The new HBO series takes its title and plot from the 2016 book of the same name, written by Matt Ruff and published by HarperCollins. The book, in its turn, takes much of its inspiration from the writings of H.P. Lovecraft—juxtaposing the cosmic horror themes in Lovecraft’s own fiction with the horrors of real-life racism experienced in the United States during the era of Jim Crow, when legislated racial segregation led to frequent violence against black Americans.

Lovecraft Country isn’t Ruff’s first attempt at alternate history with hints of horror and science fiction. His previous novel, The Mirage, envisions a world in which the Middle East was on the receiving end of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and America was the antagonist. Ruff’s earlier novels include Bad Monkeys, Set This House in Order, and Fool on the Hill.

Reviews of Lovecraft Country applauded Ruff’s “impressive grasp of classic horror themes” (Publishers Weekly), as well as his approach to “harassment, violence, expropriation, and the legacy of slavery” (Boing Boing). Tor.com called the book “a tense thriller, a terrifying nightmare, a heartbreaking tragedy, and a tale of holding onto aspiration and optimism even while being chased through the woods by a hellbeast from another dimension.” What more could you ask for?

With Lovecraft’s own disparaging views on various races and ethnicities a point of continued contention in the circles of horror and fantastic fiction—the decision to retire the bust of Lovecraft as the World Fantasy Award statuette was only one of the more public kerfuffles in recent memory—the themes of Lovecraft Country have never been more relevant. And who better to help bring them to the screen than Misha Green and Jordan Peele, the writer and director of such topical horror films as Get Out and Us?

Everything We Know About the HBO Horror Series Lovecraft Country

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