Love him or hate him, there's no denying that Howard Phillips Lovecraft fundamentally altered the course of horror and speculative fiction. So how did he become one of the most influential authors in all of horror history? In the first part of this special two-part episode, Ben and Max welcome returning guest Jonathan Strickland for an exploration of Lovecraft's tragic childhood and long record of bizarre childhood behavior -- and how a vicious argument over love stories paved the way for his later success.