HP Lovecraft

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One of my main Christmas gifts last year was a compendium of some of the better known horror stories of HP Lovecraft. I am loving them, but one thing that really got me while reading the biographical essay in the beginning of the book was the following. Lovecraft started writing early in life but was anti social and uncomfortable with other kids. He had no friends and in spite of his high intelligence and abundant knowledge of subjects that interested him, he did not graduate high school and never attended college. He was obsessed with letter writing to fans and other horror writes, to the point that he lost dangerous amounts of weight because he spent what little money he had on paper, ink, and envelopes rather than food. He never had a "real job," and supported himself selling stories and with aid from his wife--he was married at one point but it was doomed pretty much from the start. They separated but really never formally ended the union, and she helped him financially afterwards. He didn't sell some of what are now seen as his best works because he feared rejection. Despite his marriage he was a recluse and loner most of his life. His attempts to get steady employment were half hearted. He could have easily gotten a job as a magazine editor but didn't because he didn't want to have to move to Chicago.

I think he was an Aspie. In fact, I'm almost certain of it. What do you think?

Also, I'm starting to think there were many Dungeons and Dragons creatures inspired by the monsters in Lovecrafts stories, Mind Flayers in particular, which are Cthulah minus the wings pretty much. I've read that Gygax and the other old school D&D guys were fans, so I have little doubt of this.

I have thought of HPL as an aspie ever since learning about Aspergers. He also was nocturnal, and when awake in daytime hours, kept shades and curtains closed. He was an Anglophile who thought that the American Revolution was a bad idea and that we should rejoin the British Empire.

Also, did you know that his wife was a friend of Aleister Crowley, who claimed to be, and strove to be, the Antichrist?

I don't really read fiction but I loved the film based on Herbert West–Reanimator

I've always felt that he was autistic, especially reading through a lot of the annotations, and some of his letters. I can't remember tne details though, it's been a while.

Regarding D&D, I'm pretty sure AD&D 1st Ed's Appendix N lists him by name. I know one of the books (MM or Deities & Demigods) specifically mentioned some from the mythos in the first printing, which had to be removed in later printings due to copyright infringement.

I just finished The Dreamquest of Unknown Kadath. I think this would make a great movie, and that Lovecraft cast Carter as himself.

Here's a little bit of info on it: https://acaeum.com/ddindexes/setpages/deities.html

He fits Schizoid Personality Disorder better (fantasy world!), but sometimes it's hard to tell the difference, and person can have both.