This 2016 novel explores sci-fi and horror in the 1950s from the perspective of an African-American family already accustomed to prejudice and dread. We have an uncomfortable conversation about how it addresses H.P. Lovecraft’s racism and the question of whether a white author should tell stories about the black experience.
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Additional Resources:
- Matt Ruff’s “Lovecraft Country,” where the horror is racism (not racist)
- The Big Idea: Matt Ruff
- Shadows Over America: Matt Ruff and Victor LaValle Take on Lovecraft and Race
- Talking with Matt Ruff about science fiction’s racist past
- Cthulhu Gon’ Slay: Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff
- Real-world and mythical terrors get equal billing in Lovecraft Country