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§Author· 4 books
P. Djèlí Clark
Also known as Phenderson Djèlí Clark, Dexter Gabriel, Djeli A. Clark, Djeli Clark
Alternate historical fantasy and speculative fiction gained a distinct voice with the release of the novel A Master of Djinn, which reimagines an early twentieth-century Cairo filled with magic, spirits, and complex mystery. Written by P. Djèlí Clark, the work builds on a rich foundation of short fiction and novellas that blend mythology, history, and folklore.
From dark fantasy reimaginings of historical eras to vibrant magical worlds, Clark has constructed a wide-ranging body of fiction. His works include acclaimed novellas such as Ring Shout and The Dead Cat Tail Assassins, as well as middle-grade fantasy adventures like Abeni and the Kingdom of Gold.
Career & Background
Born Dexter Gabriel in Queens, New York, in 1971, Clark spent his early life in Houston, Texas, and lived during formative years in Trinidad and Tobago, the homeland of his parents. He pursued higher education at Texas State University, earning both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts, before completing his Ph.D. at Stony Brook University in New York. As the first member of his family to earn a college degree, he established an academic career as a professor of history at the University of Connecticut.
Under the pen name P. Djèlí Clark (and Phenderson Djèlí Clark), he began publishing speculative short stories in the early 2010s in venues such as Tor.com, Lightspeed, Daily Science Fiction, Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, Apex, Fireside Fiction, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies, as well as print anthologies like Griots, Hidden Youth, and Clockwork Cairo. Beyond his fiction writing, Clark is a founding member of FIYAH Literary Magazine and has served as a reviewer for Strange Horizons.
Writing Style & Themes
Clark's writing frequently merges rigorous historical knowledge with speculative elements, drawing upon African, Caribbean, and Islamic mythologies, folklore, and alternate histories. His narratives often explore themes of imperialism, race, resistance, and cultural identity, using detailed period settings as backdrops for supernatural intrigue and investigative mysteries.
Technically, his prose balances detailed world-building with fast-paced storytelling and sharp characterization. Whether writing about airships over an alternate nineteenth-century New Orleans, magical investigators in Cairo, or dark supernatural forces in the Jim Crow American South, Clark weaves historical research into immersive speculative environments.
Major Works
- A Master of Djinn — Set in a fantastical 1912 Cairo where magic and supernatural beings exist alongside human society, this novel follows agent Fatma el-Sha'arawi as she investigates the murder of a secret brotherhood member by a figure claiming to be the returned prophet Al-Jahiz.
- Ring Shout — A dark historical fantasy novella that reimagines the Ku Klux Klan during the 1920s as literal demonic monsters, following a sword-wielding resistance fighter named Maryse Boudreaux who battles supernatural bigotry in Georgia.
- The Dead Cat Tail Assassins — A speculative fantasy novella following Eve, an undead assassin bound by ancient divine vows in a city of dark magic, who faces a crisis of duty when assigned a target that challenges her oath.
- Abeni and the Kingdom of Gold — A middle-grade fantasy adventure in the Abeni series that expands on West African-inspired mythology, following young Abeni as she navigates magical realms, ancient spirits, and high-stakes quests.
- The Black God's Drums — An alternate-history novella set in an airship-dominated 1880s New Orleans, centering on a young girl named Jacqueline who carries the spirit of an Orisha god inside her while navigating international intrigue.
- The Haunting of Tram Car 015 — A novella set in Clark's alternate Cairo universe, detailing an investigation by the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities into a possessed automated tram car.
§All Books
Ring Shout
P. Djèlí Clark, 2020
319 ratings
A Master of Djinn
P. Djèlí Clark, 2019
295 ratings
The Dead Cat Tail Assassins
P. Djèlí Clark, 2024
49 ratings
Abeni and the Kingdom of Gold
P. Djèlí Clark, 2024