New Eldritch Tomes

Every time I think I am done adding Arkham House volumes I see something, in this case two somethings, that I cannot resist. I have not read any of Vincent Starrett's weird fiction. His name popped up on my radar recently as I was reading about Sherlock Holmes and the pastiche industry generated by Doyle's character. But since Im love Homes and weird tales I added this to my library.

From the Wikipedia article on Starrett, "Starrett's most famous work, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, was published in 1933. Following that, Starrett wrote a book column, "Books Alive," for The Chicago Tribune. He retired after 25 years of the column in 1967. Starrett was one of the founders of The Hounds of the Baskerville (sic), a Chicago chapter of The Baker Street Irregulars."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Starrett

The same bookseller had a couple of other items I was interested in so the order got bigger. I love Donald Wandrei and poetry so how could I resist Poems for Midnight. Both Arkham House books have covers by Frank Utpatel one of my favourite Arkham House cover artists.

These Ballantine editions with covers by John Homes were the Lovecraft books I started reading as a teenager. I did not keep them when I graduated to the hardcovers Arkham House put out in the late 1980's. So now that I have decided I would like copies I can enjoy tracking down and buying vastly more expensive used copies. Other titles appear here.

https://dunwichhorrors.blogspot.com/2018/11/new-eldritch-tomes-saskatoon-2018.html

The last book in this order A Man Called Poe: Stories in the Vein of Edgar Allan Poe (cover by Josh Kirby) contained among other items the short story "In Which an Author and His Character Are Well Met"  by Vincent Starrett. Isn't this were we came in maybe but we are not quite done.

Not quite Helen and I finally went out Friday to the Inglewood neighbourhood where we like to shop. The stores were finally open again. A building that was a mere frame the last time we were there was almost finished, it has been a long time. At The Next Page bookstore which, sells both new and used books I was able to find a number of horror anthologies, something I rarely encounter. The covers were a bit scrapped up but at $4 each I was delighted to give them a home. 

I could not find the cover artist for these two books but I would love to know. 

Fast fashion, H.P.L. and me

 

I was visiting, as I often do The Online Journal of Caitlín R. Kiernan.

https://greygirlbeast.livejournal.com/1562876.html

I noticed my heroine was wearing a really cool t-shirt, and well I had to have my own. Need you ask why? 

Once over at teepublic I had to at least see what else else they had. And my two search terms, as always were Lovecraft and Godzilla. I know but its gotten me to my mid 60's so why change now. I already have a plethoria of Godzilla, okay one HPL and four Godzilla so tempting as some of the Godzilla themed items were I went with Howard this time. One Vblogger we watch to relax does warn of the perils of fast fashion. I my own defence, my dad passed away in 2001 and I still have a couple of his shirts so I cling to clothing like a limpet. Most of my cabin clothing is from Value Village and the real gems end up in my closet here. Some stuff also heads to the charity drop boxes so I do try. But well how could I resist. This is not an endorsement, find your own road to financial ruin.

And remember when updating your investment portfolio, casting a vote or 

simply Marie Kondoing your outfits.

“Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn.
In his house at R'lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.” 

Why settle for the lesser of two evils?

 

New Eldritch Tomes Lovecraft and Ian Miller Part Two

I have always wanted at least one paperback with an Ian Miller's cover for the Panther Horror editions of the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Eventually I tracked down a copy on ABE which seemed affordable, in theory. I ordered it March 30th from Australia but stuff was happening and I received it today. I was delighted.

A lovely reminiscence of reading these editions and much better cover photos of all three titles can be found here.

https://unsubscribedblog.wordpress.com/2014/06/25/teeces-bit-a-shadow-over-rotherham/

Some time ago I discussed my purchase of The Art of Ian Miller here. 

https://ajaggedorbit.blogspot.com/2020/06/new-arrivals-philip-k-dick-and-ian.html

In this book he offered an alternative cover illustration for The Haunter of the Dark. 

Photo above from The Art of Ian Miller

https://ajaggedorbit.blogspot.com/search?q=ian+miller

Miller's explanation.

This French edition of  The Case of Charles Dexter Ward arrived some time ago. 

I am a Canadian but I do not speak or read French. My adult self might tell my rather unambitious younger self that learning other languages would be way more valuable than 90% of the curriculum especially the woefully inaccurate and outdated information on other countries the geography teacher dispensed. Okay I got that out of my system. So why buy this? I have read The Case of Charles Dexter Ward a number of times, and each time I rank it higher among Howard's works. But I have never seem a cover that did justice to the mood of the story until now. This representation of Joseph Curwen, in my mind, looking like he is becoming more and more bestial as he advances farther and farther into his dark arts is brilliant. What do you think?