H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Fiction Read online

  The Complete Fiction

  H. P. Lovecraft

  A collection of all the works of H. P. Lovecraft.

  Table of Contents

  (in Chronological Order)

  1897

  The Little Glass Bottle

  1898

  The Secret Cave or John Lees Adventure

  The Mystery of the Grave-Yard

  1902

  The Mysterious Ship

  1905

  The Beast in the Cave

  1908

  The Alchemist

  1917

  The Tomb

  Dagon

  A Reminiscence Of Dr. Samuel Johnson

  Sweet Ermengarde or, The Heart of a Country Girl

  1918

  Polaris

  1919

  The Green Meadow (with Winifred V. Jackson)

  Beyond the Wall of Sleep

  Memory

  Old Bugs

  The Transition of Juan Romero

  The White Ship

  The Doom That Came to Sarnath

  The Statement of Randolph Carter

  1920

  The Terrible Old Man

  The Tree

  The Cats of Ulthar

  The Temple

  Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family

  The Street

  Poetry and the Gods (with Anna Helen Crofts)

  Celephaïs

  From Beyond

  Nyarlathotep

  The Picture in the House

  The Crawling Chaos (with Winifred V. Jackson)

  1921

  Ex Oblivione

  The Nameless City

  The Quest of Iranon

  The Moon-Bog

  The Outsider

  The Other Gods

  The Music Of Erich Zann

  Herbert West: Reanimator

  1922

  Hypnos

  What the Moon Brings

  Azathoth

  The Horror at Martin’s Beach (with Sonia H. Greene)

  The Hound

  The Lurking Fear

  1923

  The Rats in the Walls

  The Unnamable

  Ashes (with C. M. Eddy, Jr.)

  The Ghost-Eater (with C. M. Eddy, Jr.)

  The Loved Dead (with C. M. Eddy, Jr.)

  The Festival

  1924

  Deaf, Dumb, and Blind (with C. M. Eddy, Jr.)

  Under the Pyramids (with Harry Houdini)

  The Shunned House

  1925

  The Horror at Red Hook

  He

  In The Vault

  1926

  The Descendant

  Cool Air

  The Call of Cthulhu

  Two Black Bottles (with Wilfred Blanch Talman)

  Pickman’s Model

  The Silver Key

  The Strange High House in the Mist

  The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath

  1927

  The Case of Charles Dexter Ward

  The Colour Out of Space

  The Very Old Folk

  The Thing in the Moonlight (spurious)

  The Last Test (with Adolphe de Castro)

  History of the Necronomicon

  1928

  The Curse of Yig (with Zealia Bishop)

  Ibid

  The Dunwich Horror

  1929

  The Electric Executioner (with Adolphe de Castro)

  The Mound (with Zealia Bishop)

  1930

  Medusa’s Coil (with Zealia Bishop)

  The Whisperer in Darkness

  1931

  At the Mountains of Madness

  The Shadow Over Innsmouth (discarded draft)

  The Shadow Over Innsmouth

  The Trap (with Henry S. Whitehead)

  1932

  The Dreams in the Witch House

  The Man of Stone (with Hazel Heald)

  The Horror in the Museum (with Hazel Heald)

  Through the Gates of the Silver Key (with E. Hoffmann Price)

  1933

  Winged Death (with Hazel Heald)

  Out of the Aeons (with Hazel Heald)

  The Thing on the Doorstep

  The Evil Clergyman

  The Horror in the Burying-Ground (with Hazel Heald)

  The Hoard of the Wizard-Beast (with R. H. Barlow)

  The Slaying of the Monster (with R. H. Barlow)

  The Book

  1934

  The Tree on the Hill (with Duane W. Rimel)

  The Battle that Ended the Century (with R. H. Barlow)

  The Shadow Out of Time

  1935

  “Till A’ the Seas” (with R. H. Barlow)

  Collapsing Cosmoses (with R. H. Barlow)

  The Challenge from Beyond (with C. L. Moore, A. Merritt, Robert E. Howard, and Frank Belknap Long)

  The Disinterment (with Duane W. Rimel)

  The Diary of Alonzo Typer (with William Lumley)

  The Haunter of the Dark

  1936

  In the Walls of Eryx (with Kenneth Sterling)

  The Night Ocean (with R. H. Barlow)

  The Little Glass Bottle

  Written in 1897

  Originally published in The Shuttered Room and Other Pieces, 1959

  “Heave to, there’s something floating to the leeward” the speaker was a short stockily built man whose name was William Jones. he was the captain of a small cat boat in which he & a party of men were sailing at the time the story opens.

  “Aye aye sir” answered John Towers & the boat was brought to a stand still Captain Jones reached out his hand for the object which he now discerned to be a glass bottle “Nothing but a rum flask that the men on a passing boat threw over” he said but from an impulse of curiosity he reached out for it. it was a rum flask & he was about to throw it away when he noticed a piece of paper in it. He pulled it out & on it read the following

  Jan 1 1864

  I am John Jones who writes this letter my ship is fast sinking with a treasure on board I am where it is marked * on the enclosed chart

  Captain Jones turned the sheet over & the other side was a chart

  on the edge were written these words

  dotted lines represent course we took

  “Towers” Said Capt. Jones exitedly “read this” Towers did as he was directed “I think it would pay to go” said Capt. Jones “do you”? “Just as you say” replied Towers. “We’ll charter a schooner this very day” said the exited captain “All right” said Towers so they hired a boat and started off govnd by the dotted lines of they chart in 4 weeks the reached the place where directed & the divers went down and came up with an iron bottle they found in it the following lines scribbled on a piece of brown paper

  Dec 3 1880

  Dear Searcher excuse me for the practical joke I have played on you but it serves you right to find nothing for your foolish act—

  “Well it does” said Capt Jones “go on”

  However I will defray your expenses to & from the place you found your bottle I think it will be $25.0.00 so that amount you will find in an Iron box I know where you found the bottle because I put this bottle here & the iron box & then found a good place to put the second bottle hoping the enclosed money will defray your expenses some I close

  —Anonymus”

  “I’d like to kick his head off” said Capt Jones “Here diver go & get the $25.0.00 in a minute the diver came up bearing an iron box inside it was found $25.0.00 It defrayed their expenses but I hardly think that they will ever go to a mysterious place as directed by a mysterious bottle.

  The Secret Cave or John Lees Adventure

  Written in 1898

  Original
ly published in The Shuttered Room and Other Pieces, 1959

  “Now be good children” Said Mrs. Lee “While I am away & dont get into mischief”. Mr. & Mrs. Lee were going off for the day & To leave The Two children John 10 yrs old & Alice 2 yrs old “Yes” replied John

  As Soon as The Elder Lees were away the younger Lees went down cellar & began to rummage among the rubbish little alice leaned against the wall watching John. As John was making a boat of barrel staves the Little girl gave a piercing cry as the bricks behind her crumbled away he rushed up to her & Lifted her out screaming loudly as soon as her screams subsided she said “the wall went away” John went up & saw that there was a passage he said to the little girl “lets come & see what this is” “Yes” she said the entered the place they could stand up it the passage was farther than they could see they John went back upstairs & went to the kitchen drawer & got 2 candles & some matches & then they went back to the cellar passage. the two once more entered there was plastering on the walls ceiling & floor nothing was visible but a box this was for a seat nevertheless they examined it & found it to contain nothing the walked on farther & pretty soon the plastering left off & they were in a cave Little alice was frightened at first but at her brothers assurance that it was “all right” she allayed her fears. soon they came to a small box which John took up & carried within pretty soon they came on a boat in it were two oars he dragged it with difficulty along with him soon they found the passage came to an abrupt stop he pulled the obstacle away & to his dismay water rushed in in torrents John was an expert swimmer & long breathede he had Just taken a breath so he tried to rise but with the box & his sister he found it quite impossible then he caught sight of the boat rising he grasped it. . . .

  The next he knew he was on the surface clinging tightly to the body of his sister & the mysterious box he could not imagine how the water got in but a new peril menaced them if the water continued rising it would rise to the top suddenly a thought presented itself. he could shut off the water he speedily did this & lifting the now lifeless body of his sister into the boat he himself climed in & sailed down the passage it was gruesome & uncanny absolutely dark his candle being put out by the flood & a dead body lying near he did not gaze about him but rowed for his life when he did look up he was floating in his own cellar he quickly rushed up stairs with the body, to find his parents had come home He told them the story

  * * * * * *

  The funeral of alice occupied so much time that John quite forgot about the box—but when they did open it they found it to be a solid gold chunk worth about $10,000 enough to pay for any thing but the death of his sister.

  End

  The Mystery of the Grave-Yard

  Written in 1898

  Originally published in The Shuttered Room and Other Pieces, 1959

  Chapter I

  The Burns’s Tomb.

  It was noon in the Little village of Mainville, and a sorrowful group of people were standing around the Burns’s Tomb. Joseph Burns was dead. (when dying, he had given the following strange orders:—“Before you put my body in the tomb, drop this ball onto the floor, at a spot marked “A”.” he then handed a small golden ball to the rector.) The people greatly regretted his death. After The funeral services were finished, Mr Dobson (the rector) said, “My friends, I will now gratify the last wishes of the deceased. So saying, he descended into the tomb. (to lay the ball on the spot marked “A”) Soon the funeral party Began to be impatient, and after a time Mr. Cha’s. Greene (the Lawyer) descended to make a search. Soon he came up with a frightened face, and said, “Mr Dobson is not there”!

  Chapter II

  Mysterious Mr. Bell.

  It was 3.10 o’clock in ye afternoone whenne The door bell of the Dobson mansion rang loudly, and the servant on going to the door, found an elderly man, with black hair, and side whiskers. He asked to see Miss Dobson. Upon arriving in her presence he said, “Miss Dobson, I know where your father is, and for £10,000 I will restore him. My name is Mr. Bell.” “Mr. Bell,” said Miss Dobson, “will you excuse me from the room a moment?” “Certainly”. replied Mr Bell. In a short time she returned, and said, “Mr. Bell, I understand you. You have abducted my father, and hold him for a ransom”

  Chapter III

  At The Police Station.

  It was 3.20 o’clock in the afternoon when the telephone bell at the North End Police Station rang furiously, and Gibson, (the telephone Man) Inquired what was the matter,

  “Have found out about fathers dissapearance”! a womans voice said. “Im Miss Dobson, and father has been abducted, “Send King John”! King John was a famous western detective. Just then a man rushed in, and shouted, “Oh! Terrors! Come To the Graveyard!”

  Chapter IV

  The West window.

  Now let us return to the Dobson Mansion. Mr Bell was rather taken aback by Miss Dobson’s plain speaking, but when he recovered his speech he said, “Don’t put it quite so plain, Miss Dobson, for I—” He was interrupted by the entrance of King John, who with a brace of revolvers in his hands, barred all egress by the doorway. But quicker than thought Bell sprang to a west window,—and jumped.

  Chapter V

  The Secret of The grave.

  Now let us return to the station house. After the exited visitor had calmed somewhat, he could tell his story straighter. He had seen three men in the graveyard shouting “Bell! Bell! where are you old man!?” and acting very suspiciously. He then followed them, and they entered The Burns’s Tomb! He then followed them in and they touched a spring at a point marked “A” and then Dissapeared”. “I wish king John were here”, Said Gibson, “What’s your name,”? “John Spratt”. replied the visitor.

  Chapter VI

  The chase for Bell.

  Now let us return To the Dobson Mansion again:—King John was utterly confounded at the Sudden movement of Bell, but when he recovered from his surprise, his first thought was of chase. Accordingly, he started in pursuit of the abductor. He tracked him down to the R. R. Station and found to his dismay that he had taken the train for Kent, a large city toward the south, and between which and Mainville there existed no telegraph or telephone. The train had Just Started!

  Chapter VII

  The Negro Hackman.

  The Kent train started at 10.35, and about 10.36 an exited, dusty, and tired man1 rushed into the Mainville hack. office and said to a negro hackman who was standing by the door—“If you can take me to Kent in 15 minutes I will give you a dollar”. “I doan’ see how I’m ter git there”, said the negro “I hab’n’t got a decent pair of hosses an’ I hab—” “Two Dollars”! Shouted The Traveller, “all right” said the Hackman.

  1King John.

  Chapter VIII

  Bells Surprise.

  It was 11 o’clock at Kent, all of the stores were closed but one, a dingy, dirty, little shop, down at the west end. It lay between Kent Harbour, & the Kent & Mainville R.R. In the Front room a shabbily dressed person of doubtful age was conversing with a middle aged woman with gray haire, “I have agreed to do the job, Lindy,” he said, “Bell will arrive at 11.30 and the carraige is ready to take him down to the wharf, where a ship for Africa sails to-nighte”.

  “But If King John were to come?” queried “Lindy”

  “Then we’d get nabbed, an’ Bell would be hung” Replied The man.

  Just then a rap sounded at the door “Are you Bell”? inquired Lindy “Yes” was the response, “And I caught the 10.35 and King John got Left, so we are all right”. At 11.40 the party reached The Landing, and saw a ship Loom up in the darkness. “The Kehdive” “of Africa” was painted on the hull, and Just as they were to step on board, a man stepped forward in the darkness and said “John Bell, I arrest you in the Queen’s name”!

  It was King John.

  Chapter IX

  The Trial.

  The daye of The Trial had arrived, and a crowd of people had gathered around the Little grove, (which served for a court house in summer) To hea
r the trial of John Bell on the charge of kid-napping. “Mr. Bell,” said the judge “what is the secret of the Burns’s tomb”

  “I well tell you this much” said Bell, “If you go into the tomb and touch a certain spot marked “A” you will find out”

  “Now where is Mr Dobson”? queried the judge, “Here”! said a voice behind them, and The figure of Mr Dobson HIMSELF loomed up in the doorway.

  “How did you get here”!&c was chorused. “’Tis a long story,” said Dobson.

  Chapter X

  Dobson’s Story.

  “When I went down into the tomb,” Said Dobson, “Everything was darkness, I could see nothing. but Finally I discerned the letter “A” printed in white on the onyx floor, I dropped the ball on the Letter, and immediately a trap-door opened and a man sprang up. It was this man, here,” (he said (pointing at Bell, who stood Trembling on the prisoner’s docke) “and he pulled me down into a brilliantly lighted, and palatial apartment where I have Lived until to-day. One day a young man rushed in and exclaimed “The secret Is revealed!” and was gone. He did not see me. Once Bell left his key behind, and I took the impression in wax, and the next day was spent in filing keys to fit the Lock. The next day my key fitted. and the next day (which is to-day) I escaped.”

  Chapter XI

  The Mystery unveiled.

  “Why did the late J. Burns, ask you to put the ball there”? (at “A”?) queried the Judge? “To get me into trouble” replied Dobson “He, and Francis Burns, (his brother) have plotted against me for years, and I knew not, in what way they would harm me”. “Sieze Francis Burns”! yelled the Judge.