Is Sky Atlantic and HBO's Lovecraft Country based on a book?
The acclaimed new horror series has two main influences.
Lovecraft Country is preparing to launch on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV, melding cosmic horror and stark racism for a powerful story about Jim Crow America.
Executive producer Jordan Peele has become a huge name in the horror space after directing both Get Out and Us, while lead actor Jonathan Majors is coming from an acclaimed performance in Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods.
For this reason, it's not hard to see why anticipation is high for this new project, which is based on the well-received 2016 novel of the same name by Matt Ruff.
Here's everything you need to know about what inspired Lovecraft Country:
Is Lovecraft Country based on a book?
Yes! Lovecraft Country was written by Matt Ruff and first published back in 2016, following the story of Korean War veteran Atticus Freeman, whose father goes missing under mysterious circumstances.
He teams up with his friend Letitia and uncle George, the publisher of a guidebook advising African-Americans on how to travel safely across the country, to go searching for him.
The book is a novel in that it tells an overarching story, but it also resembles a collection of branching short stories, the likes of which influential horror writer HP Lovecraft was known for.
Is the Lovecraft Country book good?
Lovecraft Country was released to glowing reviews back in 2016, praised for its clever juxtaposition of classic horror themes with the even more terrifying threat of racism.
The Guardian described it as "one of the kindest works in the horror genre" for how it stands up against despicable human bigotry, while telling a suspenseful story that should please fans of Lovecraft's writing.
Sci-fi website Tor.com agreed that the book "thoroughly and effectively marries race and horror," praising it as an emotional rollercoaster encompassing thrills, scares and tragedy.
On social book review site GoodReads, Lovecraft Country currently has a strong user-assigned score of four stars (out of a possible five).
Is Lovecraft Country based on an HP Lovecraft story?
No. Lovecraft Country is not based on any specific HP Lovecraft story, but is inspired by the themes and creepy otherworldly monsters featured throughout his work.
For the uninitiated, HP Lovecraft was a pulp fiction writer who penned many short horror stories between 1917 and 1935, with arguably his most famous creation being a powerful cosmic entity known as Cthulu.
Lovecraft Country premieres on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV on Monday 17th August. If you're looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
