Howard Lovecraft (1890 — 1937) was an American writer who achieved posthumous fame through his influential works of horror fiction. Despite the fact that he was virtually unknown before he died, today he is known as the most influential author in his genre. "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" is a horror novella and the only Lovecraft story which was published in book form during his lifetime. The narrator is a student conducting an antiquarian tour of New England. He travels to Innsmouth, interacting with strange people, and observes disturbing events that ultimately lead to horrifying, and personal, revelations.