Tananarive Due’s Mazywood is an exceptionally crafted and paced horror novel with superb, surprising twists. The iconic writer and teacher of Black horror and Afrofuturism presents readers with a novel very much in the vein of her Bram Stoker Award-winning The Reformatory, where some of the most terrifying aspects of the plot are steeped in macabre, very real history of the mistreatment of the African American community. The novel follows two intersecting arcs: that of Mazelle “Mazy” Washington, a pioneering child actor in the 1930s, and that of her grandson, Johnny Washington, a contemporary filmmaker who is haunted by the negative effects of and secrets behind Mazelle’s fame. When his wife and daughters request to visit his deceased grandmother’s private ski resort, Bear Creek Lodge (formerly the titular Mazywood), the Washingtons learn that Mazelle’s legacy has its roots in a deeper and darker place than they ever imagined.
Perhaps taking inspiration from her second collection of short stories, 2023’s The Wishing Pool and Other Stories, Due begins with a wish made in a murky swamp, a wish that has the potential to go very, very wrong. Young Mazelle, hoping to help support her family financially and also have an acting career of her own, wishes for a best friend who will always be by her side. She finds one in a mysterious dog named Scout, with whom she has an almost telepathic connection that allows him to effortlessly perform any trick Mazelle desires. Their collaboration kick-starts the career Mazelle wished for, but as she experiences predatory Hollywood management and the racism and sexism on set and in the industry, Scout becomes more than just her best friend—he is her protector, and his code of morality is quite different from that of humans. Mazelle was careful what she wished for, but not careful enough.
Due is also a screenwriter who has collaborated with Jordan Peele, so it’s no surprise that Mazywood incorporates terrific jumpscares. Due sustains the tension and dread for its entirety while also delving into deep and complex emotional themes: racism and sexism in both Hollywood and the world as a whole; the grieving process and intergenerational trauma that persists; and the intrinsic and unavoidable bond between family members, even after conflict, abuse and estrangement.