H.P. Lovecraft

H. P. Lovecraft

Howard Phillips Lovecraft (August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American writer known for his weird and horror fiction. He was virtually unknown during his lifetime and published only in pulp magazines before he died in poverty, but he is now regarded as one of the most significant 20th-century authors in his genre.

Early Life

Lovecraft was born in Providence, Rhode Island, to Winfield Scott Lovecraft and Sarah Susan Phillips Lovecraft. His early life was marked by tragedy, with his father being institutionalized when Lovecraft was only three years old. Lovecraft was a precocious child, reading and writing at an early age, and he developed a keen interest in astronomy and chemistry.

Literary Career

Lovecraft's writing is characterized by its cosmic horror of the unknown and the unknowable more than gore or other elements of shock, though it includes many of these elements. His major inspiration and invention was cosmic horror, the idea that life is incomprehensible to human minds and that the universe is fundamentally alien.

Major Works

Some of Lovecraft's most notable works include:

• The Call of Cthulhu (1928)
• At the Mountains of Madness (1936)
• The Shadow over Innsmouth (1936)
• The Dunwich Horror (1929)

Cthulhu Mythos

Lovecraft's most enduring contribution to literature is the Cthulhu Mythos, a shared fictional universe that has inspired countless writers and artists. The mythos is centered around the Great Old Ones, ancient, powerful deities from space who once ruled the Earth and have since fallen into a deathlike sleep.

Influence and Legacy

Though Lovecraft was not widely read during his lifetime, his work has inspired a vast number of writers, filmmakers, and artists. His influence can be seen in the works of Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Guillermo del Toro, among others. The term "Lovecraftian" is used to describe works that are reminiscent of his style and themes.

Personal Life

Lovecraft married Sonia H. Greene in 1924, but the marriage was short-lived, and they separated after two years. Lovecraft spent most of his life in Providence, where he lived with his aunts after his mother's death.

Death

Lovecraft died of cancer of the small intestine on March 15, 1937, in Providence. He was virtually unknown at the time of his death, but his reputation grew posthumously.

See Also

• Weird fiction
• Cosmic horror
• Necronomicon

References

• Joshi, S. T. H. P. Lovecraft: A Life. Necronomicon Press, 1996.
• Lovecraft, H. P. The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories. Penguin Classics, 1999.

External Links

• The H. P. Lovecraft Archive
• The H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society