# Horror as Racism in H. P. Lovecraft: White Fragility in the Weird Tales - Hardcover

by **John L. Steadman** (Author)

**Providing a new perspective on Lovecraft's life and work,** **_Horror as Racism in H.P. Lovecraft_** **focuses on the overlap between the writer's personal beliefs and the racist images and narratives in his speculative fiction.**

Building on recent debates about Lovecraft and drawing on the concept of "white fragility," John Steadman argues that the writer's fiction reflects his feelings of resentment and anger towards non-white persons and was used to advocate for his racist, xenophobic political beliefs - that western civilization was in decline and slavery was justifiable among "superior" civilizations. In making these claims, Lovecraft's tales pit humans against extra-terrestrial aliens, developing a terrifying, futuristic vision of the Earth as a plantation planet.

The familiar image of Lovecraft as a reclusive, creative genius and mentor to young writer-friends is dismantled through close readings of his fiction and nonfiction - including correspondence, essays, and poetry - and examination of his early biography. This image is replaced by that of a cruel, callous, and, at times, psychotic man, a violently vitriolic racist and white supremacist who hated most of the non-white races.

While some will dismiss the author outright and others will read his fiction but ignore the racism, _Horror as Racism in H.P. Lovecraft_ takes a middle ground: acknowledging Lovecraft's personal history and heinous intentions, it helps readers navigate the author's disturbing biography while also getting a better sense of the stories, which remain significant within American science fiction.

### Author Biography

**John L. Steadman** is an independent scholar of science fiction and fantasy literature, and author of _Aliens, Robots & Virtual Reality Idols in the Science fiction of H. P. Lovecraft, Isaac Asimov and William Gibson_ (2020) and _H. P. Lovecraft & the Black Magickal Tradition_ (2015). He was previously Professor of English at Lansing Community College, USA.

**Number of Pages:** 264

**Dimensions:** 0.85 x 9 x 6 IN

**Publication Date:** January 11, 2024

## Details

- **Price:** 171.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 171.00 USD | In stock |

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- Horror as Racism in H. P. Lovecraft: White Fragility in the Weird Tales - Hardcover

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