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Biographies

Despite being relatively unknown by the general public, there is plenty of biographical information about Lovecraft available. This list includes mostly in-print volumes but also includes some of the more important out-of-print books.

Autobiographical Writings
By H.P. Lovecraft (Necronomicon Press). This chapbook collects many of Lovecraft’s own writings about himself.
Ave atque Vale
Edited by S. T. Joshi & David E. Schultz (Necronomicon Press). A collection of 67 memoirs and tributes in honor of H. P. Lovecraft.
The Curious Case of H.P. Lovecraft
By Paul Roland (Plexus Publishing).
The Dream World of H.P. Lovecraft: His Life, His Demons, His Universe
By Donald Tyson (Llewellyn Worldwide).
A Dreamer and a Visionary: H.P. Lovecraft in his Time
By S.T. Joshi (Liverpool University Press). Essentially a much shorter and more accessible version of Joshi’s much larger H.P. Lovecraft: A Life.
The Gentleman from Angell Street: Memories of H.P. Lovecraft
By Muriel E. Eddy and C.M. Eddy, Jr.; Edited by Jim Dyer (Fenham Publishing).
H.P. Lovecraft: A Biography
By L. Sprague de Camp (Barnes & Noble Books). Originally published as Lovecraft: A Biography in 1975, this has long been the most prominent and available of Lovecraft biographies. Unfortunately, it also has many errors of fact and de Camp tends to be very judgmental towards Lovecraft. Still, it’s a good overview of Lovecraft’s life and works.
H.P. Lovecraft: A Life
By S.T. Joshi (Necronomicon Press). Published in 1996, this has now been superseded by the unabridged version, I Am Providence: The Life and Times of H.P. Lovecraft (see below).
H.P. Lovecraft: A Short Biography
By S. T. Joshi (Sarnath Press). Originally published as H.P. Lovecraft: Nightmare Countries, this paperback edition (sans illustrations) is a very inexpensive introduction to Lovecraft.
H.P. Lovecraft: An Introduction to His Life and Writings
By Arthur S. Koki (Hippocampus Press).
H.P. Lovecraft: Master of Weird Fiction
By William Schoell (Morgan Reynolds Publishing). Part of the “Writers of Imagination” series, targeted at young adult readers.
H.P. Lovecraft: Nightmare Countries
By S.T. Joshi (Metro Books). Lavishly illustrated, this inexpensive book is very accessible for those new to Lovecraft, but still a treat for those already familiar with him.
H.P. Lovecraft: The Mysterious Man Behind the Darkness
By Charlotte Montague (Chartwell Books).
Howard Phillips Lovecraft: Dreamer on the Nightside
By Frank Belknap Long (Arkham House).
I Am Providence: The Life and Times of H.P. Lovecraft
By S.T. Joshi (Hippocampus Press). A new and unabridged version of Joshi’s H.P. Lovecraft: A Life which restores 150,000 words excised from the original manuscript, making it the new definitive edition. Joshi examines all aspects of Lovecraft’s life and works without whitewashing them. A must read for all fans of Lovecraft.
In the Mountains of Madness: The Life and Extraordinary Afterlife of H.P. Lovecraft
By W. Scott Poole (Soft Skull Press).
Lord of a Visible World: An Autobiography in Letters
By H.P. Lovecraft, Edited by S.T. Joshi and David E. Schultz (Hippocampus Press). A collection of Lovecraft’s letters and essays arranged to form an autobiography.
Lovecraft At Last
By H.P. Lovecraft and Willis Conover; New Introduction by S.T. Joshi (Cooper Square Press). A touching account by one of Lovecraft’s final correspondents.
Lovecraft Remembered
Edited by Peter Cannon (Arkham House). A collection of 65 reminiscences by those who knew Lovecraft personally.
Midnight Rambles: H. P. Lovecraft in Gotham
By David J. Goodwin (Empire State Editions-Fordham University Press). This “micro-biography” focuses on Lovecraft’s time in New York City.
Miscellaneous Writings
By H.P. Lovecraft (Arkham House). The final chapter of this hardback, “Personal,” includes some of Lovecraft’s autobiographical writings.
Some Notes on a Non-entity: The Life of H. P. Lovecraft
By Sam Gafford, illustrated by Jason Eckhardt (PS Publishing). A biography of Lovecraft in graphic novel form.
The Weird Tales Boys: H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith and “The Unique Magazine”
By Stephen Jones (Drugstore Indian Press-PS Publishing). This book focuses on the relationships of these three men, and both their and Weird Tales’ enduring legacies.
 
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