“Thorough, creative, and revolutionary, The Dark Fantastic addresses the ‘imagination gap’ that plagues the majority of children’s and YA media, which erases and mutes the stories and agency of black characters. From Harry Potter to The Hunger Games, Ebony Elizabeth Thomas sheds light on the dark fantastic to point scholars and fans toward a world where we can all experience—and be liberated by—the power of magic.” -Tananarive Due, American Book Award winner and author of Ghost Summer: Stories

“A compelling synthesis of speculative fiction, critical race theory, autobiography, and fantasy, The Dark Fantastic provides a powerful diagnosis of how racial difference shapes our imaginations. If you are looking for ways to repair the damage wrought by the lack of diversity in popular culture, there's no better place to begin.” -Philip Nel, author of Was the Cat in the Hat Black?

“One of the most brilliant and woke explorations of race and speculative fiction I’ve ever read. Thomas breaks down the history of fantasy and imagination and shows us how far we have to go with such patience and clarity I felt like I was sitting beside her, growing smarter with each word.” -Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award-winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming

“A compelling work of criticism, autoethnography, and counter-storytelling. Ebony Elizabeth Thomas reads within and across novels, film, television, fanfiction, the writers who create them, and online communities in order to explore the ‘role of race in the collective literary imagination.’ Thomas powerfully introduces the concept of the imagination gap and articulates its implications for the culture as a whole, recognizing the power and necessity of new stories capable of remaking the world.” -Christina Sharpe, author of In the Wake: On Blackness and Being