Back Cover Text

“All notions of cosmic consciousness and purpose, and of the importance of man in the limitless pattern of the universe, are plainly myths born of the imperfect information of man’s early days.” – H.P. Lovecraft

Against Religion contains the major writings on religion, materialism, and spirituality by master horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. Including an introduction and notes by celebrated Lovecraft scholar S.T. Joshi and a foreword by noted atheist and writer Christopher Hitchens, this essential edition brings a new voice to the religious debate, and Lovecraft’s clairvoyant writing on the topic is as prescient today as it was during his lifetime.

H.P. Lovecraft is the author of numerous weird tales, among them The Call of Cthulhu. His recent inclusion in the Library of America marks his unique contribution to the horror genre, and his continuing influence on writers in all genres today.

S.T. Joshi is the author of H.P. Lovecraft: A Life, and the leading scholar and editor of Lovecraft’s work.

Christopher Hitchens is the New York Times bestselling author of God Is Not Great, and editor of The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever.

Contents

Foreword
Introduction
I. Some Personal Reflections

• A Confession of Unfaith
• The Insignificance of Man (from a letter to the Kleicomolo, 8 August 1916)
• What I Have against Religion (from a letter to Maurice W. Moe, 15 May 1918)

II. General Thoughts on God and Religion

• The Nature of God (from letters to the Kleicomolo, October 1916 and April 1917)
• What Is Religion? (from a letter to Emil Petaja, 6 March 1935)
• Atheism and Probability (from a letter to Robert E. Howard, 16 August 1932)
• Religious Indoctrination (from a letter to Maurice W. Moe, 3 August 1931)

III. Religion and Science

• Idealism and Materialism—A Reflection
• Remarks on Materialism (from “[In Defence of Dagon]”)
• The Materialist Today
• Religion and Relativity (from a letter to Frank Belknap Long, 20 February 1929)
• Religion and Indeterminacy (from a letter to Frank Belknap Long, 22 November 1930)

IV. Religion and Society

• Religion, Art, and Emotion (from a letter to Woodburn Harris, 25 February–1 March 1929)
• Religion and Ethics (from a letter to Natalie H. Wooley, 2 May 1936)
• Religion and Social Progress (from a letter to Helen Sully, 17 October 1933)
• Protestants and Catholics (from a letter to Frank Belknap Long, April 1931)
• The Psychology of Puritanism (from a letter to Robert E. Howard, 4 October 1930)
• On Spiritualism (from a letter to August Derleth, 12 November 1932)

Notes

Bibliographic Information

Against Religion: The Atheist Writings of H.P. Lovecraft. By H.P. Lovecraft, Edited by S.T. Joshi and with a Foreword by Christopher Hitchens. New York, NY: Sporting Gentlemen; 2010; paperback; 222 pages.

Purchasing This Book

This book may be purchased in paperback from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.