Today marks the 122nd birthday of Howard Phillips Lovecraft, often thought of as the father of the horror, fantasy, and science fiction genres. A prodigal poet by the age of six, Lovecraft’s love for both writing and all things weird was fostered by his grandfather who encouraged the young boy’s talent, and told him his own original stories of gothic horror.
Possibly one of Lovecraft’s best known stories is The Call of Cthulhu, first published in 1926, which tells of the discovery of a great creature residing at the bottom of the ocean. The book is regarded by scholars as one of Lovecraft’s “great texts”, and it’s title monster has captured the imaginations of countless readers and writers in the decades after its initial conception – still prevailing today through music, art, film and print media.
If you have not yet joined the so-called “Cult of Cthulhu”, you can buy The Call of Cthulhu from most Paperight outlets for under R25,00.