Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890–1937) was an American writer, editor, and journalist. He was born in Providence and was the only child in a wealthy family. When Howard was still very young, his father was struck by a mental illness; the man was placed in a psychiatric hospital, where he died five years later. Since then, Howard lived with his mother in her parents' house. He learned to read and write early and by the age of two was memorizing poems by classic authors, while he began writing his own at six. His favorite place in the house was his grandfather's library. He spent much time there, showing particular interest in folklore and mythology. With the death of his grandfather, Lovecraft began to face financial difficulties. His dreams of entering university were not destined to come true: due to a nervous disorder, he was unable to finish even school, which he was very ashamed of. He earned a living by editing materials for magazines and publishing his own works. The income was modest, and Howard and his mother barely made ends meet. In 1919, the writer's mother was admitted for treatment in the same psychiatric clinic where Howard's father had been, and she died two years later. For Lovecraft, this was a heavy loss. He completely immersed himself in his work and married in 1924. The marriage brought bright colors to his life; the couple moved to New York, where the writer made connections among literati and booksellers. However, soon financial distress forced the couple to separate, and Lovecraft, not wanting to remain alone in a foreign city, returned to Providence. This period was particularly fruitful for him: he wrote his most famous stories and actively corresponded with many friends. Two of these friends, August Derleth and Donald Wandrei, founded Arkham House after the writer's death to publish Lovecraft's works in hardcover, which had previously been published only in various magazines. Thus, the creativity of the founder of horror literature was saved from oblivion.
Lovecraft's contribution to world literature has influenced not only subsequent generations of writers but also popular culture as a whole. He sought to create a new, unique literary style, full of mysticism, fate, superstition, and fear of the unknown. In his stories, familiar reality is called into question, its boundaries blur, lifting the veil of primordial horror of the world. This collection features thirty-one stories by the great writer. Illustrations that adorned Lovecraft's works in American editions of the early 20th century will help readers delve deeper into these mysterious and frightening tales.
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