Today is August 20, the birthday of H. P. Lovecraft (1890-1937) and Greg Bear (1951-2022). There couldn’t be two writers that were more different.

Lovecraft, of course, needs no introduction. One of the greatest, arguably the greatest, writer of fantasy and horror of the Twentieth Century, Lovecraft continues to cast a long shadow over horror and weird fantasy.

He has many imitators, many detractors, and legions of fans. New editions of his work are published on a regular basis.

There’s not a lot I can say about him that others haven’t said. So, I’ll throw this question out: What’s your favorite Lovecraft story?

Mine varies a little, depending on which way the wind is blowing and the phase of the moon, but one that stays near the top of the list consistently is “The Whisperer in Darkness”. To my mind it’s a terriffic blend of horror and science fiction.

Greg Bear wrote hard science fiction. He wrote at both novel and short story length.

He also had the privilege of being Poul Anderson’s son-in-law.

I met him briefly at the World Fantasy Convention in San Antonio some years ago. I was sitting on one end of the sofa in the con suite and got into a conversation with an older couple at the other end of the sofa. Nothing heavy or profound, jsut a casual chat. It was only when the conversation ended and we started to go our seperate ways that I asked their names.

It was Greg and Astrid Bear. If I had known I was going to meet them, I would have brought something for him to  sign.

Bear wrote over 50 novels. He also co-founded th e San Diego Comiccon.

There is a special birthday bundle of his books available at Humble Bundle. You can get up to 27 books, both novels and short story collections, in ebook for $18.