Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-winner P. Djèlà Clark returns with Ring Shout, a dark fantasy historical novella that gives a supernatural twist to the Ku Klux Klan’s reign of terror “A fantastical, brutal and thrilling triumph of the imagination…Clark’s combination of historical and political reimagining is cathartic, exhilarating and fresh.” –The New York Times A 2021 Nebula Award Winner A … Times
A 2021 Nebula Award Winner
A 2021 Locus Award Winner
A New York Times Editor’s Choice Pick!
A Booklist Editor’s Choice Pick!
A 2021 Hugo Award Finalist
A 2021 World Fantasy Award Finalist
A 2021 Ignyte Award Finalist
A 2021 Shirley Jackson Award Finalist
A 2021 AAMBC Literary Award Finalist
A 2021 British Fantasy Award Finalist
A 2020 SIBA Award Finalist
A Goodreads Choice Award Finalist
Named a Best of 2020 Pick for NPR | Library Journal | Book Riot | LitReactor | Bustle | Polygon | Washington Post
IN AMERICA, DEMONS WEAR WHITE HOODS.
In 1915, The Birth of a Nation cast a spell across America, swelling the Klan’s ranks and drinking deep from the darkest thoughts of white folk. All across the nation they ride, spreading fear and violence among the vulnerable. They plan to bring Hell to Earth. But even Ku Kluxes can die.
Standing in their way is Maryse Boudreaux and her fellow resistance fighters, a foul-mouthed sharpshooter and a Harlem Hellfighter. Armed with blade, bullet, and bomb, they hunt their hunters and send the Klan’s demons straight to Hell. But something awful’s brewing in Macon, and the war on Hell is about to heat up.
Can Maryse stop the Klan before it ends the world?
At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
more
Some of the truest horrors are those perpetrated by people. In fact, many read horror as a way of dealing with the many terrible and evil things in this world.
Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark is not subtle in its characterization of evil. In this historical supernatural fiction novella, D.W. Griffith is a sorcerer who used the film “Birth of a Nation” as a spell that harnessed all of the prejudice and hate in America to create genuine monsters. Many members of the KKK transform into these Lovecraftian-like things, and to make matters worse, there’s about to be another public viewing of the film in Georgia which might just release Hell on earth.
Luckily, Maryse is an excellent warrior who fights these evils using magic swords and the help of a couple of talented good friends.
The title itself refers to a religious singing and dance circle, clapping and chanting. There were many things I learned from Ring Shout, in truth. My favorite line comes from one of the monster hunters who explained why they didn’t just outright kill the clan members before they turned into beasts, and that was because while we’re alive, we all have a chance to “get it right.”
This little book has a lot to say, and it says it with humor. There’s a lot of heart included as well, so be ready for the pulls on the heart strings. I acquired this audiobook from my excellent library, and I thoroughly enjoyed Channie Waites’ entertaining narration of P. Djeli Clark’s Ring Shout. The book won a ‘21 Nebula Award, and I wouldn’t be surprised to find it’s won many other awards as well.
Hate made flesh. That’s what Klansmen are under their hoods in P. Djèlí Clark’s 2020 novella Ring Shout—not just men committing monstrous acts, but actual monsters feeding on the hatred those hoods represent.
The story takes place in 1922 Georgia. Prohibition is ongoing, slavery and the Civil War are still living (if distant) memories, and the Ku Klux Klan is resurging in the South. The real history is grim enough on its own, but Clark infuses dark magic to explain how racism spread like a virus after the 1915 movie Birth of a Nation glorified the Klan (and popularized its infamous uniform). In Ring Shout, the film was a hex, threaded with sorcery that fanned the flames of prejudice. “It sold out week after week, month after month,” Maryse—our narrator—reports. “Got shown to the Supreme Court, Congress, even at the White House … Across the country, white folk who ain’t even heard of the Klan surrendered to the spell of them moving pictures. Got them believing the Klans the true heroes of the South, and colored people the monsters.”
Using the energy created by that swelling hate, Klan witches summoned demons Maryse calls “Ku Kluxes.” To most humans, these creatures look like ordinary men. But people that have the “sight” can see the interlopers for what they are: twisted beasts with skulls that “end in a sharp bony point … Every bit of the thing is a pale bone white, down to claws like carved blades of ivory. The only part not white are the eyes … six in all: beads of red on black in rows of threes on either side of that curving head.”
In other words, physical manifestations of the Klans’ robes.
Maryse and her friends aren’t idle observers of this conjuring, though. They hunt the monsters (and run booze on the side). But things are about to go from bad to worse. The Birth of a Nation is set to be released in a few days’ time, and the Klan is planning to capitalize on the new hate the film will induce to summon something even worse than Ku Kluxes.
It’s a wildly original premise. And a disturbing one: Clark’s imagery is often as unsettling as his subject matter. At one point, Maryse watches in horror as the seeming leader of the Ku Kluxes breaks out not into hives, but orifices: “On the exposed parts of his hairy arms, up on his neck, all along his round face. They’re mouths, I realize with a shudder—small mouths with tiny jagged teeth fitted into red gums. All as one they start singing too, joining him in the worst chorus you ever heard. No harmony or rhythm, just a hundred voices crashing together.”
I also appreciated how Clark drew from African American mythology, tapping (as he says in the afterword), “[t]he 1930s ex-slave narratives of the WPA,” “Gullah-Geechee culture,” and “[f]olktales of haints and root magic,” among other influences.
The only thing that truly bothered me was the mirror this holds up to reality. In Ring Shout, evil wizardry fuels the type of racial massacres that befell East St. Louis in 1917 and Tulsa in 1921. (Clark isn’t letting anyone off the hook, however: at one point, the monster of many mouths tells Maryse that he and his ilk didn’t plant the hate that grew into white supremacy. “[W]as always growing inside,” he says. “Just gave it a nudge to help it blossom.”)
But in real life, we don’t have any such excuse. Racism is an entirely human creation.
(For more reviews like this one, see http://www.nickwisseman.com)
Read for 2021 Hugos
Overall Thoughts
I have never been disappointed in a book by P. Djèlí Clark, and this one continues the tradition! I was a little hesitant going in, as the story has large sections of dialect and even Gullah language (which I happened to be familiar with as my family comes from South Carolina), but in the end, the blending of history and the explanation of racism, while bringing in elements of horror and lovecraftian mythos, while also containing a version of the hero’s journey, make a very satisfying story of fear, hatred, understanding, and redemption. There’s a lot of really great competition in the Hugo Novellas this year!
Plot
Clark manages to put a much larger story into this novella, starting with placing us in an alternate 1922 history where Gullah and indentured servant rituals hold great power, as well as having other-dimensional horrors. I was actually a bit thrown off in the beginning (and not sure how to express this as a white person reading this…) because it’s sort of implied that KKK members weren’t actually responsible for their actions, but driven by other forces. However, Clark admirably gives us a full explanation as the book goes on, and makes some great insights as well.
Setting
This is one part I really admire in Clark’s works, from the steampunk Middle-Eastern aesthetic of the Dead Djinn universe to the bayou magic in The Black God’s Drums. Ring Shout continues his excellent alternate history, this time combining Gullah and indentured servant songs from the south, voodoo magic, horror and haints, and portals to other worlds. He also shows the anger and determination of Black people to great effect.
Character
There is a lot to love with these characters, both protagonist and antagonist. The strength of the characters drives the story, with sacrifices that are well developed and strong personalities that feel very real. There are a lot of different speaking characters for a novella, but none are forgettable. I’d love to see more in this universe and what else the main character is capable of. Pretty sure this one will be my top pick.
Three black women in 1920’s Macon Georgia hunt a special kind of monster, the Ku Kluxes. Not only that, the book addresses racism and the hate and fear that feeds it. This is the kind of new literary fiction that belongs in our schools, in my opinion. Highly entertaining with a strong cultural significance. And on top of that, a message.
Her Tangh-i-ness appreciates stories about Black women warriors fighting for their loved ones, their people, and their right to exist as free beings. This book is about hating on the hate and how incredible hate is that it might as well come from another dimension fueled by Elder Gods.
P. Djèlí Clark has absolutely solidified himself as one of the leading voices in novellas, more specifically in diverse fantasy, with his last few works, and Ring Shout is absolutely the pinnacle of those skills. With a film already in the works, Ring Shout‘s small stature hides a big punch. P. Djèlí Clark creates a world fantastical, but one that could easily exist inside inside our own, with a metaphor for racism that feels uncomfortably real. While I read this novella in a single sitting, I feel like it’s going to stick with me for a long time.
The Ku Klux Klan are monsters, both inside and out. While they begin as human monsters, they evolve into literal ones, feeding on the hate that white America has for its Black members of society to morph into massive Alien-like beings that kill indiscriminately. While some are blessed with the sight to be able to see these monsters, most just see them as hateful humans. But Maryse can see them. And armed with a magical sword her fox-spirit aunties gave her, she can kill them too. No matter how many Ku Kluxes she hacks to pieces, however, more just keep coming, fueled by America’s hate, and with a new showing of Birth of a Nation coming up, Maryse knows that there’s a bigger plan in play. She has a community and friends all trying to bring down the same evil she is, but racism is not so easily killed, and Maryse soon realizes that the way to win back America is rooted in her own past and realities beyond her imagination.
While the monster of racism in the pages of this book feels familiar, the monstrous origins of the Ku Kluxes and their evolution process is strikingly original. This novel does a great job in balancing the fantasy element of the novel (the monsters and their origin) with the ugly realities of racism while tying them inexplicably together. While the racists we know and hate aren’t the literal monsters Maryse spends her time chopping up, it is their feelings and internal ugliness that drives the monsters forward. When someone hates enough, they become part of the Klan, not yet monsters but not still men, and when they fully immerse themselves in their racism, they turn into full Ku Kluxes. This process is horrifying in the physical deformations and transformation that occurs, but still felt familiar. As an (American) society, we’ve watched a decent chunk of the nation devolve into hateful, frothing beasts, more openly intense and dangerous than they’ve been in a while. While this threat has always been there, this is the first time it’s been at the forefront of the national cultural consciousness in some of our lifetimes. Ring Shout, taking place in the 1920s and full of nine-foot tall monsters, felt hyperreal and true to our times. To be a racist is to be a monster.
Maryse’s voice was absolutely flawless. It wasn’t just that her narration felt conversational or open with the reader, it was very literally like she was talking to us, telling us this story. Her dialogue and narration is almost identical and gives us this feeling that she’s sitting right there with us, shouting and exclaiming over an open fire. She’s such a lovable protagonist, messy and traumatized, but a wonderful friend and a fierce fighter. Her narration makes it so easy for us to fall in step next to her throughout this story, to get fully immersed in her head and her point of view. This intensely personal style was perfect for a novella. It really was the perfect tone and length to feel like Maryse was a friend telling you about her life. This stylistic voice transfers over to the dialogue, where Clark deftly handles not only the vastly different personalities of the characters, but the different dialects as well. One of the characters speaks in a completely different dialect of English than most readers will be familiar with and her speech is spelled out phonetically. It was unusual to find an author who was willing to go so far to capture a character’s voice, and while it took me a few pages to adjust, it paid off wonderfully. These characters sound so real. They sound like your neighbors and grandmothers; Clark does an impeccable job not only in creating conversations, but in capturing the human spirit.
Ring Shout was the epitome of the perfect novella. Perhaps uncomfortably real for some and not for the audiences who are looking for a light and fluffy read, but undeniably important and original. Clark has the length and pacing of a novella down flat and continues to write about subjects that are tough but meaningful. Beyond the important social issues this book raises, it’s simply great: Maryse’s voice is stunning, the horror is gruesome, the dialogue is realistic, there wasn’t a single thing not to love. Clark’s novellas are one of the best things coming out of the science-fiction/fantasy genres these days and I continue to await his next work with anticipation.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this ebook.
review blog
This was a tremendous horror story! It was extremely original, action-packed, yet well-paced, and not without a lot of heart and deep symbolism. Maryse Boudreaux is one kick ass female lead and I really found myself being genuinely invested in her character. Her struggles, traumas, anger, and ability to endure it all to fight was something that made me unable to put the story down. The details of all the various creatures and the hierarchy of the antagonists was very unique and well done, too. I found myself reading Butcher Clyde’s dialogue out loud! My only critique is that I wish it was a little longer, which is just my personal preference, because I enjoyed it so much.
Unpopular opinion ahead. This had all the right ingredients…strong female protagonists, monsters and racist idiots getting their comeuppance, but this just didn’t do it for me. It felt like a missing episode from HBO’s Lovecraft Country.
But don’t let all that stop you. It could be a case of “it’s just me”.
A compelling speculative fiction that takes swords and mythical beasts out of Middle Earth and puts them in the world of righteous, battle-hardened maidens of a different sort: three black, expert hitwomen living in Jim Crow-era Georgia. Crafted from fantasy, history, a bit of glorious revenge porn against the KKK, and the aural histories of the Gullah-Geechee nation, Ring Shout is beautifully voiced, horrifically weird, and should be required reading for anyone who loves words.
Ring Shout
by P. Djèlí Clark
At first I didn’t want to read this book even though everyone was talking about it. I thought it was about the KKK and their evil. I just couldn’t stomach anymore racism in this world of trumpism. But I had read a book by this author before and so I thought I would give it a try and if I didn’t like it, well, the next person in line at the library will be happy!
Within minutes I was excited! Sharp shooter shooting Klu Kluxes! Not those Ku Klux, lol! Now this was my kind of story! The evil of the KKK turns those people into Ku Kluxes, monsters! Real monsters hiding in people suits, unseen unless you have the sight! The movie Birth of a Nation has a spell that works on the evil in people.
This story is mostly based around three people fighting for the people, protecting them. One has a magical sword. Very exciting and unique! Now this is a KKK book I like to read! Monsters! They are monsters before they change in my opinion! Terrific concept and storyline! Loved it!
Three strong, bad-ass Black women hunting down and shooting, stabbing, and blowing up Ku Klux monsters with ruthless efficiency – what could possibly be a more compelling premise? Well, there’s a magic sword, too. And plenty of awesome cosmic horror, as well some dashes of light fantasy. Oh, and these awesome ladies are also bootleggers, for some added swoon! All this adds up to one hell of a phenomenal novella from P. Djèlí Clark that confronts America’s racist past and challenges it head on with violent gusto.
To say that I loved Ring Shout is maybe putting it mildly. This book gave me life, y’all. In the midst of daily riots against the systemic racism of our American police force and the all-around racist shittiness of Trump and his sycophants (and ooooh boy, with Kamala Harris running as VP, Trump’s casual, ingrained, daily racism is about to go full, spit-flying, frothing at the mouth racism, just you wait), this book is a balm. I can only hope it becomes a reckoning.
The Klan is gathering in Macon, Georgia and their numbers are growing fast thanks to their infectious hatred of Blacks and their use of dark magic. With each showing of The Birth of a Nation, white folks surrender to the spell of this movie’s sorcery, giving rise to evil forces not of this Earth that feed on hate. These forces mutate the human body, turning people into deformed creatures, and the only people that know otherwise are those who have “the sight,” like the sword-wielding Maryse, the proficient sniper Sadie, and World War I veteran Chef. These three women hunt monsters, and ain’t no monster bigger than the Klan.
P. Djèlí Clark does so much right here, crafting an action-packed, historical horror thriller with one hell of a potent, timely, and sadly necessary message. Its social commentary may be rooted in 1920s Americana, but the reality of 2020 is a firm reminder that we clearly haven’t come very far in progressing beyond the racist attitudes that formed, shaped, and built this nation and its institutions. About all that’s changed is the white hoods now wear red hats too, and the brutal slayings of Black men and women are more likely to be caught on cell phone cameras that hidden away.
I really dug the racism as monster metaphor, and it works as well it does thanks to the world-building Clark pours into this story. While plainly rooted in historical fact, the author lays in a welcome layer of supernatural mythology and cosmic horror to give it all little extra oomph and raise the stakes to Earth-shattering, destruction of all humanity levels.
Black women were largely hailed as the parties responsible for saving America in 2017 thanks to the resounding defeat of accused pedophile Roy Moore in Alabama and the broader Democratic victories in the 2018 midterm election. Clark takes a similar tack with Ring Shout, which sees three Black women faced with saving the country from not only the evils of racist whites, but extradimensional horrors that are even more malicious and bloodthirsty than the GOP. Terrifying, indeed! Maryse, Sadie, and Chef make for a hell of a trio, and I dug these gals an awful lot. A wonderful camaraderie exists between these friends and warriors, and I grew attached to each of them in short order. It’s hard to not be endeared to them as they discuss French cuisine, tabloid gossip, and the histories of Black civilizations in between kicking lots and lots of ass, and guzzling stolen, prohibited liquor in a Macon jazz club. God, I loved these ladies!
Ring Shout has a lot going for it, so much so that I’m hopeful for a sequel, or perhaps even several of them. The injection of cosmic horrors points toward a reckoning of not only with America’s racist history, but with the foundations of racism built into horror’s literary canon. There’s enough hints in the book’s closing moments to indicate that Clark isn’t done with these characters just yet, and if he aims to sends them north to confront a burgeoning evil in New England, well, simply put, I am fucking there for it!
I don’t know what to say about this book, honestly, except… well, wow.