"As a fan of horror in general, I can't pretend that Lovecraft isn't an important touchstone. But the man's blatant racism is also impossible to ignore, especially since it often finds its way onto the pages of his stories. One of the most notorious is The Horror at Red Hook, which follows Detective Thomas Malone as he uncovers a sinister cult in the titular Brooklyn neighborhood."
"The Ballad of Black Tom is a retelling of that story, but from the perspective of Charles "Tommy" Tester, a black man from Harlem who finds himself inadvertently stuck in the middle of one man's quest for power and the police. The author, Victor LaValle, flips the explicitly xenophobic original, turning it into a commentary on police brutality, racism, and the psychological effects of living as an oppressed person. Lovecraft would have hated it."
The Ballad of Black Tom retells Lovecraft's The Horror at Red Hook from Charles "Tommy" Tester's perspective. Tommy is a hustler from Harlem who becomes entangled with a sinister cult and confrontations with police. The retelling transforms xenophobic elements into an explicit critique of racism and police brutality. The narrative emphasizes the psychological effects of living under systemic oppression and the everyday realities of a Black man navigating suspicion and violence. The story preserves Lovecraftian atmosphere and mythic dread while centering a marginalized protagonist and reframing power dynamics to expose and condemn bigotry.
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