H. P. Lovecraft

American, 1890–1937

H. P. Lovecraft (1890–1937) was an American writer of horror, science fiction, and fantasy who created the cosmic horror subgenre. His Cthulhu Mythos — a shared universe of ancient, incomprehensible beings — has become one of the most influential fictional mythologies of the twentieth century. Though largely unrecognized during his lifetime, Lovecraft's vision of humanity's insignificance in a vast, indifferent cosmos has profoundly shaped modern horror fiction.