Blake; or, The Huts of America

In this review I will talk about the plot so we will NOT BE SPOILER-FREE. Also, I will identify CONTENT WARNINGS so if you want to avoid them please read no further.

'Blake or The Huts of America' is a really important book. It's a book I am pleased that I learnt of, and also pleased I have had the opportunity to read. It's a challenging book to read in terms of subject matter, but also challenging in that it is quite hard to get though. I'm indebted in my review to the work of Nisi Shawl and their 'A Crash Course in the History of Black Science Fiction' http://www.nisishawl.com/CCHBSF.html and supporting essay https://www.tor.com/2018/11/05/what-g... and further research here https://utc.iath.virginia.edu/africam...

The novel is considered the first science fiction novel written by an African American, and also only the third novel written by an African American. Much of the early book (chapters 1-23 and 29-31) was serialised in 'The Anglo-African Magazine' between January and July, 1859. The rest of Part One and Part Two was published when the novel was serialised again in 'The Weekly Anglo-African' between November 1861 and May 1862. The novel is unfinished and it appears there may be six chapters outstanding (which may or not have been written), and I believe I have seen other reviews suggest that Delany may not have written all of Part 2.

CONTENT WARNINGS IN NOVEL: Very strong and harrowing descriptions of racism, slavery, torture, racist slurs and language, dehumanisation, antisemitism, misogyny and animal cruelty.

The novel is the story of Henry Blake, an freeman, who is enslaved, who following the sale of his wife (for an infraction I was never clear of) to slavers in Cuba decides he has had enough, leaves his slavers and begins a revolutionary mission across America. Following this journey, he then travels to Cuba, joins a slaver ship, sails to Africa to steal more slaves and returns (it isn't clear whether they overthrow their slavers), before stirring revolution in Cuba. The novel ends at the cusp of whether Henry's dreams of black liberation can come to fruition.

Despite the importance of this book, it isn't an easy read. It's poorly structured, overly verbose and drawn out (particularly with long sections of poetry or songs or religious verse which bring the narrative to a halt). It isn't clear what is happening half the time. I could be kind and suggest this is Delany asking us 'what if?' or treating the novel as somewhat of a dream, but I can't state that convincingly. I just think it's badly written. The narrative, for much of the book is inconsistent, or largely absent, but it still gives the reader much to reflect upon.

The early part of the book is Delany travelling around America, visiting different states and plantations and meeting with people he identifies as leaders and telling them his message. We never hear what it is, and when the people he meets are ready for action he tells them to wait. It does give an air of suspense in some respects, but because it is never fulfilled and we never hear what it is, it feels like something really important just left. His travels around America become boring, with the narrative largely the same except for the state name changing. He rarely appears in genuine peril and finds it very easy to evade capture and influence enslaved people. I do wonder if this is a stylistic approach, perhaps treating Blake like a Messiah, and demonstrating the ease of which he can release his chains? Perhaps a message to fellow African Americans that it is possible to overthrow slavery and for them to not recognise their bondage?

There is another interesting stylistic device which is strange to modern readers. Henry's voice is in 'Queen's English'. He doesn't use slang or patois or any dialect. All the slaves he meets have their dialogue written in their dialect (as do Europeans like Dutch and German people). I couldn't help think that Delany was making a distinction between his central character and the rest of the African Americans? That Blake was enlightened and educated 'woke' even, and that the slaves were still trapped in language and culture (underpinned by a faith in a white man's God to make everything okay if they wait) that was less aware of what was happening. It reads quite patronising today. I guess also, with a modern lens, we would appreciate that it is those who use the language of their people and culture who are liberated, and not those trapped using the language of their white oppressors. (I am fully aware of making these observations 150 years later...)

The Cuba and sailing sections feel like a mess from a narrative point of view, but there are some stunning insights in here. Right at the end, there is a suggestion that it is the slaves who have hope because they have nothing to lose, whilst the white man has everything to lose, and they are the ones who live in fear. These narratives STILL persist - white fear about losing privilege is still engrained. Also, there is a call for a black nationalism and an exploration of people of multiple heritage. I'm paraphrasing but there is an argument along the lines of black people are 'better' than 'mulattos' and 'quadroons' because their lineage and heritage remains. The argument is clumsy (and I haven't done it any favours in explanation) but in essence it is saying to the characters, 'don't view your whiteness as better, see your black race as equal to, and as valid as any other'. I was struck by the connection to today and Black Lives Matter. Yes, we can all agree 'all lives matter' but we don't mean it unless we say Black Lives Matter. What Blake says in the novel is to recognise his people as worthy of recognition, equality, respect and dignity BECAUSE they are black, and not to ask for crumbs of concessions from white people, but to take what is theirs by right.

I was reflecting on the ways in which this is speculative fiction. There are no devices or constructs which make this speculative - no future science or paranormal or supernatural or whatever. And yet this is science fiction. A friend of mine many years ago said, 'science fiction asks 'what if'?' and this is Delany's vision. He was writing at a time when slavery was still prevalent in the United States. He presents a vision of the future where a man can transcend the constraints of racism and slavery and can instil in people a sense of pride in black nationalism and also liberation. I would LOVE to have read the full novel, where there is a new future - where the slaves overthrow the plantation owners, where Cuba is liberated as a safe haven for freed slaves.

The time of the writing is important too - he describes horrific torture and abuse (both physical and sexual) of people. There are horrendous racist phrases uttered by whites which dehumanise black people. It is uncomfortable to read and feel like they belong in a horrible hateful past. There is the casual torture of children (throughout Delany alludes to things which he has seen in real life and this is one of them). But is this in the past? In January 2024 the world is watching whilst Israel bombs Gaza. Palestinians are collectivised as savage terrorists and their lives do not matter. They are 'othered' as being less than human. Yes, Delany's depiction of systemic racism is harrowing, but still today humans in power and privilege (and yes, they are still white) can demonise their victims, and claim moral superiority which is based on oppression.

Not an easy book to read, both in terms of subject matter and narrative and structure, but nevertheless an important one. Not just for understanding the past, but also today