Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown

I've just discovered this group through the Group suggestions. I've been reading some of the old threads and I've found no reference to this documentary film: Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown. It's about Lovecraft's life and writings. It really doesn't show anything you would not know if you have read about his life but it's interesting and I enjoyed the opinions of the people being interviewed such as Neil Gaiman, Guillermo del Toro, ST Joshi or John Carpenter. Has anyone else watched it?

Not heard of it, but something to put in my Netflix queue (assuming it's available).

Related to that idea: have you read a good Lovecraft bio or other secondary source on his life / writings? I haven't read anything yet, haven't even searched here on LT for reviews, but I'm curious as to what the group thinks.

> 1

Yeah, I saw it, and I agree with your assessment: several of the interviewees were interesting in their own rights, but I didn't really learn anything about Lovecraft. Not a total waste of time, but pretty low-priority.

#2 -> I don't know if it's available on Netflix but it is available on the link of my previous message.

As for bios, I've read several things but quite some time ago. I think H. P. Lovecraft: A Life by S.T. Joshi is a really extensive analysis of his life and writings, very interesting but maybe a bit too long if you are just interested on a general account of his life.

#3 -> Do you know of any other documentary that might be more interesting? I have found nothing.

I think Lord of a Visible World is pretty cool. Joshi edits HPL's letters to effect an autobiography of sorts.

Another note about Fear of the Unknown: I was really disappointed in the interview segment with Robert M. Price, whose written work (in both the weird fiction and heterodox religion fields) I enjoy greatly. I suspect his more interesting remarks ended up on the cutting-room floor.

I saw it (Fear of the Unknown) and loved it. I wish I had a big box full of DVD copies to carry around so that whenever someone asked me, "Who's H.P. Lovecraft?" I could hand them one.

>2 elenchus: I've never read anything that S.T. Joshi wrote on Lovecraft that was less than stellar; he's truly the James Boswell of Lovecraft studies.