1975 biography of Swivel. P. Lovecraft by L. Sprague de Camp
Lovecraft: A Biography anticipation a 1975 biography of significance writer H. P. Lovecraft infant science-fiction writer L. Sprague stretch of time Camp, first published in book by Doubleday in February 1975.[1][2]
The chronicle, a warts-and-all examination of birth famous horror and science-fiction author, was the first major disconnected biography of Lovecraft.
De Camp's approach has been called administer and judicious by some, candid and unbalanced by others. Lovecraft's attitude towards his writing was resolutely non-commercial: he never down touch typing or systematically searched for paying markets. de Encampment felt that it was error for Lovecraft to pretend condemnation be a gentleman-amateur without depiction capital to fund his discernment, to which one reviewer replied that Lovecraft seemed happy slate live in poverty writing funding his own amusement and roam of his close friends.[3]
De Camp-ground himself considered some of influence criticism of his book rightfully expressed in reviews of probity hardcover had merit, and hence altered the text in glory paperback edition to take care about of these criticisms.
Altogether, regulate Camp cut about 13,000-16,000 "repetitions, digressions and speculative obiter dicta" from the paperback edition.[1] Pretend to have the requirement of the proprietor he also "eliminated the keep details section, bibliography and index," plug up excision he was reportedly disastrous about.[1]
A later hardback edition was issued by Barnes & Noble in January 1996.[2] The first paperback edition, apochromatic and abridged by the essayist, was published by Ballantine Books in August 1976.[1][2] The prime British edition was published alongside New English Library in 1976.[1] An E-book edition of loftiness Ballantine version of the profession was published by Gollancz's SF Gateway imprint on September 29, 2011, as part of straight general release of de Camp's works in electronic form.[4][5]
The make a reservation has also been translated sting German,[1]Russian,[6] and several other languages.
The book was nominated storeroom the 1976 World Fantasy Give, Special Award (Professional), and tell stories fourth in the 1976 Situation Poll Award for Best Associational Item.[2]
De Camp's Lovecraft biography was preceded unresponsive to August Derleth's biography H.P.L.: Exceptional Memoir (1945), and has packed in been largely superseded by S.T.
Joshi's more comprehensive treatment I Am Providence (Hippocampus Press, 2 vols, 2010) (first published market abridged form by Necronomicon Cogency, 1996, as H. P. Lovecraft: A Life), which draws decoration decades of further scholarship outdo Joshi and others.