Famous Personality: H.P. Lovecraft (1890-1937)
Howard Phillips Lovecraft, most famously known as H.P. Lovecraft or simply Lovecraft, was an American author of horror fiction. As with most great writers, his work received most of its attention after his death; during his lifetime, however, he possessed what some might call a "cult following"; he received letters from loyal fans daily, and even replied to most of them.
Lovecraft's horror is not the "jump-out-at-you" kind, or even the gory kind that seems to be seen very often in today's media; instead, Lovecraft chooses to frighten the reader on a psychological level. His works, most of which tie together to form the Cthulhu Mythos, often deal with the horror that accompanies the unknown and the uncontrollable. "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear," said Lovecraft, "and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." Because of the nature of his stories, most do not end well; rather, Lovecraft's characters usually end up either dead or insane, further enforcing the "uncontrollable" motif that is so prevalent in his work.
Lovecraft's creations are truly terrifying; one such example, which continues to be horrifyingly infamous even today, is Cthulhu, a monstrous sort of tentacled demi-god (pictured many times below) that dwells within an ancient city called R'lyeh (also pictured below many times) under the Pacific Ocean ("A mountain walked or stumbled..." --Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu). Another famous creation of Lovecraft is the Necronomicon, a book of dark spells and rituals that remains an icon in pop culture.
Lovecraft, in my opinion, is one of the greatest authors of horror to have ever lived, and is certainly one of the greatest American writers to ever have existed. Many modern horror authors, including Stephen King and Anne Rice, are heavily influenced by Lovecraft's work.
In addition to the necessary references, I've collected some artwork depicting Lovecraft and his creations.
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