It’s undeniable: H.P. Lovecraft was an astoundingly important author. His stories left a permanent mark on horror and fantasy, and both genres are better for it.

There is a dark side to Lovecraft’s fiction, however. And no, I’m not talking about the terrifying “dark gods,” nefarious magic, and alien races that show up in his stories. I’m talking about something deeper — a frightful outlook and philosophy that I find myself at direct odds with.