The Watchers Out of Time and Others is an omnibus collection of stories by August Derleth

August Derleth

August William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first publisher of the writings of H. P...

 inspired in part by notes left by H. P. Lovecraft

H. P. Lovecraft

Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....

 after his death and presented as a "posthumous collaboration" between the two writers. (Derleth acted as Lovecraft's literary executor

Literary executor

A literary executor is a person with decision-making power in respect of a literary estate. According to Wills, Administration and Taxation: a practical guide "A will may appoint different executors to deal with different parts of the estate...

.) It was published in an edition of 5,070 copies. Several of the stories relate to the Cthulhu Mythos

Cthulhu Mythos

The Cthulhu Mythos is a shared fictional universe, based on the work of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.The term was first coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent of Lovecraft, who used the name of the creature Cthulhu - a central figure in Lovecraft literature and the focus...

 and had appeared previously in the earliest collections The Lurker at the Threshold

The Lurker at the Threshold

The Lurker at the Threshold is a short novel in the Cthulhu Mythos genre of horror. It was written in 1945 by August Derleth, based on two short fragments written by H. P. Lovecraft, who died in 1937, and published as a collaboration between the two authors. According to S. T...

, The Survivor and Others

The Survivor and Others

The Survivor and Others is a collection of fantasy and horror short stories by August Derleth, inspired by some of H. P. Lovecraft's notes left behind after his death. Derleth, Lovecraft's literary executor billed himself as a "posthumous collaborator" with the other writer. It was released in an...

, The Shuttered Room and Other Pieces

The Shuttered Room and Other Pieces

The Shuttered Room and Other Pieces is a collection of fantasy, horror short stories, essays and memoirs by American author H. P. Lovecraft and others. It was released in 1959 by Arkham House in an edition of 2,527 copies and was the fifth collection of Lovecraft's work to be released by Arkham House...

, The Dark Brotherhood and Other Pieces

The Dark Brotherhood and Other Pieces

The Dark Brotherhood and Other Pieces is a collection of stories, poems and essays by American author H. P. Lovecraft and others, edited by August Derleth. It was released in 1966 by Arkham House in an edition of 3,460 copies. The dustjacket is by Frank Utpatel.Some controversy was raised by the...

and other Arkham House publications.

Some controversy exists among Lovecraft's admirers as to the ethics of presenting the stories as collaborative works. Upon this volume's publication, Donald Wandrei

Donald Wandrei

Donald Albert Wandrei was an American science fiction, fantasy and weird fiction writer, poet and editor. He wrote as Donald Wandrei. He was the older brother of science fiction writer and artist Howard Wandrei...

, one of Arkham House's founders, wrote letters to reviewers complaining that the stories were essentially Derleth's own works, incorporating fragments of unpublished Lovecraft prose. Gahan Wilson

Gahan Wilson

Gahan Wilson is an American author, cartoonist and illustrator known for his cartoons depicting horror-fantasy situations...

 agreed that the stories "should really be billed as his [Derleth's] own, and merely based on the notes and letters of Lovecraft, and on the Lovecraftian mythos as he [Derleth] saw it, and no more than that."

Contents

1. "Foreword", by April Derleth
2. The Lurker at the Threshold
   The Lurker at the Threshold
   The Lurker at the Threshold is a short novel in the Cthulhu Mythos genre of horror. It was written in 1945 by August Derleth, based on two short fragments written by H. P. Lovecraft, who died in 1937, and published as a collaboration between the two authors. According to S. T...
   
   
3. "The Survivor"
4. "Wentworth's Day"
5. "The Peabody Heritage"
6. "The Gable Window"
7. "The Ancestor"
8. "The Shadow Out of Space"
9. "The Lamp of Alhazred"
10. "The Shuttered Room"
11. "The Fisherman of Falcon Point"
12. "Witches' Hollow"
13. "The Shadow in the Attic"
14. "The Dark Brotherhood"
15. "The Horror from the Middle Span"
16. "Innsmouth Clay"
17. "The Watchers Out of Time"