HP Lovecraft on Kindle and Weird Fiction Publishing's Future

Amazon's Kindle and similar e-book readers have seemingly inaugurated truly marketable and enjoyable digital print products for the first time in human history. Now, e-books are flapping through the online voids like vengeful night gaunts, offering both dangers and opportunities, and weird fiction is no exception. As is so often the case, the Lovecraftian is at the forefront of literary horror's march into unexplored territory.

H.P. Lovecraft was an unapologetic bibliophile, and his love for books is shared among many weird horror readers. One need only look at the successful small presses producing sturdy to luxurious tomes to know that weird fiction readers are more bibliophilic than the general public. Even so, Lovecraft's work has already gotten a foothold in digital media. The reasosn for this can be narrowed down to two: Lovecraft remains magnitudes more popular than any other weird writer, living or dead, and the majority of his work has been public domain since at least 1997. This means practically anyone can throw together their own Lovecraft collection and begin selling it, and many enterprising fans have done just that.

A growing list of forty H.P. Lovecraft books for Kindle is already posted on Amazon.com. These range from simple re-compiled collection of several dozen stories, to full books with stories, plus original essays, biographies, and commentary on his work. What's really different, and potentially a game changer for print publishers, as well as readers, is the price. Full sets of Lovecraft with extras can be purchased from $0.99 to under $10. The wonders of great Cthulhu have never been so cheap, nor as portable, nor as accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.

Lovecraft may be the flagship of weird horror in e-books, but he's not alone. Not surprisingly, a couple major Lovecraftian anthologies have split published their books in print and electronically. One is Black Wings: Tales of Lovecraftian Horror, which features many authors carrying on the Lovecraftian tradition. Other celebrated weird writers closer to Lovecraft's era have also made it to Kindle. Broader anthologies like Classic Tales of Horror mix and match eerie tales by Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker, Ambrose Bierce, and more. Meanwhile, a handful of weird fiction publishers have decided to test the online market with contemporary fiction that goes beyond the purely Lovecraftian. Chomu Press has issued their newest releases in Kindle format alongside paperback. This is a revolutionary break for some of their authors - the first time writers such as Reggie Oliver, Mark Samuels, and Quentin S. Crisp have appeared in a cheap, easy, and unlimited form.

While the e-book rising is certain to cause anxious worries and uncertainties among weird fiction fans who also appreciate well made books, there's little reason to quiver, and much to celebrate. Print publishers like Tartarus and Centipede will continue to offer hard to find weirdscribes in stunning hardcovers. In time, these publishers too may decide to put the likes of Robert Aickman, Thomas Ligotti, and Wilum Pugmire on Kindle, while high quality books continue to ship out the traditional way. Moreover, the misty success offered by e-publishing is just now becoming visible. Weird horror has always been a hard sell to the mammoth publishers. But perhaps we will one day see authors and publishers from the black pits stepping over the mangled corpses of the great print houses, much like millionaire authoress Amanda Hocking has recently done, in large part thanks to e-books.

-Grim Blogger