Book Discussion: 4 H.P. Lovecraft Short Stories

H.P. Lovecraft, as a person, was often problematic; he was openly a racist and xenophobic. Our group acknowledges his problematic past, but Its important to separate the art from the artist so that can objectively critique his work and acknowledge the influence he had on modern sci-fiction and horror as we know it. Several famous authors have cited his work as being influential to their own writing (Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell, Laird Barron, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Michael Shea etc...)

For our book discussion, Zac, Kerry, and Kristy have hand selected 4 short stories that are some of our personal favorites and give an accurate representation of the scope of his creativity. These are all public domain stories, meaning they can all be found for free on the internet (I have linked all of the stories under each story's description.

If you prefer a physical copy, this is the physical copy we will be referencing at the group discussion: https://shorturl.at/mlCpR

The Haunter of the Dark:
TW: Cosmic Horror, Psychological Distress, Supernatural Horror
"The Haunter of the Dark" by H.P. Lovecraft tells the story of Robert Blake, an artist and occult enthusiast who becomes obsessed with an abandoned church in Providence, Rhode Island, rumored to be haunted by a malevolent entity.

Read Here: https://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/dh.aspx

At the Mountains of Madness:
TW: Body Horror, Violence, Gore, Racism, Problematic Depictions of Disability,

Call of Cthulhu:
This short story features a monstrous entity (Cthulhu) and explores themes of cosmic horror and the insignificance of humanity.
Read Here: https://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/cc.aspx

The Dunwich Horror:
TW: Body Horror, Violence, Gore, Racism, Depictions of Mental Illness, Outdated Language (Insensitive Language)

"The Dunwich Horror" is a novella by H.P. Lovecraft, first published in 1929, that explores themes of cosmic horror and the dangers of dabbling in forbidden knowledge. The story revolves around the Whateley family in the secluded, decaying town of Dunwich, Massachusetts, and their attempts to summon ancient, extraterrestrial beings known as the Old Ones
Read Here: https://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/dh.aspx