August Derleth books in order
American novelist, short story writer, poet, editor, and anthologist
- Lived
- 1909–1971
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 42
- Also writes as
- Michael West, Simon West, Eldon Heath, George Shelton
August Derleth published 28 novels, 1 novella, 6 short story collections, 1 non-fiction book, 3 children's books, 2 poetry collections and 1 other book, beginning with The Lurker at the Threshold (1945). 3 feature Cthulhu.
Updated September 2026
Where to start with August Derleth
Start here
The Lurker at the Threshold
August Derleth's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
Bright Journey (1940)
Still Small Voice (1940)
Evening in Spring (1941)
Someone in the Dark (1941)
The Lurker at the Threshold (1945), with H. P. Lovecraft
Writing Fiction (1946)
Not Long for This World (1948)
Sac Prairie People (1948)
Strange Ports of Call (1948)
The Other Side of the Moon (1949)
The Outer Reaches (1951)
Empire of Fur (1953)
Worlds of Tomorrow (1953)
Portals of Tomorrow (1954)
Columbus and the New World (1957)
The House on the Mound (1958)
The Moon Tenders (1958)
The Return of Solar Pons (1958)
The Mill Creek Irregulars (1959)
The Beast in Holger's Woods (1960)
Time of Infinity (1963)
Time to Come (1963)
The Casebook of Solar Pons (1965)
Dark Things (1971)
In Lovecraft's Shadow (1998)
Novellas in order
100 Books by August Derleth (1962)
Short story collections in order
Sleep No More (1944)
Something About Cats and Other Pieces (1949), with H. P. Lovecraft
The Survivor and Others (1957)
Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos (1969)
The Watchers Out of Time and Others (1974), with H. P. Lovecraft
Dwellers in Darkness (1976)
Non-fiction in order
Concord Rebel (1962)
Children's books in order
Wisconsin (1942)
Land of Gray Gold (1954)
Father Marquette and the Great Rivers (1955)
Poetry in order
Dark of the Moon (1947)
Collected Poems (1967)
Other books in order
Sweet Land of Michigan (1962)
Free to read
All free classics
About August Derleth
August William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. He was the first book publisher of the writings of H. P. Lovecraft. He made contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos and the cosmic horror genre and helped found Arkham House, a publishing company which did much to introduce hardcover prints of United Kingdom supernatural fiction works to the United States. Derleth was also a leading American regional writer of his day, as well as prolific in several other genres, including historical fiction, poetry, detective fiction, science fiction, and biography. He created the fictional detective Solar Pons, a pastiche of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
August Derleth FAQ
- How many books has August Derleth written?
- August Derleth published 28 novels, 1 novella, 6 short story collections, 1 non-fiction book, 3 children's books, 2 poetry collections and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read August Derleth's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Lurker at the Threshold.
- What is August Derleth's last book?
- The Mask of Cthulhu (1971).
- What is August Derleth's most famous book?
- The Lurker at the Threshold (1945) is August Derleth's most widely read book.
- Does August Derleth write under a pen name?
- Yes: August Derleth has also published as Michael West, Simon West, Eldon Heath and George Shelton.
- Can I read August Derleth's books for free?
- Yes. 4 books by August Derleth are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like August Derleth
Alfred Bester
Also wrote science fiction and short stories
H. Beam Piper
Also wrote science fiction and literary fiction
Walter M. Miller Jr.
Also wrote science fiction and literary fiction
Cyril M. Kornbluth
Also wrote science fiction and literary fiction
Robert Silverberg
Also writes science fiction and literary fiction
Damon Knight
Also wrote science fiction and literary fiction
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.