10 Weirdest Lovecraft Stories Every Horror Fan Should Read

Originally written as a serial split into six parts over the course of a few weeks, Reanimator was originally conceived as an obvious parody to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, as both stories involve the consequences that come from reawakening the dead. Though this story is often regarded as Lovecraft's worst by scholars and critics, it is undeniable that the theme of reanimation sustained through horror fiction all through the 20th century in part thanks to this particular piece.

Our nameless narrator relays to the reader his history with Herbert West as the two men embark on their Burke and Hare type scheme, stealing cadavers from graveyards and the medical school morgue in order for West to complete his experiments on reanimation, effectively theorising the human body to be little more than a machine that can be repaired. What follows is a wild, escalating tale in which the reanimated bodies wreak havoc throughout the two men's careers as West stops at nothing to prove his theory.

Despite the poor critical reception the story was actually adapted into a 1985 horror film of the shortened title Reanimator, held in surprisingly high regard thanks to its perfect blend of horror and humour that was popularised by the likes of Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead, among others. Not such a dud now then, hey?