Lovecraft’s legacy for me is the result of both his great points and colossal weaknesses.

His ability to so effectively evoke cosmic horror with the various stories making up the Cthulhu Mythos, as well as otherworldly wonder in what I think of as his Dreamworld stories (Silver Key & Dream Quest of Unknown Kaddath being the two main ones that spring to mind) is what initially hooks readers, or at least they’re what hooked me.

It doesn’t take long to realize that he could really only write in one style and from one perspective (that of an educated white male). Add to that the racist undertones present in at least a portion of his stories, and it sometimes makes one (it does me at least) feel like I should apologize for being a huge fan of the man’s stories.

Because of the captivating nature of his world building combined with the obvious defincies of his writing in the areas of perspective and representation, it is no wonder that so many writer’s have dipped their toes into his stories to create their own. By not stepping out of his own comfort zone he left all creative types a gift, a compelling world/mythology onto which we can project our own tales, and I am always excited to see another author step up to expand upon it, add a new level of representation to what otherwise would have been a far too shallow pool. I occasionally throw in Lovecraft references in my own writing, but unfortunately have never had a proper idea with which to wade out myself.

I didn’t mean to ramble on so much about this. The point is that the interview linked below is a good read, and the book sounds fascinating so read the interview and keep an eye out.