B&N does Lovecraft!!

[Ningauble]

Remember how I've been hinting that I'm convinced that an omnibus of HPL's complete fiction -- the corrected texts -- WILL appear in time, if we're just patient? Well, I can finally reveal what I have known for a couple of months -- just got the green light from Mr. Joshi himself.

STJ has just

signed a contract for an enormous omnibus of Lovecraft's complete original fiction (exclusive of revisions and collaborations, although I believe "Through the Gates of the Silver Key" will be included) to be issued by Barnes & Noble Publishing.

He doesn't know yet when it will appear, but most of the work on it has been done, and he expects to receive the proofs within days. It could appear in the summer or slightly later.

[j. d. worthington]

Excellent news! Of course, it means another hole in my pocketbook, but what the heck....

[pablo]

This is very exciting news, and quite timely. It's a shame that this will not be a truly complete collection, if it will omit the revisions and collaborations. I was hoping for such a volume, since I currently only own Arkham's first volume of HPL, The Dunwich Horror, and was actually actively seeking the remaining volumes when I found this forum and discovered this news. I bought that first Arkham volume long ago and only recently began to actually read it, shamefully. When I decided to get the other volumes, I was saddened to discover they've been reprinted with inferior dust jackets and apparently the previous editions are rather scarce now. For a uniform collection, I'd need to somehow locate those now out of print Arkham hardcovers. I've already got the poetry volume The Ancient Track and two of the five volumes of essays.

P.S.: The completist in me was hoping for an actually complete edition of Lovecraft, since even Arkham's own Miscellaneous Writings does not include two collaborations omitted from the revisions volume.

[Ningauble]

Originally Posted by pablo

This is very exciting news, and quite timely. It's a shame that this will not be a truly complete collection, if it will omit the revisions and collaborations. I was hoping for such a volume, since I currently only own Arkham's first volume of HPL, The Dunwich Horror, and was actually actively seeking the remaining volumes when I found this forum and discovered this news. I bought that first Arkham volume long ago and only recently began to actually read it, shamefully. When I decided to get the other volumes, I was saddened to discover they've been reprinted with inferior dust jackets and apparently the previous editions are rather scarce now. For a uniform collection, I'd need to somehow locate those now out of print Arkham hardcovers. I've already got the poetry volume The Ancient Track and two of the five volumes of essays.

P.S.: The completist in me was hoping for an actually complete edition of Lovecraft, since even Arkham's own Miscellaneous Writings does not include two collaborations omitted from the revisions volume.

There are plans (well, more of nuclei of ideas) for a collection of the revisions, but that (if it materializes) won't be a B&N book.
Technically speaking "The Hoard of the Wizard-Beast" and "The Slaying of the Monster" weren't omitted, they hadn't been discovered yet when the book was published.

[pablo]

Ningauble, do you know or can you guess whether juvenilia and fragmentary works will also be included in that B&N volume? If so - and with that second volume you speak of containing all the revisions and collaborations - we'd have all of HPL's creative writings contained within just three large tomes (along with The Ancient Track).

P.S.: I am assuming this B&N volume would be in the line of their other omnibus editions, such as this of Poe that I have: [can't post links, unfortunately, so go to bn.com and search for ISBN 9780760782217].

[Ningauble]

Originally Posted by pablo

Ningauble, do you know or can you guess whether juvenilia and fragmentary works will also be included in that B&N volume?

I can only guess and speculate, and I'd say that it is unlikely that space would be wasted on anything written before "The Beast in the Cave". HPL's childish attempts at fiction are charming and interesting in their own right, but good reading...?
As for fragments such as "Azathoth", my guess is that they will be included.

I suppose I could ask S. T., but at the same time I'm unwilling to find out. I want some surprise left.

If so - and with that second volume you speak of containing all the revisions and collaborations - we'd have all of HPL's creative writings contained within just three large tomes (along with The Ancient Track).

That would certainly be great. We shall have to wait and see what happens. My guess is that IF the revisions volume happens, it still has some years to go before it appears. But I'm patient. I've waited for Richard Tierney's Drums of Chaos since 1994, and with this book, I already have all the texts.

P.S.: I am assuming this B&N volume would be in the line of their other omnibus editions, such as this of Poe that I have: [can't post links, unfortunately, so go to bn.com and search for ISBN 9780760782217].

It sure looks nice! I have B&N's reprint of De Camp's HPL biography -- decent quality.

[pablo]

So I suppose one would still need the MW book. It's just that I abhor redundancy. Oh well...

[ghyle]

I wouldn't overlook the essays when you talk about Grandpa Theobald's creative works. They should also apply under that heading.

[j. d. worthington]

I would agree with ghyle on that. Though some, such as the astronomical articles he wrote for various papers, can be a bit dry for most, even there you'll find "mini-essays" that are fascinating, informative, imaginative, and even full of wit. As for many of his other essays: these reveal numerous creative facets to the Old Gent that have seldom been suspected. I'd argue that the Collected Essays set is as important in its way as the volumes of Lovecraft's letters or The Ancient Track....

[pablo]

I didn't mean to slight the essays in the least. I have two of the five volumes presently and am actively seeking the rest. Fascinating reading indeed. I was just separating, shall we say, fiction from non-fiction.

[Nesacat]

This is wonderful news Ningauble. Have to start looking at banks to rob. Always good to see the Old Gent receiving the attention he's long deserved.

I guess there will still be a need for more than one book to fully appreciate all of Lovecraft's work and that is absolutely fine and as it should be; but this is a huge step forward.

[pablo]

By the way, if this tome is to be indeed a part of that B&N line I talked about above, then content-wise I don't think Joshi should have any restrictions, since some of the volumes of that line number almost 1500 pages (such as the O. Henry, for example). So "complete original fiction" could literally mean just that.

[j. d. worthington]

Originally Posted by pablo

I didn't mean to slight the essays in the least. I have two of the five volumes presently and am actively seeking the rest. Fascinating reading indeed. I was just separating, shall we say, fiction from non-fiction.

Glad to hear of someone else who has given the essays a try. Some of them, such as his travel essays, are quite delightful (though often completely politically incorrect!) and it is very seldom that they don't at least give one a considerable amount to think about....

[Ningauble]

Originally Posted by Nesacat

This is wonderful news Ningauble. Have to start looking at banks to rob. Always good to see the Old Gent receiving the attention he's long deserved.

I guess there will still be a need for more than one book to fully appreciate all of Lovecraft's work and that is absolutely fine and as it should be; but this is a huge step forward.

Yes indeed. My hope is that it won't be terribly expensive, so don't start casing those banks just yet! I have the B&N reprint of De Camp's HPL biography, andit cost just $7.95. Granted, that was a decade ago, but it was still amazingly cheap at the time.

[Ningauble]

Originally Posted by pablo

By the way, if this tome is to be indeed a part of that B&N line I talked about above, then content-wise I don't think Joshi should have any restrictions, since some of the volumes of that line number almost 1500 pages (such as the O. Henry, for example). So "complete original fiction" could literally mean just that.

I'll keep my fingers crossed. I'm not hopeful (charming as HPL's childhood stories are, they're also IMO somewhat embarrassing), but I'll keep my fingers crossed (thereby proving myself a superstitiuous yokel and thus completely unfit to read Lovecraft. )