Essential Solitude: The Letters of H.P. Lovecraft and August Derleth

This monumental two-volume compendium gathers the correspondence between horror writer H.P. Lovecraft (1890–1937) and one of his most devoted disciples, August Derleth (1909–1971). Schultz and Joshi have scrupulously edited and annotated the hundreds of letters that survive, the bulk on Lovecraft’s side, from Derleth’s first epistle sent in care of Weird Tales magazine in July 1926 to Lovecraft’s final missive penned a month before his untimely death 11 years later. While philosophical disquisitions are few, Lovecraft’s letters present an appealing portrait of a man keen to share his interest in the literature of the weird with a fellow enthusiast. Reproductions of drawings Lovecraft used to illustrate his letters, an appendix that includes Derleth’s posthumous tributes to his friend, a list of both men’s contributions to Weird Tales and more enhance the scholarly package. (Jan.)