Man's Fear of a Black Planet: Monstrous Ontological Encounters at Sundown in HBO's Lovecraft Country

This paper argues that Lovecraft Country, episode one, "Sundown," subverts the ontological evolutionary order between (White) Man and (Black) beast as depicted in Lovecraft's poem, "On the Creation of Niggers." Specifically, "Sundown" presents four narrative moments when the Black characters encounter the monstrous beast in the form of White men. These moments take place when Tic and George prepare for their trip across country and when they are confronted by the firefighters and the policemen during their entry into and their escape from Sundown Town. This paper extends recent criticism that suggests that Lovecraft Country's focus on the supernatural neglects the natural horrors of antiblack racism. In response to this emergent critique, this paper suggests that the depictions of Man's monstrosity in episode one illuminate the natural horrors of antiblack racism.