Page "H. P. Lovecraft" Paragraph 9

Another inspiration came from a totally different kind of source ; the scientific progress at the time in such diverse areas as biology, astronomy, geology, and physics, all contributed to make Lovecraft see the human race seem even more insignificant, powerless, and doomed in a materialistic and mechanical universe.

Lovecraft's materialist views led his fiction to espouse his philosophical views ; his fiction therefore consists of a stance or worldview which may be termed cosmicism.

Lovecraft was a keen amateur astronomer from his youth, often visiting the Ladd Observatory in Providence, and penning numerous astronomical articles for local newspapers.

His astronomical telescope is now housed in the rooms of the August Derleth Society.