The American writer Howard Phillips Lovecraft did not publish a single book during his lifetime, publishing only in magazines. Recognition came to him decades after his death. Lovecraft has been called the founder of “supernatural horror” literature, “the literary Copernicus,” and the “Edgar Poe of the 20th century.” The figure of the writer is surrounded by a shroud of speculation, myths and mysteries. The collection includes the best stories of one of the most influential myth-makers of the 20th century. Lovecraft mixed everyday reality and a cosmic nightmare, showing the clash of an ordinary person with incomprehensible and sometimes deadly creatures. Dagon, Cthulhu, Yog-Sothoth and many other dark deities that he invented in the 1920s subsequently gained such popularity that hundreds of fantasy creators, including Neil Gaiman and Stephen King, still continue to expand his mythology. The collection includes the best stories from one of the most influential myth-makers of the 20th century. The publication is supplemented by an introductory article by philologist Alexey Zverev and notes by translator Lyudmila Volodarskaya.