Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff

A month ago, I was having an email discussion with an old friend about modern Lovecraftian writers, and he strongly suggested I check out Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff. Well, I’ve just finished it, and it is a fantastic piece of writing.

Set in Chicago in the early nineteen-fifties, the novel follows an extended family of black Americans as they deal with the double threat of societal racism and a cabal of sorcerers. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the novel is its structure. It is told episodically, with each section focusing on a different member of the family. Each section is almost its own little short story, and draws upon a different tradition of speculative fiction: gothic, science-fiction, modern horror, urban fantasy…

The main characters in the book are a strong, interesting, and diverse lot, and even the antagonist is memorable and intriguing, if not overly sympathetic.

I have two minor complaints about the book. The biggest one is that after such a strong narrative, the ending comes off a bit flat. It’s a little easy and lacks a real crescendo. The other is that, despite its title, it isn’t really Lovecraftian. It certainly borrows a few elements, mostly early in the novel, but actually lacks any kind of Lovecraftian tone. This doesn’t bother me much, but might annoy some people who come looking for a classic Cthulhu Mythos type story.

These points aside, the book is a triumph of creativity and writing, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy or horror.

I see that HBO is developing a series based on the book. If they pull it off, it should be an awesome spectacle, with some seriously good characters…