The Premiere Lovecraft Collection
In conjunction with publisher Insight Editions, we are proud to present The H.P. Lovecraft Experience: a huge and stunning set featuring the complete works of Lovecraft in two premium-bound volumes; an all-new original Reader’s Guide written by the HPLHS; and custom in-world collectible ephemera, all presented in a magnificently chilling 3-D sculpted case.
Over the years I've had countless editions of Lovecraft, but The H.P. Lovecraft Experience is definitive; a work of genuine artistry, whimsy and scholarship and an invaluable addition to any Lovecraftian library.
John Logan, Oscar & Tony nominated screenwriter of Penny Dreadful
What a superlative product! Every devotee of Lovecraft will want to secure this major undertaking.
S.T. Joshi, Lovecraft Scholar
Like a prayer answered four decades later, I finally have in my hands the edition of Lovecraft I could only dream of as a mythos-drunk kid. It is both artful and scholarly, respectful tome and fetish object.
David Prior, Director of "The Autopsy" for Netflix's Cabinet of Curiosities
Inspired by his waking nightmares, H.P. Lovecraft has astounded and terrified readers for more than a century. Now, fans can experience the visionary’s mystifying work in a format that both honors and celebrates his long-lasting legacy. In addition to Lovecraft’s complete fiction, The H.P. Lovecraft Experience features a comprehensive reading guide provided by the HPLHS and several pieces of exclusive, collectible, and personalizable ephemera from Lovecraft’s fictional Miskatonic University.
MISKATONIC COLLECTIBLES: The H.P. Lovecraft Experience features a set of the ultra-realistic Miskatonic University ephemera designed by the HPLHS and presented in an in-world portfolio:
- Student Coursebook
- Orne Library Card
- Stickers featuring academic seal
- Embroidered Patch
- Leatherette Bookmark
- Miskatonic University Diploma (with custom stencil for filling in your name)
THE COMPLETE FICTION: The set includes HPL's complete fiction (edited by noted scholar S.T. Joshi) with an introduction by Sean Branney and Andrew Leman of the HPLHS. The set also includes an illuminating and lavishly illustrated Reader’s Guide by the HPLHS that gives key insights into Lovecraft’s most important short stories.
PREMIUM FORMAT: With high-quality foil stamped binding, and housed in a custom-designed case (illustrated by Lee Moyer), The H.P. Lovecraft Experience (much like the author’s work itself) was made to stand the test of time. Seriously, this set is big, bold, and gorgeous!
SIGNED? Want yours signed by Sean Branney & Andrew Leman? Just use the Customer Comments field at checkout to let us know you'd like your copy signed (and how) and we'll ink it before it goes out the door!
Pages: 1188
Size: 11.75 x 5 x 10 inches
Weight: 8.15 lbs. (3.69kg)
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!
For years, the HPLHS has offered numerous editions of Lovecraft's fiction by *other* publishers. An edition of their own has been long overdue. Not surprisingly, quite a lot of careful thought and effort was put into creating this set with the usual creativity and extra touches that we've come to expect from our beloved Society. This is not merely an edition of the complete fiction. It's called the H.P. Lovecraft Experience for a reason. And weighing in at 8 pounds, it's massive!
The two volumes of Lovecraft are a perfect size for holding comfortably and reading. They are beautifully made with flexibound covers, edge staining, and placemark ribbons. By the way, possibly unbeknownst to the boys at the HPLHS, they are a perfect companion match to the Barnes & Noble edition of Edgar Allan Poe's Classic Stories which is the same size and with a similar flexibound cover! (see photo). Plus, it is nice to see that these books have sewn bindings. If there is any doubt, open up the book and look down inside the middle of one of the "signatures" (the booklets that are sewn in), and you will see the stitching (see photo). Not only that, but the Reader's Guide also has a sewn binding. Quality everywhere.
The Reader's Guide is a valuable and very welcome part of this set, featuring Branney and Leman's insightful analyses of ten of Lovecraft's stories. As usual, they've come up with another way to add to the experience of enjoying Lovecraft. I am very happy that they chose to include something like this.
Adding to the overall experience are the lovingly crafted ephemera. My favorites are the Orne Library Card and the leatherette bookmark (I'm a sucker for cool bookmarks).
And of course everything is housed in a frightening vault that even features lifting ribbons for extracting the hideous tomes from their encasement. That's if you can get past the terrifying visage on the outside! This set is totally a winner and well worth acquiring.
If you don't have a full set of HPL works, this is a great set to have. If you already have the complete works, you'll have to decide if another copy is worth $100.
The Reader's Guide itself is worthy of purchase, if that comes up for sale on it's own, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
The quality and presentation are very well done. It looks great, it's solid, and the straps are a welcome addition.
The Miskatonic extras are cool, but I wish they would have all been different pieces from what is already available in other kits.
The 2 books are well done. The font is perfect for HLP's writing. I would have preferred the books to be hard-cover, but that's just me.
Overall, I really like it, and I'm going to use this set to replace my HLP Anthology books.
I was absolutely satisfied with the collection provided by the HPLHS. The box alone felt like it was worth the price of admission, it has a fantastic sheen and feel to it I'm happy to simply have out for others to take a look at.
The books themselves are also wonderful. The feel and look of them are fantastic alone, but having them all over two books really simplifies a lot of the collection aspect alone, done in a logical way between both volumes one and two.
The additional draw is the reading companion. I would say it's a bonus that really while I wanted just the novels alone, I was enjoying reading before the stories they're analyzing.
Over all very worth it. My only complaint was shipping, but that is to be expected with such a large but ultimately very worth it collection.
My son is a huge Lovecraft fan, and he will love this. Such a beautiful set.
