The Lovecraft Myth Cycle (henceforth referred to in this work simply as the Mythos) is predominantly the work of H. P. Lovecraft (1890-1937), an American writer of weird fiction. A complex and troubled man, and one whose views on race would make him a pariah among civilized folk today, his work was unacknowledged during his lifetime, appearing only in pulp magazines. Since his untimely death, he has inspired generations of artists, authors, and gamers.
While the Mythos as a whole contains each and every element numerous times, individual tales do not. The Call of Cthulhu, for instance, makes use of a Great Old One, the god’s cult, and the fictional location of R’lyeh. Conversely, At the Mountains of Madness features elder races and the ruins of a bygone age.