Lovecraft's Monsters

Disclaimer: I received a eARC of this anthology from netgalley.

Lovecraft and his works hold a special place in my heart. So when I got a chance to review one of Datlow's latest anthologies I took it. This is the 2nd Lovecraftian anthology Datlow has edited. Datlow says in the introduction, "I had three goals in choosing stories: the first, as usual, was to avoid pastiches; the second was to use stories that have not been overly reprinted in the many recent mythos anthologies; third, I wanted to showcase Lovecraftian-influenced stories by at least some authors not known for that kind of story." And she hit the mark because this book is really entertaining.

The stories in this tome vary in the decades they write about. There's some steampunk flavored stories, there's some noir, and there's some weird futuristic sci-fi. However, they all share one thing, they celebrate Lovecraft's works through his monsters and the horrible things they do to us as mortals.

Bottom Line: Love anthologies? Love Lovecraftian style prose and monsters? Need a break from those novels you've been reading? Get this book. The stories within will entertain you, gross you out, and long for the good old days of reading Lovecraft for the first time.

H.P.Lovecraft was a master when it came to conjuring up not just an atmosphere of horror but sublimely creepy monsters. In an expertly edited anthology Ellen Datlow brings together stories by modern horror and fantasy writers which use Lovecraft as a springboard for a focus on these mythic monsters.Highly recommended whether or not you are a fan of Lovecraft and his style.

I'm a huge fan of Lovecraftian horror, and though a few of the stories I had come across before I really enjoyed them.

I’ve only ever been a casual fan of Lovecraft, having never delved much into his work or Mythos, but I love his monsters – their intense otherness, the fear of the unknowable they strike in the heart of readers. An anthology paying homage to these monsters, kicked off with the work of Neil Gaiman, was a perfect fit for me.

First off, this is a monster of a collection (pun not intended, but I like it so it stays ;) ) with 16 full stories and 2 poems (all with some fantastically done original artwork that really helps you visualize these sometimes unfathomable creatures), plus a very useful Monster Index in the back.

The stories range in size from a few pages to several chapters long and take place in a range of locations (mostly American locations, but a few notable others) and even different time periods. The one thing all the works have in common is the presence of at least one of Lovecraft’s monsters and the madness and mayhem they bring with them.

This was a very entertaining collection, full of well-written works. The good amount of variety being presented in this collection should allow most everyone to find something they like – I was partial to the works featuring Innsmouth and the “Deep Ones” and was moved to go read the original tale which inspired them: “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” (which is brilliant FYI).

A great choice for fans of H. P. Lovecraft, those who are simply just fans of his incredible monsters, or those who have little to no familiarity with either and would like to get a taste of the infamous Cthulhu Mythos.

Most people who read horror or dark fiction are familiar with the name Lovecraft. This book introduces the reader to the monsters in our world.

This book has an impressive lineup of heavy hitting authors and like most anthologies, there were some fantastic stories and there were a few duds. For me, the Neil Gaiman story was best and the poetry stories were duds; just not my thing. Overall, a very worthy collection of stories to have and read.