Elder things. Ghasts. Night-gaunts. Meet the creatures of the Cthulhu Mythos, denizens of the dark but brilliant imagination of H. P. Lovecraft. The collection of occult horror and fantasy he penned during his short lifetime is a legacy that has terrified and inspired generations of fans. Lovecraft's tales reveal the horror of seeing what has been hidden from humanity for good reason. Written for those curious about Lovecraft and his work, this illustrated guide presents detailed descriptions of twenty-nine of the monsters, creatures, and gods that inhabit Lovecraft's macabre fictional universe, without any spoilers that could ruin a future read of his stories. It also includes an introduction to the man regarded as the father of American horror.

Tracing the emergence of what the media industries today call transmedia, story worlds, and narrative franchises, Legal Stories provides a dual history of copyright law and narrative-based media development between the Copyright Act of 1909 and the Copyright Act of 1976. Drawing on archival material, including legal case files, and employing the principles of actor-network theory, Gregory Steirer demonstrates how the meaning and form of narrative-based property in the twentieth century was integral to the letter and practice of intellectual property law during this time. Steirer’s expansive view of intellectual property law encompasses not only statutes and judicial opinions, but also the everyday practices and productions of authors, editors, fans, and other legal laypersons. The result is a history of the law as improvisatory and accident-prone, taking place as often outside the courtroom as inside, and shaped as much by laypersons as lawyers. Through the examination of influential legal disputes involving early properties such as Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade, H. P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos, and Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian, Steirer provides a ground’s eye view of how copyright law has operated and evolved in practice.

This work explores the relationship between twenty-five enduring works of horror literature and the classic films that have been adapted from them. Each chapter delves into the historical and cultural background of a particular type of horror--hauntings, zombies, aliens and more--and provides an overview of a specific work's critical and popular reception. Among the print-to-film titles discussed are Frankenstein, Dracula, Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Masque of the Red Death, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Phantom of the Opera, Psycho, The Exorcist, and The Shining.

“H.P. Lovecraft has yet to be surpassed as the twentieth century’s greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale.”—Stephen King “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.”—H.P. Lovecraft This is the collection that true fans of horror fiction must have: sixteen of H.P. Lovecraft’s most horrifying visions, including: The Call of Cthulu: The first story in the infamous Cthulhu mythos—a creature spawned in the stars brings a menace of unimaginable evil to threaten all mankind. The Dunwich Horror: An evil man’s desire to perform an unspeakable ritual leads him in search of the fabled text of The Necronomicon. The Colour Out of Space: A horror from the skies—far worse than any nuclear fallout—transforms a man into a monster. The Shadow Over Innsmouth: Rising from the depths of the sea, an unspeakable horror engulfs a quiet New England town. Plus twelve more terrifying tales!

Howard Lovecraft uses the legendary Necronomicon to open a portal to a frozen world with creatures and grave danger.

What if a book existed that gave answers to everything you've ever wondered about? What would you do to learn its secrets? Tales of such books have abounded for millennia and are legend in occult history. One of the most pervasive modern iterations is that of the Necronomicon, said to be a genuine occult text from the 8th century. The Necronomicon really is the creation of science fiction writer H.P. Lovecraft (1891-1937), in whose books the magic volume first appears in print. In The Necronomicon Files two occult authorities explore all aspects of The Necronomicon, from its first appearance in Lovecraft's fiction to its ongoing pervasive appearance in cult and occult circles. The Necronomicon Files, revised and expanded further, reveals the hoax of the Necronomicon. Harms and Gonce show that the apocryphal history of the Necronomicon was concocted by Lovecraft to lend it verisimilitude in his fiction. The magical text was transformed into an icon among Lovecraft's literary circle, who added to the book's legend by referring to it in their own writing. People became convinced that it was a real book and its references in literature and film continue to grow. The book also examines what people have undergone to find the Necronomicon and the cottage industry that has arisen over the past three decades to supply the continuing demand for a book that does not exist. Scholarly yet accessible, humorous and intriguing, The Necronomicon Files illuminates the depth of the creative process and the transformations of modern myth, while still managing to preserve much of the romance and fascination that surrounds the Necronomicon in our culture.

“A seminal collection of one of late 20th century’s most important horror writers . . . every horror fan should have on their bookshelf.” —SF Site Reviews Ramsey Campbell is perhaps the world’s most decorated author of horror fiction. He has won four World Fantasy Awards, ten British Fantasy Awards, three Bram Stoker Awards, and the Horror Writers’ Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Three decades into his career, Campbell paused to review his body of short fiction and selected the stories that were, to his mind, the very best of his work. Alone With the Horrors collects nearly forty tales from the first thirty years of Campbell’s writing, including several award winners. Campbell crowns the book with a lengthy preface—revised for this edition—that traces his early publication history, discusses his youthful correspondence with August Derleth, and illuminates the influence of H. P. Lovecraft on his work. Alone with the Horrors provides readers with a close look at a powerful writer’s development of his craft. “The marrow-chilling tales in this comprehensive, chronologically arranged collection, selected from Campbell’s 30-year career, demonstrate the ways this sophisticated British writer inspires fear without resorting to blood and gore.” —Publishers Weekly