August Derleth (1958)
* The Survivor and Others, by H. P. Lovecraft and August Derleth (1957)
* The Curse of Yig, by Zealia Bishop (1953)
===1940s===
* The Arkham Sampler, (1948-1949)
* Something About Cats and Other Pieces, by H. P. Lovecraft (1949)
*The Hounds of Tindalos, by Frank Belknap Long (1946)
*The Lurker at the Threshold, by H. P. Lovecraft and August Derleth (1945)
*Green Tea and Other Ghost Stories, by J. Sheridan LeFanu (1945)
*Witch House, by Evangeline Walton (1945)
*The Opener of the Way, by Robert Bloch (1945)
*Marginalia by H. P. Lovecraft (1944)
*Lost Worlds, by Clark Ashton Smith (1944)
*Beyond the Wall of Sleep, by H. P. Lovecraft (1943)
*Out of Space and Time, by Clark Ashton Smith (1942)
*Someone in the Dark, by August Derleth (1941)
===1939===
* The Outsider and Others, by H. P. Lovecraft (1939)
==In the Mythos==
Arkham House publishes books such as H. P. Lovecraft's The Outsider and Others, which is a source of information like other grimoires."The Dweller in Darkness", August Derleth
==References==
== Further Reading ==
* Barrett, Mike. "Arkham House: Sundry Observations". Dark Horizons (Mar 2010); expanded reprint in his Doors to Elsewhere. Cheadle, Staffordshire UK: Alchemy Press, 2013, pp. 17-43.
== Bibliography ==
* Chalker, Jack L. & Owings, Mark (1998) The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History, 1923-1998 Westminster, MD and Baltimore: Mirage Press, Ltd.
* Jaffery, Sheldon (1989) The Arkham House Companion Mercer Island, WA: Starmont House, Inc.
* Joshi, S. T. (2009) Classics and Contemporaries: Some Notes on Horror Fiction New York: Hippocampus Press. See "Arkham House and Its Legacy", pp 1–27.
* Joshi, S. T. (1999) Sixty Years of Arkham House: A History and Bibliography Sauk City, WI: Arkham House.
* Nielsen, Leon (2004) Arkham House Books: A Collector's Guide Jefferson, NC and London: McFarland & Company, Inc.
==External links==
*Picture of "Arkham House: A Retrospective" panel at the 2005 World Fantasy Convention, Madison Wisconsin (picture includes Walden Derleth)
*Picture of April and Walden Derleth representing Arkham House at the 2005 World Fantasy Convention, Madison, Wisconsin
*"The Black Seas of Copyright: Arkham House and the H. P. Lovecraft Copyrights" by Chris J. Karr
Category:Defunct (real world)
Category:Publishers