I discovered one of my favorite authors in 1993 while in high school, I was drawn to a book by some unknown compelling force, which became one of the most epic books I have ever read, it's title was IT, it's author was Stephen King. I had read books before, but I had never tried to tackle a novel that big. It was my first foray into horror and wanting to do it right I read it almost entirely at night, after my parents went to bed, alone. The mood was perfect. I squirmed, and laughed, squirmed some more, got angered, and cried. Never had an author brought out so much emotion from me. I finished it within a week, mind, blown. I began devouring King's books one after another, they spoke to me. To this day, only one other author has elicited my attention so much. His name is Howard Phillips Lovecraft. Understand something about me, I love the macabre, I'm drawn to it the way I was drawn to King that day in 1993. Lovecraft's stories of the bizarre were so alien, so unimaginable to me, that they literally gave me nightmares. Some would probably say, why did you keep reading him if he gave you nightmares? My answer would be that reading horror for me is the equivalent of get myself strapped into a roller-coaster and going for a ride, it's is quite simply a thrill and reading Lovecraft was like going on the tallest, longest, and fastest roller-coaster ever. Since then I have broadened out to fantasy, mystery, crime, science fiction, and thrillers but horror will always be my favorite, thank you Mr. King and thank you Mr. Lovecraft for your wonderful stories.