I can understand why more readers haven't discovered H.P. Lovecraft. Many of today's readers prefer the sudden shock of horror featured in modern horror stories and films to Lovecraft's slowly building sense of unease. Lovecraft is the foul breath across the back of the neck or the cold hand that brushes your's in the dark. In other words, it takes a bit of work to appreciate Lovecraft's stories. Written mostly in the 1920s and '30s, Lovecraft may seem a bit outdated, but getting to know his tales is worth the effort.