A definitive collection of stories from the unparalleled master of horror of the twentieth century. "I think it is beyond doubt that H. P. Lovecraft has yet to be surpassed as the greatest practitioner of classic horror fiction of the twentieth century." - Stephen King. Often imitated and widely influential, Howard Phillips Lovecraft reinvented the horror genre in the 1920s by discarding ghosts and witches and instead depicting humanity as a tiny outpost of dwindling reason in a chaotic and malevolent universe. S. T. Joshi, Lovecraft's foremost interpreter, presents a selection of the master's fiction, from early tales of nightmares and madness like "The Outsider" to the overwhelming cosmic terror of "The Call of Cthulhu." More than just a collection of frightening stories, this volume reveals the evolution of Lovecraft's captivating narrative style and establishes him as a canonical author.