During the past two decades, Robert H. Waugh has established himself as a leading scholar on H.P. Lovecraft. Bringing to the study of Lovecraft a remarkable breadth of knowledge in literature, aesthetics, history, and philosophy, Waugh has approached his subject with sensitivity and nuance. In this volume of his collected essays on Lovecraft, the reader will learn of the importance of documents in Lovecraft’s work, his provocative similarities to the Italian poet Giacomo Leopardi, and his fascination with underground horror, as exemplified in At the Mountains of Madness and other tales. In a trilogy of substantial essays, Waugh looks at Lovecraft’s seminal story “The Outsider” from a variety of critical perspectives. A concluding article probes the controverted issue of religion in Lovecraft’s life, thought, and writings. In all, the essays demonstrate that Lovecraft’s multifaceted work is a virtually inexhaustible treasure-trove for the scholar and analyst. 

Robert H. Waugh is professor of English at the State University of New York at New Paltz. In addition to his articles on Lovecraft, he has written on David Lindsay, Samuel R. Delany, Arthur C. Clarke, and other science fiction writers. He is also a widely published poet.