The main thing you need to know about Lovecraft Country is that it’s a thrilling story about people who survive incredible horrors and other-worldly nightmares, through a mixture of cunning, bravery and teamwork. It’s a heroic story that will have you pumping your fist. But it’s also an incredibly powerful portrayal of American racism—in which the entrenched oppression piles on, page after page, and meanwhile the secrets of a hidden world of monsters and power only add to the sense of—yes—eldridtch dread.

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These characters include nerds and science geeks, but that’s just one of the many reasons that science fiction readers will easily identify with them. Ruff has created a story that’s as compelling as it is exciting—and the result is definitely one of the most important books of 2016.