Book excerpt: H.P. Lovecraft is widely regarded as one of the greatest writers of modern horror fiction and a pervasive influence on popular culture. His monstrous creations have influenced the look of films such as Alien, Hellboy and even Pirates of the Caribbean, while his fiction has inspired authors as diverse as Robert Bloch, Clive Barker and Neil Gaiman. In this comprehensive new biography, Paul Roland examines the life and work of the man Stephen King called 'the 20th century's greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale', and reveals that Lovecraft's vision was a projection of his inner demons, his recurring nightmares and his inability to live in what he considered a hostile world.