One Lovecraftian obsession was a slew of demonic, hideous, nightmarish monsters such as the gigantic, intergalactic, be-tentacled monstrosity known as Cthulhu. Lovecraft described the creature as resembling a dragon, an octopus, a mountain and even a human, eventually declaring that "The Thing cannot be described", allowing the reader to use their imagination. This obviously had an effect on horror visionary and artist H.R. Giger, who cites Lovecraft as an influence on his designs for the titular creation in the Alien film series. Cult director John Carpenter also claimed to have used the writer as a source for the creature in his film The Thing, while the demonic visions of Guillermo del Toro can also be traced back to Lovecraft, with his The Shape of Water hat-tipping Lovecraft’s tale of evil fish people The Shadow Over Innsmouth.

Metallica: Influenced by H.P. Lovecraft

2. Speed metal

Lovecraft has had an influence on a variety of musical styles, from the 1960s psychedelic rock band that took his name, to the Arctic Monkeys, who name-checked the author in their song You're So Dark. But the genre that has taken to Lovecraft most fervently is those long-haired lovers of heavy metal and its various offshoots. Rock titans Metallica recorded two tracks with H.P. related titles: The Call of Ktulu and The Thing That Should Not Be. Cradle of Filth's Mother of Abominations and Mercyful Fate’s The Mad Arab (Part 1) both mention our old pal Cthulhu. Other extreme exponents with Lovecraftian tendencies include bands Azathoth, Necronomicon, The Great Old Ones and Infinite Spectrum.

3. Horror maestros

Perhaps it’s not a Cthulhu-sized shock that Lovecraft has exerted an influence on some the planet’s most celebrated exponents of the macabre. While the author himself always struggled to sell his work, those who followed him have enjoyed remarkable success. Stephen King, in his book Danse Macabre, claims that Lovecraft initiated his own fascination with horror and calls him "the twentieth century's greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale.” Other titans of terror such as Clive Barker, Ramsey Campbell, Colin Wilson and Robert Bloch also cite Lovecraft as a direct inspiration.