Cthulhu Mythos

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Cthulhu Mythos

Term coined by August Derleth, biographer and editor of H. P. Lovecraft, writer of supernatural fiction. The term denotes the mythology invented by Lovecraft for a group of horror stories. According to Derleth, Lovecraft once told him, "All my stories, unconnected as they may be, are based on the fundamental lore or legend that this world was inhabited at one time by another race who, in practicing black magic, lost their foothold and were expelled, yet live on the outside, ever ready to take possession of this earth again."

Sources:

Carter, Lin. Lovecraft: A Look Behind the Cthulhu Mythos. New York: Ballantine Books, 1972.

Schweitzer, Darrell. The Dream Quest of H. P. Lovecraft. San Bernardino, Calif.: Borgo Press, 1978.