Lovecraft Country

Lovecraft Country is a 2016 science-fiction/horror novel by Mark Ruff. The story blends elements of pulp fiction from the mid-20th century, especially as pertains to author H. P. Lovecraft, with the lived experiences of African Americans in the United States during this period. The novel was adapted for television in 2020.

Plot Summary

A young African American named Atticus Turner returns to Chicago in the mid-1950s. Atticus’s Uncle George is the writer of The Safe Negro Travel Guide, a book which helps African Americans remain safe during a time of racial segregation. Atticus reunites with George and they discuss a strange letter from Atticus’s estranged father, Montrose. Montrose claims to have uncovered a secret about their family in Ardham. Atticus’s childhood friend Letitia Dandridge joins them on the journey and her brother Marvin provides directions to Ardham. After a nighttime encounter with the local police, the characters escape and wake up the next day with little memory of the night before. They explore Ardham and find a manor house, where they are welcomed by the butler. They learn about an old family named the Braithwhites who founded a secret occult society named The Adamite Order Of The Ancient Dawn.