Horror as Racism in H. P. Lovecraft: White Fragility in the Weird Tales

Horror as Racism in H.P. Lovecraft challenges the traditional view of H.P. Lovecraft as a reclusive, creative genius, revealing him as a cruel, callous, and psychotic man who hated most non-white races. It argues that his fiction reflects his feelings of resentment and anger towards non-white persons and was used to advocate for his racist, xenophobic political beliefs. By examining his personal history and heinous intentions, the book helps readers navigate the author's disturbing biography while also getting a better sense of the stories, which remain significant within American science fiction.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 11 January 2024
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Horror as Racism in H.P. Lovecraft explores the intersection between the author's personal beliefs and the racist imagery and narratives in his speculative fiction. Building on recent debates about Lovecraft, John Steadman contends that the writer's fiction reflects his resentment and anger towards non-white individuals and was employed to promote his racist, xenophobic political beliefs. Lovecraft's tales pit humans against extraterrestrial aliens, creating a terrifying, futuristic vision of the Earth as a plantation planet. The familiar image of Lovecraft as a reclusive, creative genius and mentor to young writer-friends is dismantled through close readings of his fiction and nonfiction, including correspondence, essays, and poetry, as well as examination of his early biography. This image is replaced by that of a cruel, callous, and, at times, psychotic man, a violently vitriolic racist and white supremacist who hated most of the non-white races. While some may dismiss the author outright and others may read his fiction but ignore the racism, Horror as Racism in H.P. Lovecraft takes a middle ground: acknowledging Lovecraft's personal history and heinous intentions, it helps readers navigate the author's disturbing biography while also gaining a better sense of the stories, which remain significant within American science fiction.

Weight: 392g
Dimension: 152 x 230 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9798765107690