Black Hole was written by Seattle-born author Charles Burns. The story takes place during the mid-1970s in suburban Seattle. A number of teenagers encounter an unusual plague that's only transmitted through sexual contact. As if that is not complicated enough, the communicable disease affects infected teenagers in varying ways.
For example, the disease can manifest in highly distorted and repulsive ways among certain teenagers. On the other hand, it can show up in indistinct ways among other teenagers, which are easy to hide from curious eyes. This fiasco leads into a murder spree, darkening the already-unfortunate circumstance. More importantly, Black Hole gives an inside look into how the lives of impacted teenagers take an interesting turn for the worst, while unraveling the complex, quirky nature of American teenagehood.
Burns grew up during the 1970s, which greatly helped him develop the setting, characters, and story plot of this book. He has contributed to a number of additional creative works, such as the design of Iggy Pop album covers as well as set designs for Mark Morris's restaging of The Nutcracker, which was renamed The Hard Nut.
