Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) was an American author of horror; fantasy; and science fiction; known then simply as weird fiction. His major inspiration and invention was cosmic horror: the idea that life is incomprehensible to human minds and that the universe is fundamentally alien. Those who genuinely reason; like his protagonists; gamble with sanity. He has developed a cult following for his Cthulhu Mythos; a series of loosely interconnected fictions featuring a pantheon of human-nullifying entities; as well as the Necronomicon; a fictional grimoire of magical rites and forbidden lore. Although Lovecraft's readership was limited during his life; his reputation has grown over the decades; and he is now commonly regarded as one of the most influential horror writers of the 20th century. This book collects some of his best and most famous tales.