Novels & Comics from Arkham House

"Though it was not immediately foreseen, Arkham House had its inception in the death of Howard Phillips Lovecraft on March 15, 1937”. These words of reflection penned by August Derleth some 20 years after the creation of Arkham House (AH) show the initial purpose of AH, but they also foretell what was to become of this now historical icon in the world of small pulp publishers. AH not only thrives today as a result of the vision of August Derleth and Donald Wandrei; the company brings the past alive through the works of Lovecraft, Derleth, E. Hoffman Price, and Nelson Bond. AH published its first book, The Outsider and Others by Lovecraft, in 1939. More than sixty years and 200 books later, Lovecraft remains on the center stage of its success while introducing fans to new authors to the world of the macabre, fantasy, and horror. New authors like John D. Harvey (The Cleansing) bring exciting energy to readers while keeping the integrity of the mission set forth by AH’s founders. The works presented by AH over the years would excite the likes of Lovecraft and his fellow pulp fiction authors. Soon after Lovecraft’s death, Derleth received a letter from Wandrei with news of the death of Lovecraft on March 15, 1937. In the afternoon of receipt of the letter, Derleth wrote Wandrei “that something should be done to keep Lovecraft’s work in print”. The two young writers later agreed that collecting the stories was not enough; they needed to be published. They did so and passed along the manuscript to Derleth’s then publisher, Charles Scribner’s Sons, which rejected the idea. Thus, Arkham House was born. As the leader and elder statesman in the world of genre publishing, AH will surely outlive us all. This is a legacy that Derleth could not have dreamed for this publishing house that started from thoughts of a lost friend while walking through the marshes of Sauk City, Wisconsin.