Works of Howard Phillips Lovecraft Essay -- Howard Phillips Lovecraft

Works of Howard Phillips Lovecraft It is morning on August 20, 1890 and the world of literature is about to change, though it will not understand just how much so for decades. It is on this morning that a precocious child, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, is born. Lovecraft would begin his writing career at the tender age of six with his short story â€Å"The Noble Eavesdropper†. He would grow up to be well read and well learned (he was producing scientific journals for his friends at age nine), despite never finishing high school (Joshi para 1- 4). Now, nearly three quarters of a century after his death, he still influences the genres of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. His influence can be felt in the creations of Robert Bloch (Psycho), Stephen King (The Dark Half, et al), Neil Gaiman (Sandman, The Day I Sold My Dad for Two Fish), and Alan Moore (Watchmen, From Hell). (Wikipedia: Lovecraft para 1-2) How can one man influence so many, and not just in the genres of fiction? A simple internet search will reveal site after site devoted to the works of HP Lovecraft, the creatures of his creation, and the mysterious Necronomicon. This last is especially interesting as many of those sites recount the significance of this tome to magical and spiritual endeavors. In fact, books claiming to be English translations can be purchased online and in bookstores. It is, of course, purely fictitious. The writer of the tome, one Abdul Alhazred, was a name that Lovecraft had created at the age of five because of his fascination with Arabian Nights. (Straub 831) So what is it about his works that they have such an effect that people would believe a work of fiction to be real? Could he indeed be a conduit of greater myster... ...e faith. Bibliography Fonda, Marc. â€Å"Fonda’s Jung Notes: Summary of Jung’s Psychology.† Notes on CG Jung. 8 December 1996. 6 December 2005. Joshi, S.T. â€Å"Howard Phillips Lovecraft: The Life of a Gentleman of Providence.† The HP Lovecraft Archive. 13 April 2004. 6 December 2005. â€Å"Lovecraft’s Influence In Popular Culture from: Lovecraft.† WikiPedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 5 December 2005. 6 December 2005. Lowell, Mark. â€Å"Lovecraft’s CTHULHU MYTHOS.† Explicator Fall 2004. 6 December 2005. Database: Academic Search Premier. P 48 â€Å"Monomyth.† WikiPedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 6 December 2005. 6 December 2005. Straub, Peter ed. HP Lovecraft: Tales. New York: Literary Classics of the United States, 2005. pg 831 and text quotations for â€Å"The Thing on the Doorstep†