Along the way, the three face dangers both mundane and otherworldly, from encounters with Jim Crow–era racism to battles with bloodthirsty behemoths resembling the shape-shifting “shoggoths” of Lovecraftian lore. Vance), as well as his childhood friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett), whom the series promotes to love interest. Setting off from Chicago, Atticus is joined by his Uncle George (Courtney B. Williams), who disappeared en route to Massachusetts. Like the novel, the show follows Atticus (played by Jonathan Majors), a young Korean War veteran on a quest to find his father, Montrose (Michael K. When terrifying creatures appear on-screen in the HBO series, the threat they pose to the story’s heroes feels urgent and visceral. Considering the long history of Black people being depicted as monsters throughout American cinema, especially in sci-fi and horror, this is an admirable premise that is often rendered vividly. Lovecraft called “On the Creation of Niggers,” which describes Black people as “semi-humans” and “beasts.” The verses are a departure from the late author’s hugely influential brand of cosmic horror and a succinct illustration of Lovecraft’s bigotry.īut Lovecraft Country inverts the xenophobic preoccupations of its titular author, suggesting that white racists-and not Black people-are the real beasts. Early in the novel, Atticus recalls a night when his father handed him a poem by H. And no author looms larger in Matt Ruff’s book, or in the HBO adaptation that premieres Sunday, than the one for whom it is named. The tension inherent in Atticus’s fondness for such writers drives much of Lovecraft Country, which is set in the 1950s. Atticus loves reading science fiction, fantasy, and horror-genres that, as his dad points out, are dominated by white authors and full of racist stereotypes.

Like many young people, the protagonist of the 2016 novel Lovecraft Country devours entertainment that his father finds foolish and reprehensible.

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