Lovecraft at Last: The Master of Horror in His Own Words [Hardcover]

H.P. Lovecraft (Author), Willis Conover (Author), S.T. Joshi (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 28, 2002

Horror author H.P. Lovecraft has for years been a misunderstood figure, portrayed by other writers as a misanthrope or neurotic. Conover's collection of letters from Lovecraft produce a rare book wherein the Lovecraft that emerges from these pages is humorous, garrulous, and candid.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 312 pages
• Publisher: Cooper Square Press; 1 edition (June 28, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815412126
• ISBN-13: 978-0815412120
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,452,971 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

H. P. Lovecraft was born in 1890 in Providence, Rhode Island, where he lived most of his life. He wrote many essays and poems early in his career, but gradually focused on the writing of horror stories, after the advent in 1923 of the pulp magazine Weird Tales, to which he contributed most of his fiction. His relatively small corpus of fiction--three short novels and about sixty short stories--has nevertheless exercised a wide influence on subsequent work in the field, and he is regarded as the leading twentieth-century American author of supernatural fiction. H. P. Lovecraft died in Providence in 1937.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informal Look At The Master of the Macabre, May 11, 2000

By 

"gsibbery" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lovecraft at Last (Miskatonic University Classics ; V. 1) (Hardcover)

This book consists of a series of letters exchanged by Howard Phillips Lovecraft and Willis Conover, a 12-year-old boy at the time, in 1936 and 1937. It gives us a surprisingly relaxed and informal view of Lovecraft. Included is one of Lovecraft's poems, Homecoming, which was later published in his "Fungi From Yuggoth", his ideas on how the short story must be written, and a general discusssion of topics that interested him. He syas bluntly here the the Necronomicon was a book that he made up, and he goes to a great deal of trouble to answer Conover's questions in an intelligent and mature manner (I wonder how many other writers would have shown as much consideration to a 12-year-old child?). Also, he discusses his economic situation, "Weird Tales" magazine, his love of the eighteenth century, his critical view of his own work, and various topics that other writers have talked to him about. included are several pictures as well as the letter that Lovecraft's aunt wrote to Conover upon his death of stomach cancer. A very intimate look at the father of modern horror literature.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some touching correspondence between icon and fan..., June 11, 2003

By 

Earl P. Dean (Lexington, KY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lovecraft at Last: The Master of Horror in His Own Words (Hardcover)

In reading this book, we see the enthusiasm of Willis Conover at fifteen years old, as he starts the Science Fiction Correspondence Club with some penpal fans. When interest in that dwindles, he and another boy from the group decide to refocus their efforts onto producing a good fan magazine. Conover starts by soliciting material from several science fiction and fantasy writers in order to fill the early issues of it, the Science Fantasy Correspondent. Little does he know that his letters to H.P. Lovecraft are taken very seriously by the great writer. As this becomes more apparent, we see Willis cautious at first, then more and more open and exuberant. Lovecraft at Last is an in depth look at their correspondence, with letters arranged chronologically so we can see the flow of their conversations. Within its pages, we get a fascinating view of a relationship between two unlikely friends.

5.0 out of 5 stars A RARE AND WONDERFUL BOOK!, November 21, 2009

By 

W. H. Pugmire "I never can be tied to raw, ne... (Sesqua Valley) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lovecraft at Last: The Master of Horror in His Own Words (Hardcover)

This superb book is now extremely rare -- and the prices asked for here are very reasonable. The rumor is that, shortly after this new edition was published, many if not a majority of the copies were destroyed in a warehouse fire. As a tribute to H. P. Lovecraft, this is heart-felt and genuine. The first edition of this book was a work of art -- Conover even reprinted some of Lovecraft's handwriting in the actual color of the ink that Lovecraft used in his pen when he wrote to the young Conover.

This newer edition features a long and fascinating and informed introduction by S. T. Joshi, the world's leading Lovecraft scholar. This is followed by a forward by Harold Taylor and a preface by Willis Conover. And then the wondrous history unfolds, of science fiction fandom in its Golden Age, and of Conover's enthusiastic involvement with it -- which led to his friendship by correspo0ndence with H. P. Lovecraft. Th following core of the book is an imaginative reproduction of Lovecraft's letters to Willis Conover, with some of the actual letters reproduced, and with extremely fascinating commentary by Conover. We find not only letters but essays and poems by the Master.

As a record of Lovecraft's kindness to young fans, and of his generous friendship with complete strangers, this book is a magnificent testimony. Any real fan of H. P. Lovecraft will treasure this wonderful book.