The highly-anticipated new HBO series, Lovecraft Country, based on the excellent and exciting book by Matt Ruff and produced by Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us) premiered on August 16, a mere four days before H. P. Lovecraft's 130th birthday. It recontextualizes the Lovecraftian narrative of battling cults and monsters from beyond with black actors during the Jim Crow era of American history. It shows the kind of story that fresh voices can lend to Cosmic horror, and uses both the history and Lovecraft to great effect. 

When speaking of Lovecraft's stories, author Matt Ruff cited The Shadow Over Innsmouth as partial inspiration for elements of the book. “It is a very specific story about a white man threatened by this mixed-race horde but it’s also one of the most effective tales of attempted lynching I’ve ever read. Lovecraft captures the fear brilliantly. I can learn from that and do interesting things with it while rejecting the underlying idea.”

While the series (and book before it) has created some controversy, both critics and many Lovecraft fans are enjoying its take on the universe of H. P. Lovecraft.

Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff is required reading. Get it at Amazon in a variety of formats.

You can watch the new TV Series on HBO or with the new HBO streaming service.