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Synopsis
The Ballad of Black Tom—the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, World Fantasy, and Bram Stoker Award finalist and Shirley Jackson and British Fantasy Award-winning excavation of Lovecraftian mythos by Victor LaValle—is given new life in a brand-new hardcover edition. “Full of rage and passion.”—The New York Times People move to New York looking for magic and nothing will convince them it isn't there. Charles Thomas Tester hustles to put food on the table, keep the roof over his father's head, from Harlem to Flushing Meadows to Red Hook. He knows what magic a suit can cast, the invisibility a guitar case can provide, and the curse written on his skin that attracts the eye of wealthy white folks and their cops. But when he delivers an occult tome to a reclusive sorceress in the heart of Queens, Tom opens a door to a deeper realm of magic and earns the attention of things best left sleeping. A storm that might swallow the world is building in Brooklyn. Will Black Tom live to see it break?
The Ballad of Black Tom: content & age rating
Intended for adult readers (18+).
This Lovecraftian horror novella contains strong violence, cosmic horror imagery, racial violence, and themes of systemic racism in 1920s New York. The protagonist encounters disturbing supernatural forces and the narrative explores rage-driven responses to oppression.
What to know going in
This book has strong violence, mild sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include death, racism, and violence (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Adult readers will be gripped by this darkly atmospheric reimagining of Lovecraft that centers a Black protagonist navigating both supernatural and real-world horrors in Jazz Age Harlem.