The landmark comic satire that asks, “What would happen if all black people in America turned white?” It’s New Year’s Day 1933 in New York City, and Max Disher, a young black man, has just found out that a certain Dr. Junius Crookman has discovered a mysterious process that allows people to bleach their skin white—a new way to “solve the American race problem.” Max leaps at the opportunity, and after a brief stay at the Crookman Sanitarium, he becomes Matthew Fisher, a white man who is able to attain everything he has ever wanted: money, power, good liquor, and the white woman who rejected him when he was black. Lampooning myths of white supremacy and racial purity and caricaturing prominent African American leaders like W. E. B. Du Bois, Madam C. J. Walker, and Marcus Garvey, Black No More is a masterwork of speculative fiction and a hilarious satire of America’s obsession with race. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,800 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Black No More (Penguin Classics)

Literature & Fiction

Schuyler, George S.

Humor & Satire

Penguin Classics

A pioneering work of Afrofuturism and antiracist fiction by the author of Black No More, about a Black scientist who masterminds a worldwide conspiracy to take back the African continent from imperial powers A Penguin Classic "An amazing serial story of Black genius against the world" is how Black Empire was promoted upon its original publication as a serial in The Pittsburgh Courier from 1936 to 1938.It tells the electrifying tale of Dr. Henry Belsidus, a Black scientific genius desperate to free his people from the crushing tyranny of racism. To do so, he concocts a plot to enlist a crew of Black intellectuals to help him take over the world, cultivating a global network to reclaim Africa from imperial powers and punish Europe and America for white supremacy and their crimes against the planet's Black population. At once a daring, high-stakes science fiction adventure and a strikingly innovative Afrofuturist classic, this controversial and fearlessly political work lays bare the ethical quandaries of exactly how far one should go in the name of justice.

Black Empire (Penguin Classics)

A biting 1931 science fiction satire of American racism, and one of the first works of Afrofuturism.\nIt's New Years Day in 1933 in New York City and Max Disher, a young black man, has just heard the news: a mysterious doctor has discovered a strange process that can turn black skin white—a new way to "solve the American race problem." Max, who is tired of being rejected and abused because of his dark skin, leaps at the opportunity. After receiving the "Black-No-More" procedure, he becomes Matthew Fisher, a white man who is able to attain everything he has ever wanted: money, power, and a beautiful wife. But it soon becomes apparent that America, whiter than ever, is becoming more and more dangerous . . .\nAn extraordinary, cutting satire, Black No More is an utterly unique work of science fiction, and one of the first works of Black speculative fiction.

Black No More (Penguin Science Fiction)

Humor & Entertainment

Humor

According to Max Disher, an ambitious young black man in 1930s New York, someone of his race has only three alternatives: "Get out, get white, or get along." Incapable of getting out and unhappy with getting along, Max leaps at the remaining possibility. Thanks to a certain Dr. Junius Crookman and his mysterious process, Max and other eager clients develop bleached skin that permits them to enter previously forbidden territory. What they discover in white society, however, gives them second thoughts. This humorous work of speculative fiction was written by an unsung hero of African-American literature. George S. Schuyler (1895-1977) wrote for black America's most influential newspaper, the Pittsburgh Courier, in addition to H. L. Mencken's The American Mercury, The Nation, and other publications. His biting satire not only debunks the myths of white supremacy and racial purity but also lampoons prominent leaders of the NAACP and the Harlem Renaissance. More than a historical curiosity, Schuyler's 1931 novel offers a hilarious take on the hypocrisy and demagoguery surrounding America's obsession with skin color.

Black No More

Reference

Dover Publications

Blurb

First published in 1931, "Black No More" is a clever and important satirical novel by George S. Schuyler which was written during the creative time of the Harlem Renaissance. This humorous and insightful work explores what would happen if blackness could be erased and black people could choose to become white. The novel begins with the central character Max Disher, a young, intelligent and ambitious black man, finding himself lonely and rejected on New Year's Eve at a speakeasy in Harlem. He hears about a new scientific procedure called "Black-No-More" that can change black skin to white. Max decides to undergo the transformation and changes his name to Matthew Fisher. Life is not as easy as he has imagined it will be. He ends up joining a white supremacist organization and must continue to hide his true identity in a new and dangerous world. Schuyler's novel was far ahead of its time and tackled racial issues that continue to plague the modern world. The novel's cutting social commentary, disguised with humor and satire, criticizes both the politics of black empowerment, white nationalism, and bigotry. "Black No More" continues to be as entertaining and thought-provoking today as when it was first written. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

Digireads.com

What would happen if Marcus Garvey had achieved his dreams by force? Satirizing of one of the most influential figures of twentieth century Black America, George S. Schuyler's Black Empire is a remarkable look into the complicated politics of race and class. After witnessing a murder in Harlem, the promising young Black journalist, Carl Slater, is kidnapped by the incredibly charismatic but deranged Dr. Belsidus. Having secretly formed a Black Internationale, the doctor has plans to upset alliances between Europe and the United States when the time is right. As Carl slowly discovers the depth of the doctor's insanity and witnesses the fallout from the ensuing revolution, he watches as the dream of an Africa for Africans is fully realized but questioning the cost. Professionally typeset with a beautifully designed cover, this edition of Black Empire reimagines a classic of satire and Black speculative fiction for the modern reader.

Black Empire (Mint Editions (Black Narratives))

Mint Editions

Black No More: Being an Account of the Strange and Wonderful Workings of Science in the Land of the Free A.D. 1933–1940 (Black Narratives)

Carl Slater, a Harlem reporter, discovers a secret Black organization

Black Empire (Northeastern Library of Black Literature)

History & Criticism

Northeastern Univ Pr

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Schuyler, George S.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Schuyler, George S.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Schuyler, George S.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Black No More (Penguin Classics)

Black Empire (Penguin Classics)

Black No More (Penguin Science Fiction)

Black No More

Black No More

Black No More

Black Empire (Mint Editions (Black Narratives))

Black No More: Being an Account of the Strange and Wonderful Workings of Science in the Land of the Free A.D. 1933–1940 (Black Narratives)

Black No More: Being an Account of the Strange and Wonderful Workings of Science in the Land of the Free A.D. 1933–1940 (Black Narratives)

Black Empire (Northeastern Library of Black Literature)