Author to be removed from World Fantasy Award Trophy
Maybe the most unbelievable thing about the constant controversy surrounding H.P Lovecraft is the fact that the author has been dead for 78 years. Despite this it seems that year on year the most celebrated of American authors becomes more controversial, not because of his influential tales of madness, but because of letters he wrote in his private life.
This month it’s been announced the Lovecraft will no longer appear on the World Fantasy Award Trophy. Since the award launched in 1975, the cosmic horror author’s bust has been the statue. However, although no design has been decided on for future awards, it has been confirmed that due to protests about Lovecraft’s racism he will no longer appear on the award.
Lovecraft is best known for literary masterpieces like The Call of Cthulhu, The Color out of Space and other influential works, and as such he is one of weird fiction’s most celebrated author. It was this accolade that won him a place on the award. However, Lovecraft to a lesser extent (although growing) is increasingly being known for his racist letters, written during his life where he seemed to hold perfect vitriol for anyone who wasn’t American.
The controversy has been bubbling for a while, last year a petition to change the award was launched and it seems that this year the World Fantasy Award committee have finally given in to pressure announcing that the award will no longer be the author’s bust.
I’m very much on the fence about the award, and while I can understand people not wanting an award from someone who would have hated them on sight had they met, I also think we need to be careful about dismissing a person’s life work because they held on disagreeable opinion.
Times have changed a lot since Lovecraft’s life, and no one really knows what he might be in today’s world and so we must be careful how we judge the past through our enlightened lens. While Lovecraft’s opinions were clearly reprehensible, it seems almost certain that every author you love is going to disagree with at least one thing you hold dear. Do you stop reading your favourite crime series because the author votes for a different political party to you? Would you stop reading a book to your children if you found the author was pro-spanking? I’m not really a fan of horror, and not the kind that Lovecraft wrote, but knowing what I know would not put me off his works if I was. That much I can say for sure.
We are all human, and as such we all hold wonderful and differing opinions. Thankfully it’s not necessary in life for everyone to agree and that’s the magic of humanity. Maybe the problem isn’t with Lovecraft’s opinions at all, but in the way we make human being’s Gods and icons and then strike them back down for showing human traits.
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I don’t think racism is just an “disagreeable opinion”… And I like to think that it’s not just because I’m black! I like to have the illusion that sensitive, rational, well balanced people of any ethnicity would consider this way!
Racism in any form is an undesirable practice no matter who or what group holds open disregard for whatever ethnicity or nationality. That said, and indisputably so, we can’t be so thin-skinned that we nitpick every iconic figure throughout history on every level of existence. If we did as much, then we would be very busy taking away sports titles and awards from coaches and athletes, awards and recognition from actors and entertainment figures, and surely more than a few literary prizes. I say a resounding “No” to change, and let the award stand in its current form for the merits for which it was decided upon in the first place: the author’s work.
Kath, your final words in this piece are golden.
“We are all human, and as such we all hold wonderful and differing opinions. Thankfully it’s not necessary in life for everyone to agree and that’s the magic of humanity. Maybe the problem isn’t with Lovecraft’s opinions at all, but in the way we make human being’s Gods and icons and then strike them back down for showing human traits.”
Amen.
I think that what needs to be taken into consideration here is that it was 78 years ago. At that time, many people, not just Lovecraft had similar opinions. The world was a smaller place and people did not have the same contact with other groups as they have today. Also, they were limited by no internet that allowed them to get to know other races and realise that everyone is the same, no matter what color their ethnicity. Do I think it wrong that he had these opinions? Yes. Do I think he was a product of his times and culture? Yes. Is it unfortunate that he is no longer going to be featured on the award? Yes and no. In these enlightened times, we need to acknowledge that he was mistaken and as such is not a great representative of the many people who support this group, but we should not ban him. Retire him gracefully and perhaps choose Poe instead. He was disturbed but I don’t believe he was racist. In addition, he too wrote excellent horror and otherworldly literature.
Oh, and I am half east indian.