Remove H.P. Lovecraft’s Name from August Derleth’s Books

  • Author:
    n/a
  • Send To:
    Carroll & Graf Publishers
  • Sponsored By:
    The H.P. Lovecraft Archive
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Two books published by Carroll & Graf Publishers—The Lurker at the Threshold and The Watchers Out of Time—contain stories written by August Derleth but based on plot-germs by H.P. Lovecraft. These so-called “posthumous collaborations” have long confused and misled new readers of Lovecraft’s works. Despite Derleth’s long-known authorship, these books are marketed as having been written by Lovecraft himself, and display Lovecraft’s name prominently on their front covers, spines, and title pages. However, only the back covers of these books describe them as being by “H.P. Lovecraft with August Derleth” (see the back cover of The Lurker at the Threshold).

In addition, other books such as The Horror in the Museum and Other Revisions and The Loved Dead and Other Revisions—whose contents truly were written by Lovecraft—list The Lurker at the Threshold and The Watchers Out of Time as being among the other Carroll & Graf books written by Lovecraft. One need only look at the comments from Amazon.com customers to see the confusion to which these books have led (see the comments for The Lurker at the Threshold and The Watchers Out of Time). Some of these comments warn other readers away from these stories, since they’re neither by H.P. Lovecraft nor of significant merit. Other comments make it clear that the purchasers of these books had no idea that they were purchasing books which were not written by Lovecraft, and as a result they were disappointed.

The signers of this petition are of the opinion that marketing these inferior stories under Lovecraft’s name harm his literary reputation. In addition, the dissatisfaction that readers of these books have experienced may harm Carroll & Graf’s otherwise impeccable reputation as a publisher of fine works of fiction. We, the undersigned, ask that Carroll & Graf Publishers cease the continuation of this long-standing misconception by clearly indicating the true author of these books: August Derleth.

2947 Signatures

  • Jeffrey B
  • Lindsey M
    • Comments
    • I don't release my real name online unless it's for something IMPORTANT! Remove Lovecraft's good name from these books!
  • Adam F
    • Comments
    • If it's Deleth's work, sell it under Derleth's name. Those in Cthulu's thrall will buy it anyway.
  • Emily D
  • Mikael J
    • Comments
    • profiteering moneyhungry b*stards
  • Nate M
    • Comments
    • stop, use your own name on your writings, your no H.P. Lovevcraft and it's very degrating twords his legacy and his fans to do such a thing
  • Jan-Willem van den B
  • Jim C
  • John L
    • Comments
    • if you want me to purchase your products... be ethical in their marketing.
  • Dan
    • Comments
    • Before coming across this petition, I seriously thought that H.P. Lovecraft was the name that August Derleth wrote books under.
  • jeffrey L W
  • Zac M
    • Comments
    • Completely ridiculous, signed.
  • Bruce D
  • Louis R A
  • Owen H
    • Comments
    • (can't remember if I've signed before or not) Although Derleth's works do seem to have some merit, it's certainly misrepresentative to have Lovecraft's name more prominent than Derleth's on these books... I actually got into Lovecraft through The Watchers Out of Time, but quickly discovered that the writing styles had nothing in common...
  • Anna
    • Comments
    • Stop the fraud.
  • Gene M
  • Katrin J. K
  • Jennifer T
  • Lambert J. M
    • Comments
    • Do you hear the hounds? They come for you.
  • Larry B
    • Comments
    • I am all for this. As a longtime Lovecraft reader I find his claim that he owns all of Lovecrafts works rather insulting as well.
  • Lucas W
  • Lawrence R
    • Comments
    • The Great Old Ones will not stand for this. Cthulhu fhtang!
  • Lynne B
    • Comments
    • This may be legal, but it is certainly not ethical
  • Nolan K
    • Comments
    • August Derleth is worthless to the Cthulu Mythos! Damn him and his destruction of HP's perfect amoral universe. (That may sound sarcastic, but I am sincere - Derleth's "contribution" is best used for wiping when out of two-ply.)
  • Kevin D. B
  • Kristen H
    • Comments
    • Stop misleading Lovecraft fans!
  • lee f. m
  • Michael Van H
  • Grant F
    • Comments
    • While other authors (Such as Lumley) have done great work in the Cthulhu mythos after Lovecraft's time, it is still unfair to credit other works not written by H.P. Lovecraft to his name.
  • Kevin O
    • Comments
    • These books are an insult to Lovecraft. This false advertising must surely be illegal. If only H.P. could return to clear his name....
  • Karl H
  • Jan Terje H
  • Lara G
  • Jason A. S
  • VINCENT S
    • Comments
    • We can't let us make that!
  • Joshua K
  • Malgwyn E
    • Comments
    • August Derleth has a separate vision of the Mythos, that is not part of HPL's psyche. Derleth is unable to correctly navigate the Qlippothic realms, and misleads the unwary.
  • Alex D
    • Comments
    • Cthulhu Fhtagn
  • Schatzi B
  • Kylie
  • eustaquio g
  • Anthony D
    • Comments
    • This type of carelessness harms the reputations of authors whose works have fallen to public domain and thus no longer have anyone but their loyal fans looking to their protection.
  • Linas
  • Josh S
    • Comments
    • wow...that is whack...huh...well, i hope this pettition does not come in vain...
  • Leeland D
    • Comments
    • I never was fond of ghost writing....
  • Jacob M
    • Comments
    • Ph-nglui mglwnafh Cthulhu R lyeh wgah nagl fthagn!
  • marc
    • Comments
    • Sort it out....
  • Ronald C
  • grzegorz j
    • Comments
    • В