—Izabel Daniels, Off the Beaten Path Bookstore
Unraveling Rap's Masked Iconoclast
Published by Astra House (2024-10-29)
"There’s a lot more going on in The Chronicles of Doom than gushing over a fallen hero . . . [Fernando] tells a larger story about reinvention, a process familiar to anyone who has had to rebuild a life, and an identity, when things fall apart."
—Chris Vognar, San Francisco Chronicle
"Fernando provides a comprehensive look at DOOM's life and career, meticulously researched through interviews with the rapper’s many collaborators and those closest to the man behind the mask. His track-by-track breakdowns of DOOM's albums will have sample spotters diving into their record collections. A perfect pairing with Dan Charnas's Dilla Time (2022), this is an essential exploration into the world of 'your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper.'"
—Carlos Orellana, Booklist (starred review)
"The Chronicles of DOOM is superbly written, and incredibly well researched, but also full of heart and the pure love and appreciation of any true DOOM fan. Here you get everything you would want to know about the man, the myth, the mask. It is written as compellingly as the origin stories of the greatest superheroes and supervillains. If you love DOOM, I could not more highly recommend this book."
—Tommy Orange, New York Times–bestselling author of Wandering Stars and Pulitzer Prize finalist for There, There
“This authoritative guide to one of hip hop’s most enigmatic figures peeks behind the mask to reveal Daniel Dumile’s rebellious spirit and creative genius.”
—Rob Kenner, author of The Marathon Don't Stop: The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle
"The Chronicles of DOOM is a thoroughly researched and at times poetically written tome about the life and work of MF DOOM. . . . [It] has something for the old school hip hop heads, the comic reading and cartoon watching nerds, the DIY indie kids, the esoteric stoners, and everyone in between just like DOOM’s music."
—Logan Dalton