Following Sinners' four Oscar wins for original screenplay, lead actor, cinematography, and score, Book Riot has republished a list of recommended books. The list highlights works that echo the film's themes of the South, vampirism, and Black experiences. Directed by Ryan Coogler, the vampire horror movie has captivated audiences since its release.
Sinners, Ryan Coogler’s vampire horror film, won four Oscars last night: original screenplay, lead actor, cinematography, and score. To mark the achievement, Book Riot reposted its list of six books that capture the movie’s tones of grotesque, celebratory, ancestral, and spiritual elements tied to the South. The article notes the film’s quick grip on audiences, with many viewers watching it multiple times in theaters despite some disparaging coverage from outlets. Themes include vampirism as a metaphor for the consumption of Black bodies and hoodoo practices central to the plot, such as those by character Annie. The movie draws inspiration from blues musician Robert Johnson, rumored to have sold his soul at a crossroads for success; a memoir by his stepsister, Brother Robert, addresses this legend. Recommended books are: The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle, a retelling of H.P. Lovecraft’s The Horror at Red Hook; The Delectable Negro by Vincent Woodard, exploring consumption in slave culture; The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones, featuring vampirism against non-white populations; Conjure Women by Afia Atakora, on hoodoo healers before and after the Civil War; Brother Robert by Annye C. Anderson with Preston Lauterbach; and the comic Abbott by Saladin Ahmed, Sami Kivelä, and Jason Wordie, about a Black reporter investigating killings in 1970s Detroit. The list aims to offer fresh perspectives amid other similar recommendations.
