By H.P. Lovecraft
Edited, with Introduction and Commentary, by S.T. Joshi

Back Cover Text

H.P. Lovecraft’s Supernatural Horror in Literature, first published in 1927, is widely recognized as the finest historical survey of horror literature ever written. The product of both a keen critical analyst and a working practitioner in the field, the essay affords unique insights into the nature, development, and history of the weird tale. Beginning with instances of weirdness in ancient literature, Lovecraft proceeds to discuss horror writing in the Renaissance, the first Gothic novels of the late 18th century, the revolutionary importance of Edgar Allan Poe, the work of such leading figures as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ambrose Bierce, and William Hope Hodgson, and the four “modern masters” – Arthur Machen, Lord Dunsany, Algernon Blackwood, and M. R. James.

In this first annotated edition of Lovecraft’s seminal work, S.T. Joshi has provided detailed commentary on many points. In addition, Joshi has supplied a comprehensive bibliography of all the authors and works discussed in the essay, with references to modern editions and critical studies. This edition should be invaluable both to devotees of Lovecraft and to enthusiasts of the weird tale.

Contents

• Preface, by S.T. Joshi
• Introduction, by S.T. Joshi
• Supernatural Horror in Literature
  1. Introduction
  2. The Dawn of the Horror-Tale
  3. The Early Gothic Novel
  4. The Apex of Gothic Romance
  5. The Aftermath of Gothic Fiction
  6. Spectral Literature on the Continent
  7. Edgar Allan Poe
  8. The Weird Tradition in America
  9. The Weird Tradition in the British Isles
  10. The Modern Masters
• Appendix
     The Favourite Weird Stories of H.P. Lovecraft
• Notes
• Bibliography of Authors and Works
• Index

Bibliographic Information

The Annotated Supernatural Horror in Literature, By H.P. Lovecraft, Edited, with Introduction and Commentary, by S.T. Joshi. New York, NY: Hippocampus Press; 2000; ISBN 0-9673215-0-6; Softcover.

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