Welcome back Readers! I have a really interesting read for you this month! Regulars to this monthly column will know full well that I’m a fan of horror stories. I do love the works of H.P. Lovecraft in all their cosmic-horror goofiness… I just wish the author wasn’t such a racist. Which he was, just in case you somehow weren’t aware! Even for his time, which is kind of impressive in its own awful way. It sours an otherwise excellent body of work. It would be great to be able to enjoy these stories about the unknowable machinations of beings beyond our ken without the undertones of bigotry that, all too often, become overtones.
Fear not, though! This award-winning novella by Victor LaValle takes the events of Lovecraft’s Horror at Red Hook and retells them through the experiences of Charles Thomas Tester; a black man in 1920s New York.
So! Grab your reading device of choice and let’s go meet The Sleeping King together!
Book Stats
- Author: Victor LaValle.
Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook.
Price: $7.46 for Paperback, $15.99 for Hardcover, $4.99 for Kindle, and $9.09 for Audible, or one Credit on Audible.
Length: 160 pages, or 3 hours 9 minutes in audio format.
Narrator: Kevin R. Free
Number of books in the series: Only one story.
Basic Premise
Charles Thomas Tester, or Tom as he mostly goes by, is a master of invisibility. Not in any magical or supernatural sense, though. He picks his attire, his posture, the guitar case he carries in order to remain unnoticed; right down to the level of scuff on his boots. It helps to be invisible sometimes, but especially for Tom any time he has to leave Harlem.
He’s a hustler by trade, but willing to do other things to make a bit of extra cash to support himself and his father. Like, for example, delivering a book from Harlem to Queens. He was under instructions not to read the book, and not to touch it with his bare hands. It was not your ordinary book, either – exposing it to the sun caused it to gently smoke, as though it were smoldering inside. The reputation of the lady he was delivering it to gave him pause as well. Her name was Ma Att and she was known as something of a sorceress.
Tom delivered the book, alright, but only after having his Father remove the last page, hopefully rendering the tome harmless in Ma Att’s hands.
Not long after, while Tom is busking, he’s approached by an older man. His name is Suydam. He offers Tom $400 to come play for him at a party he’s holding. In 1925, $400 is enough to keep you fed and housed for a year or more. Tom takes Mr. Suydam up on his offer, of course! Who wouldn’t want to earn a year’s worth of financial security for one night’s work?
However, after arriving on the agreed night, Tom found that he was the only guest at Mr. Suydam’s mansion. Curious. Even more curious is Suydam’s talk of the Sleeping King and the Great Old Ones. Tom tries to excuse himself but upon opening the library door, he’s shown the expanse of the unfeeling cosmos and the face of a Detective he’s recently had a run-in with.
That Detective, Malone, is blessed (Or cursed.) with a bit of extrasensory sensitivity. You may also recognize him from The Horror at Red Hook. He has a part to play and it starts with returning the missing page of the occult book to Ma Att… but will he come to regret dealing with this lady?
You’ll have to read it to find out!
My Take
This was a great novella. As I mentioned, it’s an award winner! In 2016 it won the Shirley Jackson award for best novella, and was a finalist for 6 other awards! I can see why. It’s a fast paced, intense work with a pair of compelling protagonists who’s stories only intercept one another briefly overall. All that plus ties to The Horror at Red Hook and you’ve got a recipe for a really interesting tale.
Strangely enough, the original short story by H. P. Lovecraft isn’t technically part of the Cthulu mythos, featuring none of the cosmic horror that’s infused into this retelling by Victor LaValle. I think this version is a definite improvement. It’s also more concise and well written, with better, more interesting and compelling characters. Tom himself is a great lead, formed by a lifetime of prejudice and racism. And the bigotry on display in this book isn’t at all hidden or subversive! There’s one particularly upsetting part in the book where a white police officer literally compares black people to insects… in front of a crowd of black people!
I listened to the audio version narrated by Kevin R. Free and he does a great job. Each character sounds distinct and easy to parse one from the other.
All in all, and highly recommended read from me!
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