Question H.P. Lovecraft

Come next month, March 15th to be exact, a prolific author passed away 80 years ago. For many his writings were nothing to be admired, whereas for others he set the tone for what is now considered the bible for Gothic Horror. Many prolific writers had and have taken inspiration of his works. More so today it seems than back in the days of his writing. To many his works were nothing but rubbish as it was something that went against the grain of what they termed Literature.

For others it opened their eyes to a whole new world and realms of possibilities. And for this site, his work and name appears to be used for some inspiration.

So my question is what do many of you think of his works. Have you read any or never even considered it? And if so how has it affected your way of writing?

Another question also is: and take it for a grain of salt here, have any of this sites authors thought of putting a piece of him within your works as a form of homage that many other writers have done? Be it blatant or hinted upon.

I've got his complete works and read them now and then. THough I think I am yet to raad all of his stories.

I always assumed Sarah's pre-Sarah identity was a homage.

I've read them all, and acknowledge him as a master on par with Poe. Dated in our current age, but still amazing, his works were before their time and have aged better than many of his contemporaries.

I still dig the old compilations out and go through them, I have a few stories with more than a little inspiration from his planned for WAU, and I'll watch any movie based on his works, no matter how bad - because most of those movies do tend to try to push the limits of horror.

On the anniversary of the man's death, I knock back a shot in his honor.

I can't call him one of my favorite writers, exactly... there is far too much racism and sexism in his works for an unqualified statement like that. But I am utterly amazed by his writing; and enjoy huge chunks of it immensely- just not uncritically.

I think, for all that he seemed to consider himself a man who would have been more happy had he been born even earlier, his writing was vastly ahead of his time.

I'm terribly happy that I actually have a few pulps with the first appearances of some of his stories; they do occasionally pop up at sane prices if you keep looking and don't mind lower grade. (I still have no idea why the one dealer priced that pair of 1939 Weird Tales at $20 the pair, though. But I grabbed them!)