August William Derleth was born in Sauk City, Wisconsin, on February 24, 1909, to William Julius Derleth and Rose Louise (nee Volk) Derleth. He attended school in Sauk City, wrote fiction by the age of thirteen, sold short stories to pulp magazines at the remarkably young age of fifteen, and, while probably still in his teens, became acquainted with H. P. Lovecraft, author of science fiction and works of horror and the supernatural. Lovecraft was very generous with his time and advice to young writers, and he helped Derleth become a completely competent professional writer. Derleth had begun to establish himself in his early twenties as a master of several different genres of fiction, including that of supernatural horror for which young adult readers best know him today. Derleth sent a copy of his short story "The Thing That Walked on the Wind" to Lovecraft, who...