The story of Howard Lovecraft. The best books by Howard Lovecraft

Howard Phillips Lovecraft born August 20, 1890 in Providence, Rhode Island. His parents, mother Sarah Susan Phillips Lovecraft and father Winfield Scott Lovecraft, then lived at 454 (then 194) Angell Street.

When Howard was three years old, his father suffered a nervous breakdown while in a Chicago hotel (he worked as a traveling salesman) and was subsequently institutionalized for five years until his death on July 19, 1898.

After the death of his father, the boy was raised by his mother, two aunts and, especially, his grandfather - Whipple Van Buren Phillips. My grandfather had the most extensive library in the city (and maybe in the entire state), and this played an important role in shaping Howard’s reading habits. He began to read and write himself early (even earlier he began simply composing spoken poetry). And one of the first works that he noted as the most beloved and impressed him was “Tales of 1001 Nights” (Arabian Nights), which he first read at the age of five. It was from there that Abdul Alhazred was born, who later became the pseudonym of the author himself, and even later - the character of his stories, the author of the Necronomicon. And it was to this book that Lovecraft owed eastern motifs in his subsequent work. Since childhood, the author also loved the Greek myths, the Iliad and the Odyssey, reflections of which we can also find later in his poetry and prose.

From early childhood, Lovecraft was in poor health. Having practically no friends, he spent most of his time with his grandfather in the library. But his interests were not limited to literature as a profession. He was seriously interested in chemistry, astronomy, and history (especially the history of his native state and New England). Also in school age independently began to publish newspapers and magazines dedicated to his scientific interests and research (The Scientific Gazette (1899-1907) and The Rhode Island Journal of Astronomy (1903-07)). They were distributed mainly among classmates and subsequent friends and associates.

At school (Hope Street High School), his interests and research are approved by teachers, who replace Howard with friends among his peers. And in 1906, his article on astronomy was first published by The Providence Sunday Journal. He later became a regular columnist for The Pawtuxet Valley Gleaner on astronomy. And even later in such publications as The Providence Tribune (1906-08), The Providence Evening News (1914-18) and The Asheville (N.C.) Gazette-News (1915).

In 1904, Howard's grandfather dies. He and his mother, experiencing financial difficulties, are forced to leave the mansion in which they lived and move to a cramped apartment at 598 Angell Stirth. Howard was very upset about the loss of his home, where he was born and which was his family. In 1908, Howard himself suffered a nervous breakdown, which forced him to leave school without graduating. An attempt to enroll at Brown University ends in failure, which leads to Lovecraft's even more reclusive lifestyle.

From 1908 to 1913, Lovecraft practically did not leave home, continuing to study astronomy and poetry. The exit from seclusion took place in a very original way. While reading through many old "cheap" magazines, among which was The Argosy, he came across love stories one Fred Jackson. This prompted him to write an angry letter to the magazine. It was published in 1913 and caused a storm of protest from Jackson admirers. This led to a whole correspondence on the pages of the magazine, in which many people and authors were involved. Among them was Edward F. Daas, president of the United Amateur Press Association (UAPA). It was an organization of young authors from all over the country who wrote and published their own magazines. He invites Lovecraft to become a member of the UAPA. And in 1914 his proposal was accepted.

Lovecraft begins to publish his own magazine, The Conservative (1915-23), in which he publishes his poetry, as well as articles and essays written both specifically for this publication and those that he sent to other magazines. Total comes out to 13 releases of The Conservative. Necronomicon Press would later reprint these issues, among other works by Lovecraft. Lovecraft subsequently became President and Editor-in-Chief of UAPA.

Having already written fiction before (The Beast in the Cave (1905) and The Alchemist (1908)) and now immersed in the world of amateur prose, Lovecraft again took up his pen as a science fiction writer. For the first time since 1908. In 1917, The Tomb and Dagon were successfully published. Now the author’s main occupation and passion is prose, poetry and journalism.

In 1919, Lovecraft's mother had a nervous attack. And, just like his father, she is placed in a clinic, from where she does not leave until her death. She dies on May 24, 1921. Lovecraft is very upset by the death of his mother, but a few weeks later a serious change occurs in his life - at a conference of amateur journalists in Boston on July 4, 1921, he meets the woman who would later become his wife. This was Sonia Haft Green, a Russian-Jewish woman seven years older than Howard himself. From the first meeting they find a lot in common in each other and Lovecraft often visits her in Brooklyn in 1922. Their relationship was not a secret and therefore the announcement of the wedding on March 3, 1924 did not come as a surprise to their friends. But this was a complete surprise for his aunts, whom he notified only in in writing and then, after the marriage has already taken place.

Lovecraft moves to his wife in Brooklyn and things in their family are not going badly - he is then already earning money as a professional writer, publishing his early works in Weird Tales, and Sonya runs a thriving hat shop on Fifth Avenue in New York.

But later the store goes bankrupt, and Lovecraft loses his job as an editor at Weird Tales. In addition, Sonino’s health is deteriorating and she is admitted to a New Jersey hospital. On January 1, 1925, Sonya left for Cleveland to start a business there, and Lovecraft moved into a one-room apartment in a Brooklyn neighborhood called Red Hook. Having many acquaintances in the city, he does not feel completely alien and abandoned. At this time, such things as “The Shunned House” (1924), “The Horror at Red Hook” and “He” (both also 1924) came out from his pen.

At the beginning of 1926, Lovecraft plans to return to Providence, which he has been missing all this time. At the same moment, his marriage cracked and later (in 1929) completely broke up.

Returning to Providence on April 17, 1926, Lovecraft does not lead a reclusive lifestyle, as he did in the period from 1908 to 1913. On the contrary, he travels a lot to ancient places (Quebec, New England, Philadelphia, Charleston, St. Augustine) and works fruitfully . During this time he wrote some of his best works, including "The Call of Cthulhu" (1926), "At the Mountains of Madness" (1931), "The Shadow out of Time" (1934-35). At the same time, he maintains extensive correspondence both with his old friends and with many young authors who owe their careers in this field largely to Lovecraft (August Derleth, Donald Wandrei, Robert Bloch, Fritz Leiber). At this time, he wrote many articles on politics and economics, as well as on all those subjects that continued to interest him - from philosophy and literature to history and architecture.

The last two or three years of the author’s life were especially difficult. In 1932, one of his aunts, Miss Clarke, died and in 1933 Lovecraft moved into a room at 66 College Street with his second aunt, Miss Gunwell. After the suicide of Robert E. Howard, one of his closest pen pals, Lovecraft fell into depression. At the same time, the disease progresses, which will later cause his death - intestinal cancer.

In the winter of 1936-1937, the disease progressed so much that Lovecraft was admitted to the Jane Brown Memorial Hospital on March 10, 1937. Where he died five days later.

Lovecraft was buried on March 18, 1937 in the family plot at Swan Point Cemetery. On a simple tombstone, in addition to the name, dates of birth and death, there is only one inscription - “I AM PROVIDENCE”...

Howard Phillips Lovecraft(English) Howard Phillips Lovecraft, August 20, Providence, Rhode Island, USA - March 15, ibid.) - American writer and poet who wrote in the genres of horror, mysticism, combining them in an original style. The founder of the Cthulhu Mythos. During Lovecraft's lifetime, his works were not very popular, but after his death they had an impact. noticeable influence on the formation of modern mass culture. His work is so unique that Lovecraft's works stand out as a separate subgenre - the so-called Lovecraftian horror.

Biography

Lovecraft at the age of 9-10 years.

Lovecraft was raised by his mother, two aunts and his grandfather (Whipple Van Buren Phillips), who sheltered the future writer's family. Howard was a child prodigy - he recited poetry by heart at the age of two, and by the age of six he was already writing his own. Thanks to his grandfather, who had the largest library in the state, he met classical literature. In addition to the classics, he became interested in Gothic prose and Arabian tales of the Thousand and One Nights.

At the age of 6-8, Lovecraft wrote several stories, most of which have not survived to this day. At the age of 14, Lovecraft wrote his first serious work, “The Beast in the Cave.”

Lovecraft was often ill as a child, and went to school only at the age of eight, but a year later he was taken away from there. He read a lot, studied chemistry in between, and wrote several works (copying them on a hectograph in small editions), starting in 1899 (“Scientific Newspaper”). Four years later he returned to school.

Whipple Van Buren Phillips died in 1904, after which the family became greatly impoverished and was forced to move to a smaller house on the same street. Howard was saddened by the departure and even contemplated suicide. Due to a nervous breakdown that happened to him in 1908, he never finished school, which he was very ashamed of.

Lovecraft wrote science fiction as a child (“The Beast in the Cave” (), “The Alchemist” ()), but later preferred poetry and essays to it. He returned to this “frivolous” genre only in 1917 with the stories “Dagon”, then “The Tomb”. "Dagon" became his first published creation, appearing in 1923 in the magazine "Mysterious Stories" ( Weird Tales). At the same time, Lovecraft began his correspondence, which eventually became one of the most voluminous in the 20th century. His correspondents included Forrest Ackerman, Robert Bloch and Robert Howard.

Sarah, Howard's mother, after a long period of hysteria and depression, ended up in the same hospital where her husband died, and died there on May 21, 1921. She wrote to her son until her last days.

Despite his success as a writer, Lovecraft became increasingly needy. He moved again, this time to a small house. Robert Howard's suicide made a strong impression on him. In 1936, the writer was diagnosed with intestinal cancer, a consequence of malnutrition. Howard Phillips Lovecraft died on March 15, 1937 in Providence, Rhode Island, USA.

Literary creativity

Predecessors

Writers whose work influenced Lovecraft primarily include Edgar Allan Poe, Edward Dunsany, Arthur Machen, Algernon Blackwood, Ambrose Bierce, Lafcadio Hearn.

Followers

August Derleth

Perhaps the most important of Lovecraft's followers, both in terms of chronology and continuity, is August Derleth. Despite the fact that many authors subsequently turned to the pantheon of cosmic gods created by Lovecraft, it was Derleth who became the creator and head of the Arkham House publishing house, which published the works of Lovecraft himself, Derleth and everyone who in one way or another came into contact with the works created by Lovecraft worlds. Derleth was also quite successful as a writer, although he could not match the power of his teacher. However, he was a publishing genius - books from the Arkham House publishing house from that period are now bibliographic rarities. Moreover, this was a rare case when a publishing house was created for the work of a specific person.

Stephen King

Lovecraft's works that influenced popular culture West, left an indelible mark on the work of countless writers who worked and are working in the genre of mysticism and horror. One of Lovecraft’s creative heirs is the famous “King of Horror” Stephen King. The most striking work in which Stephen King does not imitate the storytelling style of Howard Lovecraft, but pays tribute to the latter’s talent, is the story “Crouch End”, filmed by the TNT film company in the collection of short stories “Nightmares and Fantasies of Stephen King”. King's work clearly shows traces of the influence of Lovecraft. Thus, the novel “It” directly refers the reader to cosmic horror that came from time immemorial. It should be noted, however, that King's horror can be quite clearly divided into three main parts: cosmic (Lovecraft), afterlife and scientific (Mary Shelley).

Among other things, most of Stephen King's books take place in small American towns, which is also typical of the works of Lovecraft, who believed that the most terrible things happen in quiet places.

"Necronomicon" and books in the works of Lovecraft

Lovecraft usually referred to ancient books that contained secrets that man should not know. Most of the references were fictitious, but some occult works actually existed. The combination of fictional documents with real ones in the same context allowed the former to appear real. Lovecraft gave only general references to such books (mostly to create atmosphere) and rarely provided detailed descriptions. The most famous of these fictional manuscripts is his "Necronomicon", about which the writer spoke most. His explanations of this text were so well thought out that many people to this day believe in the reality of this book, and this allows some to profit from the ignorance of others.

The Book of Eibon, Livre d'Eibon, or Liber Ivonis

Currently, Lovecraft's collections are regularly republished in Russia by at least three major publishing houses - Azbuka, AST, Eksmo.

Works of Howard Lovecraft

The most famous and significant works:

Herbert West - Re-Animator (1922)

Screen adaptation

Several dozen films have been made based on Lovecraft's works. The most famous of them were created by directors Stuart Gordon, Brian Yuzna and others:

Currently in Russia, in Vladivostok, the film “The Shadow over Arkham” is being filmed (film blog - community.livejournal.com/hpl_movie_blog), also based on the works of Lovecraft.

Computer games

Alone in the Dark (Quest, 1992)

Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Comet (Quest, 1993)

Prisoner of Ice (Quest/Survival horror, 1995)

Legacy (RPG, 1996)

Necronomicon: The Dawning of Darkness (Quest, 2001)

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth (Action/Adventure, 2006)

Sherlock Holmes 3: The Secret of Cthulhu (Quest, 2007)

Darkness Within - In Pursuit of Loath Nolder (Quest, 2007)

Penumbra: Black Plague (Adventure/Survival horror/Action, 2008)

Notes

Literature

L. Sprague De Camp. Lovecraft: A Biography. - St. Petersburg: Amphora, 2008. - P. 656. - ISBN 978-5-367-00815-9

Childhood and youth

Howard was born on March 15, 1937 in the capital of Roth Island, Providence. This city with chaotically located streets, crowded squares and Gothic spiers is often found in the works of Lovecraft: throughout his life, the literary genius was acutely homesick. The writer said that his family descends from the astronomer John Field, who lived in the era and introduced the United Kingdom to the works.

Young Howard had a peculiar childhood. The quiet and intelligent boy grew up until the age of two in the suburbs of Boston and was raised in the family of jewelry salesman Winfield Scott, who lost his mind and went crazy. Winfield was placed in a psychiatric hospital, where he soon died, and Sarah Susan, with her two-year-old son in her arms, moved to her relatives’ three-story clapboard house at 454 Angell Street.

The cottage belonged to Lovecraft's grandfather Whipple Van Buren Phillips and his wife Robie, who were known as avid bookworms and kept a large library. They also had at their disposal several servants, an orchard with a fountain and a stable with three horses. One could only dream of such luxury, but not everything was so smooth in the life of little Howard. Mental illness Winfield was passed on to Susan: having lost her husband, she became obsessed with the idea that Howard was all she had.

Therefore, Susan did not leave her beloved child a single step, trying to fulfill even the most bizarre whims of her son. And the grandfather loved to pamper his little grandson, indulging him in everything. Howard's mother loved dressing the boy in girls' clothes. It is noteworthy that the parent also bought dresses and hair bands for her offspring.

This upbringing did not prevent the child prodigy Howard, who began reciting poems as soon as he could walk, from becoming addicted to literature. Lovecraft spent days and nights sitting in his grandfather's library, leafing through books. Not only did the young men fall into classical works, but also Arabic tales: he enjoyed reading the stories told by Scheherazade.

During his first years, Howard was educated at home. Since the boy was in poor health, he could not attend educational institution, so he had to master physics, chemistry, mathematics and literature on his own. When Lovecraft turned 12, he, fortunately, began going to school again, but this did not last long. The fact is that in 1904 Whipple Van Buren Phillips died, which is why the family lost their main source of income.

Consequently, Lovecraft, along with his mother, who was barely making ends meet, had to move to a smaller house. The death of his grandfather and the departure saddened Howard, he plunged into deep depression and even thought about taking his own life. Ultimately, the author of “Dagon” never received a high school diploma, something he was ashamed of all his life.

Literature

Howard Phillips Lovecraft took up inkwell and pen back in childhood. The boy was constantly tormented by nightmares, because of which sleep was a terrible torture, because Lovecraft could not control these dreams or wake up. Throughout the night, he observed in his wild imagination frightening creatures with webbed wings, which were called “night monsters.”

Howard's first works were written in fantasy genre, however, Lovecraft abandoned this “frivolous literature” and began to hone his skills by writing poems and essays. But in 1917, Howard returned to science fiction and published the stories “The Crypt” and “Dagon.”

The plot of the latter is built around the deity Dagon, who belongs to the pantheon of Cthulhu myths. The appearance of this deep-sea monster is disgusting, and its huge scaly hands will make everyone shudder.

It would seem that success is already close, for “Dagon” was published in the magazine in 1923. But misfortune happened again in Howard's life. His mother ended up in the same hospital where he spent time last years his father's life. Sarah died on May 21, 1921; doctors were unable to cure this crazy woman. Therefore, in order to escape from the torment, the literary genius began to work hard.

Howard Lovecraft managed to invent his own unique worlds, which can be put on a par with Middle-earth, Discworld, Lyman Frank Baum's Oz and other parallel Universes in the world of literature. Howard became the founder of a certain mystical cult: in the world there are people who believe in unprecedented and omnipotent deities (the Ancients), which are found in the Necronomicon.

Fans of the writer know that Lovecraft refers in his works to ancient sources. The Necronomicon is Howard's fictional encyclopedia of magical rituals, strongly associated with the Cthulhu Mythos, first found in the story "The Hound" (1923).

The writer himself said that the manuscript existed in reality, and argued that the “Book of the Dead” was written by the mad Arab Abdul Alhazred (the early pseudonym of the writer, inspired by “ Arabian nights"). There is also a legend that this book is kept behind seven locks, because it is dangerous for the mental and physical health of the reader.

It is noteworthy that excerpts from the Necronomicon were scattered throughout Lovecraft's novels and stories, and these quotes were collected into a single volume by enthusiastic fans. The first to think of this was the writer August Derleth, a passionate admirer of Howard. By the way, director Sam Raimi used a similarity to the Necronomicon in his cult trilogy The Evil Dead (1981,1987,1992).

The master of the pen also endowed his books with original spells and drawings. For example, in order to respect the great and terrible Cthulhu, an adherent of a cruel cult needs to say: “Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh vgah’nagl fhtagn!” By the way, for the first time a giant octopus-like monster sleeping at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and capable of influencing the human mind appeared in the story “The Call of Cthulhu” (1928).

Then, a year later, a work called “The Dunwich Horror” (1929) was published. Lovecraft tells his reader about a fictional town in north-central Massachusetts. In this seedy place lived an old man who loved to perform sinister rituals, and a young man named Wilbur, who was not a man at all, but strange creature with tentacles.

In 1931, Howard replenished his creative biography science fiction novel The Ridges of Madness, and also wrote the story The Shadow Over Innsmouth (1931), the plot of which revolves around a mystery: an enveloping gloomy city where people live who have an ominous appearance, as if they are suffering from a previously unexplored disease.

In the same 1931, Lovecraft wrote another work, “The Whisperer in the Dark,” where the extraterrestrial race of intelligent mushrooms Mi-go was first mentioned. In his story, the writer mixes in one bottle a detective story, science fiction and spices up his creation with a special Lovecraftian touch.

Lovecraft's books are scary because his manuscripts use the psychological horror of the unknown, rather than primitive intimidation of the reader with vampires, monsters, ghouls, zombies and other characters. Moreover, Howard knew how to create such an atmosphere of suspense that, perhaps, he himself would have envied this literary genius.

Later, Lovecraft presented the story “Dreams in the Witch House” (1932). The story describes the life of an inquisitive student Walter Gilman, who had heard plenty of stories about the witch Kezia Mason, who could easily move in space. But the young guy is sure that the witch travels in the fourth dimension. Ultimately, the puzzled Walter begins to have nightmares: as soon as Morpheus touches the protagonist's eyes, an evil old woman begins to mock him.

In 1933, Howard wrote a story with a telling name- “The creature is on the threshold.” The plot of the work develops in the fictional town of Arkham, in the house of architect Daniel Upton, who is trying to explain to the reader why he killed his friend, the writer Edward Pickman Derby. This work with an unexpected ending will thoroughly immerse the avid book lover in mystical and intricate stories.

Then, in 1935, Lovecraft published the book “Beyond Time” and in the same year dedicated a new work to Robert Bloch, “Dweller in Darkness.” This book is about the writer Robert Blake, who was found dead in his home. Horror froze on the writer’s face, and one can only judge what happened on that fateful day of death by the notes scattered on the table.

Among other things, Howard's credentials include a collection of sonnets, Mushrooms from Yuggoth, written in 1929. Also, Lovecraft, whose undeniable talent was appreciated by fans, helped his colleagues in writing stories. Moreover, it often happened that all the laurels of honor went to the second co-author, who made a smaller contribution to the plot of the work.

Lovecraft left behind an epistolary legacy; scientists used to say that a hundred thousand letters were written by the hand of the mystic. Drafts by other writers, corrected by Lovecraft, have also survived. Thus, Howard kept only a few sentences from the “original”, receiving a small amount for this, while some co-authors were content with large fees.

Personal life

Howard Lovecraft lived a reclusive life. He could spend days and nights at his desk, writing science fiction novels that became popular only after the death of the author. The master of words actively published in magazines, but the money paid by the editors was not enough for a decent existence.

It is known that Lovecraft was “fed” by editorial activities in the field of amateur literary journalism. He not only made “candy” out of writers’ drafts, but also retyped texts by hand, which burdened him, because Howard had difficulty retyping even his own texts.

Contemporaries said that the tall and thin man, whose appearance resembled Boris Karloff (played in the film "Frankenstein" based on the novel) and, was a kind and sympathetic person, whose soft smile gave warmth. Lovecraft knew how to empathize, for example, the suicide of his friend Robert Howard, who decided to do such an act because of the death of his mother, wounded Lovecraft to the very heart and undermined his health.

In addition, the author of chilling horrors loved cats, ice cream and travel: he visited New England, Quebec, Philadelphia and Charleston. It is ironic that Lovecraft did not like cold and slushy weather, the atmosphere of which reigns in Poe’s novels and paintings. He also avoided everything connected with the sea, although his works are saturated with the smell of water and damp planks of a coastal pier.

As for amorous relationships, we know only about one writer’s chosen one, a native Russian Empire– Sonya Green. The lovers moved from quiet Providence to noisy New York, but Lovecraft could not stand the crowds and fast pace of life. Soon the couple separated without having time to file a divorce.

Death

Upon learning of the death of a friend who shot himself in the mouth with a pistol, Howard could not come to his senses. Ultimately, he stopped eating because he was diagnosed with intestinal cancer. Lovecraft died on March 15, 1937 in his native Providence, having outlived Robert E. Howard by nine months.

Subsequently, the writer’s works were often used as the basis for various films and cartoons, and they wanted to erect a monument to Howard himself in Providence.

Bibliography

1917 – “Crypt”
1917 – “Dagon”
1919 – “The Reincarnation of Juan Romero”
1920 – “Cats of Ulthar”
1921 – “The Music of Erich Zahn”
1925 – “Holiday”
1927 – “Color from Other Worlds”
1927 – “The Case of Charles Dexter Ward”
1928 – “Call of Cthulhu”
1929 – “The Dunwich Horror”
1929 – “Silver Key”
1931 – “The Ridges of Madness”
1931 – “Shadow over Innsmouth”
1931 – “The Whisperer in the Dark”

Howard Phillips Lovecraft

Almost unknown during his lifetime, Lovecraft subsequently became a very controversial figure - from the point of view of assessing both his life and his work. Few writers can boast of so many myths and rumors about themselves - it is interesting, at the same time, that Lovecraft’s biography is not particularly rich in “life events” itself.

Howard Phillips Lovecraft was born on August 20, 1890 in Providence, Rhode Island, and lived here almost his entire life. On her mother's side - Sarah Susan Phillips Lovecraft (Sarah Susan Phillips Lovecraft)- he was a direct descendant of the ancient Phillips family, back to the pioneer settler George Phillips, who arrived in Massachusetts from England in 1630. The writer's father is Winfield Scott Lovecraft (Winfield Scott Lovecraft)– was a traveling salesman for a jewelry company. When Lovecraft was just three years old, his father suffered a nervous breakdown during a business trip to Chicago. Winfield Lovecraft was admitted to Butler Hospital (Butler Hospital), where he died five years later. Today there is little doubt that the cause of his illness and madness was progressive paralysis caused by syphilis. It remains unknown whether the cause of his father's illness was subsequently known to Lovecraft himself.

With the death of his father, Howard was raised by his mother, his two aunts and his grandfather, industrialist Whipple Van Buren Phillips. (Whipple Van Buren Phillips), who lived together in the family mansion at 454 Angel Street. Undoubtedly, the environment of the historical part of his native Providence had a huge influence on aesthetic views future writer: a craving for the colonial past, ancient architecture, the glorification of which Lovecraft almost constantly turns to in his work. And although Lovecraft’s early years can hardly be called happy, this period (and especially the subsequent longing for him) significantly shaped him as a person and as a writer.

Lovecraft showed extraordinary abilities from childhood, beginning to read, write and compose poetry very early. Due to his poor health, he often missed school (which I never finished) and spent long hours in the extensive library that belonged to his grandfather. Lovecraft became interested in the fantastic from childhood, voraciously reading Grimm’s fairy tales, the works of Jules Verne and, of course, Edgar Allan Poe, who had the greatest influence on the writer: Lovecraft’s first “attempts to write” in the field of the fantastic and the unknown were written mainly under the impression of Poe’s stories.

Lovecraft's other hobby was astronomy - and this was a key point in shaping his worldview. Thanks to his studies in astronomy, the writer discovered “worlds of boundless spaces”, the scale of the universe, which laid the foundation for his philosophy - “cosmic horror” and the simultaneous insignificance of humanity before him. And this philosophy, which should not be forgotten, is devoid of any hope. This is the main difference between Lovecraft and other horror and science fiction writers - there are not just some mysterious and powerful people in the world otherworldly forces. They, in fact, dominate it, and there is no need to talk about any “victory” over these forces: a meeting with them threatens, at best, with madness and terrible nightmares (frequent motifs in Lovecraft's works).

In 1904, his grandfather, Whipple Phillips, died, which was a terrible shock for young Lovecraft. His family's financial situation was greatly shaken, and they had to move to a smaller house at 598 on the same Angel Street. Lovecraft, by his nature very strongly attached to the “place,” was terribly worried, and throughout his subsequent life he sadly recalled the former house in which he spent short, but perhaps the happiest years of his life. All this led to the fact that in 1908, Lovecraft himself now had a nervous breakdown, which was further aggravated by a failed attempt to enter Brown University (Brown University).

However, it was during this period that Lovecraft not only wrote his first serious stories (of which only two have survived - “The Beast in the Cave” and “The Alchemist”), but also begins to publish - in The Providence Sunday Journal, which published short letter Lovecraft, with a refutation by a local astrologer, as well as in The Pawtuxet Valley Gleaner and in The Providence Tribune, where he wrote a regular astronomy column.

Very little is known about Lovecraft's life between 1908 and 1913. After a “nervous breakdown” that happened to him, Lovecraft became a recluse and wrote practically nothing. His gradual resumption of contact with the outside world is due primarily to the movement of amateur journalists. Lovecraft becomes first a member of their association, and then its president and editor-in-chief, becoming one of the most influential figures in this movement. He began to write again, and in 1917 the stories “Dagon” and “The Crypt” were published.

At the same time, Lovecraft's mother's condition worsened, and after a nervous attack in 1919, she ended up in the same Butler Hospital where her husband once died. In 1921 she died without ever leaving there, from unsuccessful operation on the gallbladder.

By a strange coincidence, in the same 1921, Lovecraft met his future wife– Sonja Heft (Gaft) Green (Sonia Haft Greene), who was seven years older than him. Three years later they got married and moved in with Sonya in Brooklyn. But after two years their marriage mutual consent collapsed - literature did not bring much income to Lovecraft, but to find himself permanent job in New York he never could (which is not surprising, given the almost complete lack of experience and formal education). In addition, New York, with its size and rhythm of life, began to oppress the writer more and more (echoes of this can be seen, for example, in the story “A Nightmare in Red Hook”).

Lovecraft’s literary activity gradually expanded: in 1922, “Herbert West – Re-Animator” was published in the magazine “Home Brew” in the form of a small “serial”, and in 1923, Lovecraft began collaborating with the publication “Weird Tales”, founded at the same time, which he would later publish many of his works.

On April 17, 1926, Lovecraft returned to Providence and settled at 10 Barnes Street, north of Brown University. From this moment begins, perhaps, the most interesting and creatively productive period of the writer’s life. He travels around New England, visiting Quebec, Philadelphia, Charleston; he continues his incredibly active correspondence and contributes to the development of young writers (among them his friends Robert Bloch and Auguste Derleth). Lovecraft's most important works (sometimes called "elder texts"), starting with "Call of Cthulhu" (1926) , written precisely in the last decade of his life.

Lovecraft lived his last years at 66 College Street, where he moved in 1933. By 1936, intestinal cancer - the disease that caused his death - had worsened so much that soon, on March 10, 1937, the writer was admitted to Jane Brown Memorial Hospital, where he died five days later. Lovecraft is buried in the Phillips family plot at Swan Point Cemetery in Providence.

It is possible that before his death, Lovecraft, who did not publish a single book and was published almost exclusively in cheap magazines, foresaw the complete oblivion of all his works. But fortunately, thanks to his friends (especially Auguste Derleth), this turned out not to be the case. In 1939, the newly formed publishing house Arkham House published the collection "Outcast and Other Stories" (The Outsider and Others), which included thirty-six short stories and an essay, “Supernatural Horror in Literature.” Others followed, and eventually Lovecraft's works began to be published by many publishers and translated into foreign languages. And today, Howard Phillips Lovecraft has already taken his well-deserved place in world literature for quite some time.

Years of creativity: Genre: Works on the website Lib.ru

Howard Phillips Lovecraft(English) Howard Phillips Lovecraft, August 20, Providence, Rhode Island, USA - March 15, ibid.) - American writer and poet who wrote in the genres of horror, mysticism, combining them in an original style. The founder of the Cthulhu Mythos. During Lovecraft's lifetime, his works were not very popular, but after his death they had a noticeable influence on the formation of modern mass culture. His work is so unique that Lovecraft's works stand out as a separate subgenre - the so-called Lovecraftian horror.

Biography

Lovecraft in Early Childhood, 1892.

Lovecraft at the age of 9-10 years.

Lovecraft was raised by his mother, two aunts and his grandfather (Whipple Van Buren Phillips), who sheltered the future writer's family. Howard was a child prodigy - he recited poetry by heart at the age of two, and by the age of six he was already writing his own. Thanks to his grandfather, who had the largest library in the state, he was introduced to classical literature. In addition to the classics, he became interested in Gothic prose and Arabian tales of the Thousand and One Nights.

At the age of 6-8, Lovecraft wrote several stories, most of which have not survived to this day. At the age of 14, Lovecraft wrote his first serious work, “The Beast in the Cave.”

Sarah, Howard's mother, after a long period of hysteria and depression, ended up in the same hospital where her husband died, and died there on May 21, 1921. She wrote to her son until her last days.

Creation

Predecessors

Writers whose work influenced Lovecraft primarily include Edgar Allan Poe, Edward Dunsany, Arthur Machen, Algernon Blackwood, Ambrose Bierce, Lafcadio Hearn.

Followers

August Derleth

Stephen King

Lovecraft's work, which influenced the popular culture of the West, left an indelible mark on the work of countless writers who worked and are working in the genre of mysticism and horror. One of Lovecraft’s creative heirs is the famous “King of Horror” Stephen King. The most striking work in which Stephen King does not imitate the storytelling style of Howard Lovecraft, but pays tribute to the latter’s talent, is the story “Crouch End”, filmed by the TNT film company in the collection of short stories “Nightmares and Fantasies of Stephen King”. King's work clearly shows traces of the influence of Lovecraft. Thus, the novel “It” directly refers the reader to cosmic horror that came from time immemorial. It should be noted, however, that King's horror can be quite clearly divided into three main parts: cosmic (Lovecraft), afterlife and scientific (Mary Shelley).

Necronomicon and other works mentioned by Lovecraft

The Book of Eibon, Livre d'Eibon, or Liber Ivonis

Created by Clark Ashton Smith. Lovecraft referenced this book only a few times in his stories: "Dreams in the Witch's House", "The Thing on the Threshold", and "The Shadow from Timeless". In the last two years of his life, Lovecraft provided references to two "translations" of this book: Livre d'Eibon (The Diary of Alonzo Typer) and Liber Ivonis (Dweller in Darkness). In the story "The Stone Man", Eibon's book serves as the main book family line sorcerers of the Van Kaurans, carefully hidden and passed on by inheritance.

Cultes des Goules by the Comte d'Erlette

The name of the author of this book was formed from the name of August Derleth, whose ancestors moved from France and whose surname was historically correctly written as D'Erlette. As on many similar occasions, Lovecraft referred to this book only a few times: in the stories "The Shadow from Timeless", "Lurker at the Threshold" and "Dweller in the Darkness".

De Vermis Mysteriis by Ludvig Prinn

"The Mysteries of the Worm" (in some translations - "The Mysterious Worms") and their author Ludwig Prynne were invented by Robert Bloch, and the Latin title of the book "De Vermis Mysteriis" was invented by Lovecraft. He made references to her in the stories "The Shadow from Timeless", "The Diary of Alonzo Typer", "The Sole Heir" and "Dweller in Darkness".

The Eltdown Shards

This work is the creation of the imagination of Richard F. Seawright, one of Lovecraft's correspondents. Lavrkaft briefly mentioned him in his works: “The Shadow from Timeless” and “The Diary of Alonzo Typer”.

The Necronomicon or Al Azif of Abdul Alhazred

Perhaps the most famous of Lovecraft's hoaxes. He made references to the Necronomicon, also known as Al Azif, in 18 of his stories. The actual Arabic name for this manuscript was Al Azif, which meant “the sound made by the nocturnal insects,” which the Arabs believed was actually made by demons. Abdul Alhazred, the mythical author of this book, lived in Damascus, where the Necronomicon was written. In 738 AD e. he was publicly consumed by an invisible demon. Al Azif was translated into Greek by Theodore Philetos of Constantinople, who gave the manuscript the name Necronomicon. Olaus Wormius translated the text into Latin in 1228. In 1232, shortly after Wormius' translation, Pope Gregory IX banned both the Greek and Latin versions of the book. Vormius notes that the original Arabic text had already been lost by that time. Dr. John Dee translated it into English, but only a few fragments of this version have survived to this day. Currently Latin translation XV century is located in British Museum, 17th-century editions are in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, the Harvard Library, the University of Buenos Aries, and the Miskatonic University of Axham. Naturally, all these copies are carefully preserved.

The first time the Necronomicon is mentioned is in the story "The Dog" (September 1922), although Abdul Alhazred, the author of this work, is mentioned earlier, in "The Nameless City" (January 1921). It is here that the most famous saying from the Necronomicon is mentioned for the first time:

That is not dead which can eternal lie,
And with strange aeons even death may die.

Perhaps the most long exposure from the Necronomicon found in the story "The Dunwich Horror":

...one should not believe that man is the only and last ruler of the world. And its life substance is not the only one existing on Earth. The Ancients were, the Ancients exist, the Ancients will always be. But not in the world we know, but between worlds. Original, strong and healthy. They are invisible to our eyes. Yog-Sothoth alone knows the entrance to this world. Yog-Sothoth is both the key and the guardian of these gates. Past, present and future are one in Yog-Sothoth. He knows the place where the Ancients paved the way for themselves in past times, He knows where They will pass into the future. Knows their traces on Earth that they leave, invisible. By smell alone men recognize their presence, but their image is recognized in the form of those whom they have produced among the mortal children of men, from the appearance of man to the form without substance. Invisible They circle the Earth, waiting for the right words of the Ritual. Their voice sounds in the wind, the grass whispers about Their presence. They uproot forests, destroy cities, but no one sees the punishing Hand. In the icy deserts Kadaf knew them, but has man ever known Kadaf? The ice in the north and the sunken islands in the oceans hide the stones on which the Seals are inscribed. Yog-Sothoth will open the doors before which the spheres close. Man reigns where They once ruled. But just as winter comes after summer, and winter gives way to spring, so They are waiting for their Hour!!!

The People of the Monolith by Justin Geoffrey

Time passed, I became interested in architecture and abandoned my plan to illustrate Edward’s book of demonic poems, however, our friendship did not suffer or become weaker for that reason. The unusual genius of young Derby developed astonishingly, and in his eighteenth year he published a collection of macabre lyrics entitled Azathoth and Other Horrors, which created a sensation. He was in a lively correspondence with the notorious Baudelaire poet Justin Jeffrey, the same one who wrote The Monolithic Men and who died screaming in an insane asylum in 1926, having shortly before visited some sinister and notorious village in Hungary.

You can learn about Justin Jeffrey in Robert E. Howard's story "The Black Stone" (1931).

The Pnakotic Manuscripts (or Fragments)

Another Lovecraft hoax. His Pnakotic Manuscripts or Fragments (references in 11 works) are second only to the Necronomicon in frequency of circulation. Lovecraft does not provide any details about the origin or content of these texts. Most likely, these texts were written in the pre-human period.

Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan

Lovecraft only mentioned Hsan's books in The Other Gods and The Somnambulistic Quest of Cadaf the Unknown, both times along with the Pnakotic Manuscripts.

Unaussprechlichen Kulten, Black Book, or Nameless Cults by Friedrich von Junzt

Robert E. Howard first introduced the Unnamed Cults in his short story Children of the Night (1931). The following year, Lovecraft came up with a German title for these works, since von Juntz wrote the original in German. This title, "Ungenennte Heidenthume", did not satisfy some of Lovecraft's correspondents. August Derleth changed it to “Unaussprechlichen Kulten”, which became established (although in translation it meant “Unpronounceable cults”, that is, cults whose names cannot be pronounced. “Die Unaussprechlichen Kulten” or “Unaussprechliche Kulten” would be more correct).

Although Lovecraft did not refer to this book more often than others, he gives its publication history in the story "Out of Time":

In fact, any reader of von Juntz's terrible "Nameless Cults" could at first glance establish an undeniable connection between them and the mysterious writings on the tape. But in those days, few people knew this blasphemous work: its first edition was destroyed in Düsseldorf in 1839, Bredwell’s translation appeared in 1845, and a greatly abbreviated version was published in 1909.

Von Juntz's "Black Book" appears in several stories by Robert E. Howard: "Children of the Night" (1931), "The Black Stone" (1931), "The Thing on the Roof" (1932). IN last story The history of the writing and publication of this book is presented.

R'lyeh Text

This text is mentioned by Lovecraft in the story “