Shoggoths on the Veldt: Who is H. P. Lovecraft?

You might not know who Howard Phillips Lovecraft is, but you've definitely felt his influences. Born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1890, H.P. Lovecraft was a writer of gothic horror fiction. He was virtually unknown during his lifetime but is now regarded as one of the most significant 20th century American authors due to his impact in the areas of horror and strange fiction. His stories were largely published in pulp magazines and his creation of the Cthulu Mythos made a major impact on the pop culture scene after he died at the age of 46 from cancer and in poverty.

Lovecraft was significantly influenced by Edgar Allen Poe and you can certainly see that influence in his gothic horror stories. Contemporary writers like Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, William S. Burroughs, and Alan Moore have all cited Lovecraft as having a major influence on their writings.  Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges wrote his short story There Are More Things in memory of Lovecraft. Even writer Joyce Carol Oates is a fan - she wrote an introduction for a collection of Lovecraft stories. 

In the realm of film, John Carpenter and Guillermo del Toro have used Lovecraftian images and themes in their films. Surreal visual artist H. R. Geiger, the man who designed the aliens in the James Cameron Alien films, cites Lovecraft as an inspiration for many of his designs. 

While many of us know Arkham from the Batman canon, Arkham is actually a fictional place in Lovecraft's stories. The necronomicon, the book of the dead, is mentioned in a number of sci-fi stories, most notably in Sam Raimi's Evil Dead movies. It's also a Lovecraft creation. 

Mr. Lovecraft was known to encourage the use of his fictional creatures and places in other works, so I think he'd approve of Cameron McNary's play.