SOURCE: "Supernatural Horror in Literature," in Dagon and Other Macabre Tales, edited by August Derleth, Arkham House Publishers, Inc., 1965, pp. 365-436.

Lovecraft is considered one of the foremost modern authors of supernatural horror fiction. Strongly influenced by Edgar Allan Poe, Lord Dunsany, and early science fiction writers, he developed a type of horror tale that combined occult motifs, modern science, and the regional folklore of his native New England to produce the personal mythology on which he based much of his work. As is evident from his own fiction, Lovecraft was well versed in the history of Gothic writing, and his Supernatural Horror in Literature (1927) is one of the earliest and most comprehensive studies of this genre. From his opening statement—"the oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear"—to his concluding question—"who shall declare the dark theme a handicap?"—Lovecraft examines the literature of supernatural...