Known for his tales of dark, otherworldly horror, H.P. Lovecraft could have been a character in one of his own weird works of fiction in the final years of his life. He spent his remaining days in his hometown of Providence, Rhode Island, living with his last surviving relative, according to the H.P. Lovecraft Archives. They moved in and out of a series of small, shabby dwellings because of their dire financial situation. Lovecraft earned little from revising the works of others and even less from his stories. He lived like a recluse, staying up late to study and write (via the Guardian). Lovecraft rarely went outside during the day and suffered from malnutrition, which only enhanced his pale, gaunt appearance (via Smithsonian).

Sickly since childhood, Lovecraft’s health took a turn for the worse in 1936. He learned that he had cancer of the small intestine and that the disease was too far advanced for any treatment. A lifelong devotee of science, Lovecraft reportedly kept notes on his own declining condition until “he could no longer hold a pencil,” according to the Morning News. This so-called death diary remains a bit of mystery, though, as no record of these notes have been found (via JSTOR). After suffering for months, Lovecraft entered the Jane Brown Memorial Hospital on March 10, 1937, and he died there five days later. He was only 46 years old.

H.P. Lovecraft finds fame after death

Natliskeliguten/Wikipedia