Discovering H.P.Lovecraft, a review

by Christian Conkle

Discovering H.P.Lovecraft is a small paperback book edited by Darrell Schweitzer and published by Starmont House, Inc. in Mercer Island, Washington (ISSN 0737-1306). It is the sixth in a series of literary criticisms published by Starmont.

The book is a collection of essays and articles by various authors, both proffessional and amateur, and range from the literary (textual problems in Lovecraft by S.T. Joshi) to the sublime (When the Stars are Right, by Richard L. Tierney, the astological charts of the day and time Rl'Yeh supposedly rose from the sea). Most of the articles were re-printed from earlier publications going back to the sixties and seventies, so it was nice to see some perpectives from a time when Lovecraft wasn't as popular.

In all, it's an entertaining book. Some of the articles are insightful and fresh while others are bland and retread. It's a mixed bag that will likely have at least one article of note. It has something for everyone, from the jaded Lovecraft literary theoritician to the uninitiated neophyte.

The book may be hard to find, so you may have to contact the publisher directly. I found mine at Powell's City of Books in Portland (the largest book store on the West Coast) and they may have some more.

I want to know how you feel about this or any other Lovecraft biographies. Please E-Mail me at: conkle@mecha.com