The Notes and Commonplace Book of H.P. Lovecraft

During his lifetime, HPL kept a listing of story ideas, concepts, and other elements which he might at some point include in his stories. He called this his "commonplace book". In 1938, just after HPL's death, his friend and literary executor, Robert H. Barlow printed HPL's commonplace book in an edition of just 75 copies. We thought it was high time for a new edition of the Commonplace Book, and here it is.

Working from high resolution photos of an original in the Library of Congress, we've created a typographic replica of the 1938 edition. To make it even more fun, we've also included materials Lovecraft wrote after he gave his manuscript to Barlow and which were not included in the 1938 edition. HPL also wrote plot summaries for more than fifty classic horror stories which were similarly omitted and are reproduced here for the first time. This volume also features an Afterword by Sean Branney and Andrew Leman of the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society.

Fans of HPL will see here many of the initial ideas which Lovecraft later used in the full version of his tales. They'll also gain insights into the creative process of the father of gothic fiction and master of the weird tale, H.P. Lovecraft.

In keeping with the proportions of the 1938 edition, this new edition from the HPLHS measures 6 7/8 inches by 4 1/4 inches. 108 pages.