THE HOUSE ON THE BORDERLAND. First UK Edition, 1908. Robert H. Barlow's copy [H.P. Lovecraft Association Copy]

Octavo, original red cloth lettered in gilt on spine & front panel. 300 pp + [4] pp publishers ads at rear. Of several noted variants, this copy has all edges trimmed (variants exist). Formerly R.H. Barlow's copy, with his signature and note in pencil on the front flyleaf "RH Barlow / July 20, 1939 / San Francisco". Small bookseller's ticket on rear free endpaper from Goldsmith Bros, 164 Powell St., SF. , along with their old pencil price of 5- on the front endpaper. Spine panel faded, but the gilt is still bright and legible. Hairline crack to inner front hinge. Corners with mild bumps, touches of wear, small stains to the cloth text block slightly browning, as usual. A very good sound copy. H.P. Lovecraft wrote to the young Robert Barlow in a letter dated 22 Aug, 1934: "The House on the Borderland" - had some cosmic stuff in it that got Grandpa up on his hind legs yelling! The dead writer of the diary - his mind projected forward in time - witnesses the destruction of the solar system! Hodgson simply can't be left out of any historical survey. & he certainly deserves to be bought to notice." A fabulous association copy of the first edition of this major supernatural novel. Weird fantasy novel, subtitled "From the Manuscript, discovered in 1877 by Messrs Tonnison and Berreggnog, in the Ruins that lie to the South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland. Set out here, with Notes". "He relates the story of a lonely house in Ireland enveloped by hideous forces from other worlds and besieged by weird monstrosities emerging from an abyss beneath the house." - H.C. Koenig, 'William Hope Hodgson: Master of the Weird and Fantastic" (Introduction to the Arkham House edition, 1946). "One of the classics of supernatural fiction." - Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction (1983). Robert Hayward Barlow (1918 - 1951) was an American author, avant-garde poet, anthropologist and historian of early Mexico, and expert in the Nahuatl language. He was a correspondent and friend of H. P. Lovecraft, who appointed Barlow as the executor of his literary estate. Barlow had been a friend of writers H. P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard since he was 13. He collaborated with Lovecraft on at least six stories ("The Slaying of the Monster" (1933); "The Hoard of the Wizard-Beast" (1933); the spoof "The Battle That Ended the Century" (1934); "Till A' the Seas" (1935); an unfinished parody, "Collapsing Cosmoses" (1935); and "The Night Ocean" (1936). Lovecraft made several extended visits to the young Barlow at his home in DeLand, Florida. In 1936, Barlow attempted to bind and distribute the original unbound sheets of Lovecraft's stillborn first book "The Shunned House" (The Recluse Press,1924) but only a few copies were actually bound by him at this time. Barlow aided significantly in the preservation of Lovecraft's manuscripts by typing texts in exchange for autographed manuscripts. Barlow came to Providence immediately upon receiving a telegram from Lovecraft's aunt Annie Gamwell about Lovecraft's death. Lovecraft's "Instructions in Case of Decease", a separate document from his will, appointed Barlow his literary executor. Lovecraft biographer S. T. Joshi says that this document was never probated but that Ms. Gamwell created a formal contract confirming that Barlow was to have all of Lovecraft's manuscripts and notebooks, to publish as he saw fit, earnings from said publication to go to Ms. Gamwell with a 3% commission for himself. Barlow donated most of the manuscripts and some printed matter to the John Hay Library of Brown University. Robert H. Barlow was interested in printing and after becoming involved in the early 'fan' scene relating to fantasy and science fiction, published several important journals - The Dragon-Fly (two issues - October 15, 1935, and May 15, 1936); and Leaves (two issues - Summer 1937; Winter 1938/39). He was also proprietor of the Dragon-Fly Press, and under that imprint published two important books - "The Gobl.…