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This article is about the author. For the rock group, see H. P. Lovecraft (band)
.
H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft, June 1934.jpg
Lovecraft in 1934
Born
Howard Phillips Lovecraft
August 20, 1890
Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
Died
March 15, 1937 (aged 46)
Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
Resting place Swan Point Cemetery, Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
Pen name
Lewis Theobald
Humphrey Littlewit
Ward Phillips
Edward Softly
Occupation
Short story writer, editor, novelist, poet
Period 1917 1937
Genre Dark fantasy, gothic fiction, horror fiction, science fiction, weird fic
tion
Literary movement
Cosmicism
Notable works
"The Call of Cthulhu"
The Shadow Out of Time
At the Mountains of Madness
Spouse Sonia Greene (1924 1937)
Signature
Howard Phillips Lovecraft (/'l?vkrft, -?kr??ft/;[1] August 20, 1890 March 15, 193
7) was an American author who achieved posthumous fame through his influential w
orks of horror fiction. Virtually unknown and published only in pulp magazines b
efore he died in poverty, he is now regarded as one of the most significant 20th
-century authors in his genre. Lovecraft was born in Providence, Rhode Island, w
here he spent most of his life. Among his most celebrated tales are "The Call of
Cthulhu" and "The Shadow over Innsmouth", both canonical to the Cthulhu Mythos.
Never able to support himself from earnings as author and editor, Lovecraft saw
commercial success increasingly elude him in this latter period, partly because
he lacked the confidence and drive to promote himself. He subsisted in progress
ively straitened circumstances in his last years; an inheritance was completely
spent by the time he died at the age of 46.[2]
Contents [hide]
1
Early life
1.1
Family
1.2
Upbringing
2
Adulthood
2.1
Reclusion
2.2
Writing
2.3
Death of mother
2.4
Marriage and New York
2.5
Financial difficulties
2.6
Brooklyn
2.7
Return to Providence
2.8
Last years
3
Appreciation
3.1
Within genre
3.2
Literary
3.3
Philosophical
4
Themes
4.1
Forbidden knowledge
4.2
Non-human influences on humanity

4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
4.7
4.8
4.9
5
6
6.1
6.2
6.3
7
7.1
7.2
8
9
9.1
9.2
10
11
12
13
14
15

Inherited guilt
Fate
Civilization under threat
Race, ethnicity, and class
Risks of a scientific era
Religion
Superstition
Influences on Lovecraft
Influence on culture
Music
Games
Lovecraft as a character in fiction
Editions and collections of Lovecraft's work
Letters
Copyright
World Fantasy Award and H. P. Lovecraft controversy
Locations featured in Lovecraft stories
Historical
Fictional locations
Bibliography
Documentary video and audio biographies
Notes
References
Further reading
External links