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“The Call of Cthulhu” and Lovecraft’s body of work more generally have evolved quite a bit since the era in which he was writing, allowing him to grow from an unknown figure to a celebrated symbol of American horror fiction. This transformation took decades to occur, gaining even more momentum after Lovecraft’s death in 1937, but it has undoubtedly shaped how readers and scholars perceive his legacy. Lovecraft was not a widely recognized writer during his lifetime, partially due to the fact that he published many of his works in amateur and pulp-fiction magazines. These publications were considered cheap and low-quality, and although they were popular, they attracted a narrower audience than major publishers. With its specific focus on fantasy and horror, Weird Tales, a frequent publisher of Lovecraft’s stories, targeted an even more niche readership. Lovecraft, however, made few attempts to expand his reach and even ignored inquiries from larger, more well-known publishing groups for fear of being rejected.
When Lovecraft died, a small group of his contemporaries known as the “Lovecraft Circle” vowed to keep his memory alive by compiling his works into a single collection. One of these writers, August Derleth, spearheaded this project by founding Arkham House to publish Lovecraft’s stories, and he further developed the associated lore as he did so. Derleth is credited with coining the term “Chtulhu Mythos” and mapping out the connections between various characters, settings, themes, and philosophies. This expansion, along with the increasing number of authors drawing from the Cthulhu universe for their own works, helped bring Lovecraft’s stories to broader audiences. Interest in horror fiction boomed in the 1970s, and along with it came a renewed interest in Lovecraft’s life and works from scholars. Although disagreement persisted about how best to approach his stories, this academic examination cemented Lovecraft as one of the key figures of the horror and weird fiction genres.
Today, Lovecraft’s influence on popular culture can be seen across various forms of art and entertainment. The Cthulhu Mythos specifically has served as inspiration for musical compositions, works of art, films, and games, allowing creators to easily evoke a fear of the unknown. At the same time, however, Lovecraft’s problematic worldview has tainted his stories for many 21st-century readers. He was deeply racist and xenophobic throughout his life, and these attitudes manifest themselves throughout his body of work. Between his prejudices and now outdated scientific references, critics argue that Lovecraft’s stories fail to hold up under a modern lens. The legacy he left behind may be difficult and complex, but he nevertheless had a lasting impact on American horror fiction.
