. The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories
The Call of Cthulhu is probably Lovecraft's most influential story, serving as the basis for his epic "Old Ones" mythos. It centers around an ancient dragon-sea monster hybrid that implants itself subconsciously into human minds, driving them slowly insane. The cultists who worship Cthulhu commit ritual killings and chant in tongues. As more details of the creature and its history come to light, our narrator realizes that no one can possibly be safe from such a powerful entity — not even himself.
This eerie work of masterful suspense heads up one of the best H.P. Lovecraft books of all time, but it's by no means the only worthy piece in this anthology! Included among these "weird stories" are seventeen other tales of the mad, mystical, and macabre, each taking a slightly different approach to horror. The Rats in the Walls is a Tell-Tale Heart-esque account of a man who's plagued by the sound of rats in his family home. However, when he goes to investigate, he uncovers a gruesome truth about his ancestors. Dagon is the testimony of a World War I vet who relies on morphine to ease his tortured mind… but the visions that haunt him are worse than any battlefield violence.
Basically, no matter which of these stories you start with, you're sure to find something to make you shiver and leave you in shock at the final horrific twist.