From first unwrapping, the new owner is presented with a highly tactile experience, thanks to the elaborate, shimmering, darkly-colourful, strongly-embossed box cover. Opening it continues that impact, with the feel of the lightly-embossed, Spawn-hide-bound books (tougher than Shoggohide!), plus the scent of printer’s ink, bindings and general “new books” aura. Even the large envelope containing the Miskatonic University props isn’t ordinary paper, but thick, translucent paper, with an embossed Miskatonic U seal. It wouldn’t be an HPLHS creation without at least a few convincingly-made, period props! The “Reader’s Guide” presents a pleasingly useful commentary on some of Lovecraft’s more iconic works, for both novice and more elder Lovecraftians. It might have benefitted from including one of Lovecraft’s numerous, early, Dunsanian tales, perhaps even “The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath”, to enhance the Experience most fully, although the two volumes of collected fiction make up for that, in providing an authoritative set of Lovecraft’s prose works, presented in order of writing (where that can be established, at least). A few items here have only rarely seen print in modern times, so even the more avid Lovecraft readers may find one or two new to them in this collection. This is simply a beautifully-produced boxed set that has to receive the highest recommendation!
