Victor LaValle is an American author known for his work in fiction across multiple genres. He has published a short-story collection titled Slapboxing with Jesus and five novels: The Ecstatic, Big Machine, The Devil in Silver, The Changeling, and Lone Women. LaValle's fantasy-horror novella The Ballad of Black Tom received significant recognition, winning the 2016 Shirley Jackson Award for best novella. While fiction is his primary focus, he has also contributed essays and book reviews to various publications including GQ, Essence, The Fader, and The Washington Post.