The Lurking Fear

So creepy, i couldnt believe it was written in 1922 when i read it, i didn't know anyone wrote like that back then.

the colour out of space, not only my favorite lovecraft story but my all time favorite horror story. for years the fall of the house of usher held that spot, then i started reading lovecraft and once i read the colour out of space i had a new favorite. the atmopshere is excellent. i think i read somewhere that it was also one of lovecrafts favorites of what he wrote.

While I always loved Lovecraft Mythos in concept and in it's importance in horror influence, I had a hard time reading his stuff as it was always so dry. I always thought Mountains of Madness was the best of the 5-6 stories I read previously. But I picked up the complete anthology a week ago and decided to read it cover to cover and really give it all a shot and emerse myself in his writing. I'm only about 1/5 of the way through but I have a completely new respect for his work, esp as this anthology seems to be fairly chronological and it's been fun to see him grow through his career. I just finished Herbert West - Reanimator and it was my favorite so far. Very humorous and well written. Shows a side of him that you didn't see in stories written before that point. I still have a huge chunk of this book to get through, and I'm excited as I'll be re-reading some with a completely new light, and I'll update as I go!

it took me three time through call of cthulhu to actually like the story. the first two times i was like i see that its neat and all but i dont get why this is the story he's known for. but the nameless city i just thought was fantastic the first time i read it.

some of his stuff is hard to digest but i think nearly all his stuff is worth the time.

I find that I like his shorter stuff a lot more than the longer stories: Hypnos, the Music of Erich Zann, The Outsider (although it took me about five times reading it through before I really started to appreciate it).

That being said, my favorite story is probably The Thing on the Doorstep. The first sentence just blew my mind (pardon the pun), and the end did too. I was really in to it the entire way through, which is something I can't always say for a Lovecraft story.

'The Shadow Over Innsmouth'

if I had to choose just one.

Just a warning for those who plan on buying the new Anthology from B&N, the editor puts a quip of info about each of the story's background and inspirations that sometimes ruins the "surprise" endings in some. I loved the Outsider as well, but when they tell you the "obvious inspiration" for the tale it took away all of the dramatic build up.

Hybrid said:

i really liked the escape part, that had some serious suspense. cause with lovecraft you never know if the character is gonna get killed or not. the whole story is good but that part is easily for me the perfect climax for the story.

It's hard to choose just one, but I like The Whisperer in Darkness a lot. Mi-Go FTW!

Marius said:

you wouldnt know anything new about the release date for the black and white thats being made would you? from what i gathered from the hp historical society page it seems like its still in production, but it had an 2008 as a release....

The Rats In the Walls, with The Music of Erich Zahn a close second.

The Rats In the Walls, with The Music of Erich Zahn a close second.

Hybrid said:

I think I'd pick that one as well. It's an excellent story, and everyone loves Deep Ones.

I have to agree with PearlJamaholic . The Colour Out of Space is my favorite too. Has anyone read the unofficial sequel book The Colour Out of Time (done in 1985)?

My next two favorites are The Whisperer in the Darkness and The Shadow Out of Time.

Dr. Zoltar said:

The Michael Shea one, yep - since I was a fan of his, and of HPL, I chased that down as fast as I could!

I don't think it's as effective as Colour Out of Time, too many sections read almost like screenplays rather than a novel, I kept getting the impression he was seeing it as a potential movie. Not a bad story though, some interesting sections in there, and way better than many of the awful 'Lovecraftian-inspired' stories around.

The Rats In The Walls for me, with The Case Of Charles Dexter Ward a close second.

I am hoping for a good movie based on The Case one day, the story is perfect to be adapted to film.

The Shunned House, or The Statement of Randolph Carter. Both stories gave me the creeps when I was a kid.

I just finished Whisper In The Darkness last night. Fantastic read!!!

I'm another for "The Rats in the Walls".

For some reason that I can't quite fathom, The Rats in the Walls has always been my favourite story of his.

It's hard to say, really. For me, my favorite keeps changing. When I first started reading his stuff 20 years or so ago, I loved The Outsider , and Imprisoned with the Pharoahs . Later, I appreciated The Rats in the Walls and From Beyond for being exceptionally interesting. Most recently, it's The Haunter of the Dark that I enjoyed most. I imagine the next time I read through my collection it will be something else that strikes me as being particularly clever...

MGBM said:

Well, as long as your willing to overlook the fact that parts of it would be flashbacks based on research done by someone that was later described to someone else who is relating the whole tale in another flashback...

Easily The Outsider for me. I also really enjoy Rats in the Walls and Shadow Over Innsmouth . But they are nowhere close to The Outsider , something about the story just pulls me in.

My first exposure to Lovecraft was The Shadow over Innsmouth , so it's easy to call that my favorite. But The Rats in the Walls really freaked me out as a kid (and it still does!), Basically, have to call it a tie.

The Shadow Out of Time , although The Outsider is a close second.