An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia - Annotated by S T Joshi & David E Schultz (Hardcover)

About the Book

H. P. Lovecraft (1890-1937) is commonly regarded as the leading author of supernatural fiction in the 20th century. He is distinctive among writers in having a tremendous popular following as well as a considerable and increasing academic reputation as a writer of substance and significance. This encyclopedia is an exhaustive guide to many aspects of Lovecraft's life and work, codifying the detailed research on Lovecraft conducted by many scholars over the past three decades. It includes hundreds of alphabetically arranged entries on Lovecraft and presents extensive bibliographical information.

The volume draws upon rare documents, including thousands of unpublished letters, in presenting plot synopses of Lovecraft's major works, descriptions of characters in his tales, capsule biographies of his major colleagues and family members, and entries on little known features in his stories, such as his imaginary book of occult lore, the Necronomicon. The volume refers to current scholarship on the issues in question and also supplies the literary, topographical, and biographical sources for key elements in Lovecraft's work. As Lovecraft's renown continues to ascend in the 21st century, this encyclopedia will be essential to an understanding of his life and writings.

Book Synopsis

H. P. Lovecraft (1890-1937) is commonly regarded as the leading author of supernatural fiction in the 20th century. He is distinctive among writers in having a tremendous popular following as well as a considerable and increasing academic reputation as a writer of substance and significance. This encyclopedia is an exhaustive guide to many aspects of Lovecraft's life and work, codifying the detailed research on Lovecraft conducted by many scholars over the past three decades. It includes hundreds of alphabetically arranged entries on Lovecraft and presents extensive bibliographical information.

The volume draws upon rare documents, including thousands of unpublished letters, in presenting plot synopses of Lovecraft's major works, descriptions of characters in his tales, capsule biographies of his major colleagues and family members, and entries on little known features in his stories, such as his imaginary book of occult lore, the Necronomicon. The volume refers to current scholarship on the issues in question and also supplies the literary, topographical, and biographical sources for key elements in Lovecraft's work. As Lovecraft's renown continues to ascend in the 21st century, this encyclopedia will be essential to an understanding of his life and writings.

Review Quotes

.,."an exhaustive reference filled with an impressive wealth of biographical and literary lore about one of the best-known writers of supernatural horror in the 20th century....An extensive, scholarly reference especially for Lovecraft enthusiasts, An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia is an essential, core, indispensable reference work for students of Lovecraft's life and work."-MBR: Internet Bookwatch

?...an exhaustive reference filled with an impressive wealth of biographical and literary lore about one of the best-known writers of supernatural horror in the 20th century....An extensive, scholarly reference especially for Lovecraft enthusiasts, An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia is an essential, core, indispensable reference work for students of Lovecraft's life and work.?-MBR: Internet Bookwatch

?[A] cornucopia of titbits to feed the most dedicated appetite for things Lovecraftian ... the ideal reference work for anyone embarking on a serious study of Lovecraft and his milieu ... [a] fine digest of information ... for those of us with a keen academic interest in Lovecraft it provides a handy, invaluable reference source. 4 STARS?-The Zone

?An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia, edited by S. T. Joshi and David E. Schultz, will please HPL purists, since it focuses on the weird writer's literary work with entries for individual stories, the more important poems and essays, fictional locales and characters (including every member of the German U-boat crew named in "The Temple"). . . . This is an indispensable volume.?-Publishers Weekly

?Recommended for all libraries, particularly those with Lovecraft or Arkham House collections.?-Choice

?This detailed encyclopedia is highly recommended for public and academic libraries.?-Library Journal

?This guide is a comprehensive survey of the influences on the writer's work and life and the products of his literary career....the editors have provided a true service to both scholars and fans. Highly recommended for both public and academic libraries.?-Lawrence Looks at Books/Gale Group.com

"ÝA¨ cornucopia of titbits to feed the most dedicated appetite for things Lovecraftian ... the ideal reference work for anyone embarking on a serious study of Lovecraft and his milieu ... Ýa¨ fine digest of information ... for those of us with a keen academic interest in Lovecraft it provides a handy, invaluable reference source. 4 STARS"-The Zone

"[A] cornucopia of titbits to feed the most dedicated appetite for things Lovecraftian ... the ideal reference work for anyone embarking on a serious study of Lovecraft and his milieu ... [a] fine digest of information ... for those of us with a keen academic interest in Lovecraft it provides a handy, invaluable reference source. 4 STARS"-The Zone

"An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia, edited by S. T. Joshi and David E. Schultz, will please HPL purists, since it focuses on the weird writer's literary work with entries for individual stories, the more important poems and essays, fictional locales and characters (including every member of the German U-boat crew named in "The Temple"). . . . This is an indispensable volume."-Publishers Weekly

"Recommended for all libraries, particularly those with Lovecraft or Arkham House collections."-Choice

"This detailed encyclopedia is highly recommended for public and academic libraries."-Library Journal

"This guide is a comprehensive survey of the influences on the writer's work and life and the products of his literary career....the editors have provided a true service to both scholars and fans. Highly recommended for both public and academic libraries."-Lawrence Looks at Books/Gale Group.com

..."an exhaustive reference filled with an impressive wealth of biographical and literary lore about one of the best-known writers of supernatural horror in the 20th century....An extensive, scholarly reference especially for Lovecraft enthusiasts, An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia is an essential, core, indispensable reference work for students of Lovecraft's life and work."-MBR: Internet Bookwatch

About the Author

S. T. JOSHI is the author of H. P. Lovecraft: The Decline of the West (1990), Lord Dunsany: Master of the Anglo-Irish Imagination (Greenwood, 1995), H. P. Lovecraft: A Life (1996), and Ambrose Bierce: A Bibliography of Primary Sources (Greenwood, 1999), which he compiled with David E. Schultz. He has edited the standard edition of Lovecraft's fiction (1984-89, 4 vols.) and many other editions of Lovecraft's work. He is the founder and editor of Lovecraft Studies and Studies in Weird Fiction.

DAVID E. SCHULTZ is a technical editor with an environmental engineering firm. He has edited a critical edition of H. P. Lovecraft's Commonplace Book (1987), and with S. T. Joshi has edited various annotated editions of Lovecraft's letters. He and Joshi also compiled Ambrose Bierce: A Bibliography of Primary Sources (Greenwood, 1999).