You need to read the subversive cosmic horror novella The Ballad of Black Tom

Things that HP Lovecraft was good at: Creating a mythos. Building atmosphere.

Things that HP Lovecraft was bad at: Writing dialog. Creating compelling characters. Not being a racist.

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 …

Read the full story at The Verge.