H.P. Lovecraft was virtually unknown during his lifetime and only published his stories in pulp magazines such as Weird Tales and Astounding Stories. He died a recluse in poverty and obscurity, aged just 46. Consumed with self-doubt, despair and monstrous inner demons, his nightmares inhabit every page of his writing. H.P. Lovecraft and the universe he created are part of an astonishing cultural phenomenon. Lovecraft's reputation has been revived to the point of reverence and he now occupies a position of great respect within American literature.
He is now widely regarded as one of the most significant horror fiction writers of the twentieth century. Dark forbidden knowledge is always a central theme in Lovecraft's stories with protagonists who dare to discover hidden secrets which, in the end, completely destroy them. His dark grotesque creations have inspired authors such as Stephen King and Clive Barker, as well as film directors John Carpenter, Sturart Gordon and Roger Corman.
Eighty years after his death, Charlotte Montague has written an intriguing biography of the enigmatic author and in the process uncovers the mystery of the strange man behind the darkness--H.P. Lovecraft--the master of modern horror fiction. This book dares you to explore the hidden secrets of your own imagination through the life of a man whose writing was inspired by nightmares.