Monster, She Wrote

The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction

By: Lisa Kröger, Melanie R. Anderson

Narrated by: Erin Bennett

Satisfy your craving for extraordinary authors and exceptional fiction: Meet the women writers who defied convention to craft some of literature’s strangest tales, from Frankenstein to The Haunting of Hill House and beyond.

Frankenstein was just the beginning: horror stories and other weird fiction wouldn’t exist without the women who created it. From Gothic ghost stories to psychological horror to science fiction, women have been primary architects of speculative literature of all sorts. And their own life stories are as intriguing as their fiction. Everyone knows about Mary Shelley, creator of Frankenstein, who was rumored to keep her late husband’s heart in her desk drawer. But have you heard of Margaret “Mad Madge” Cavendish, who wrote a science-fiction epic 150 years earlier (and liked to wear topless gowns to the theater)? If you know the astounding work of Shirley Jackson, whose novel The Haunting of Hill House was reinvented as a Netflix series, then try the psychological hauntings of Violet Paget, who was openly involved in long-term romantic relationships with women in the Victorian era. You’ll meet celebrated icons (Ann Radcliffe, V. C. Andrews), forgotten wordsmiths (Eli Coltor, Ruby Jean Jensen), and today’s vanguard (Helen Oyeyemi). Curated reading lists point you to their most spine-chilling tales.

Part biography, part reader’s guide, the engaging write-ups and detailed reading lists will introduce you to more than a hundred authors and over two hundred of their mysterious and spooky novels, novellas, and stories.

©2019 Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson (P)2019 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

The past, present, and future are female

As a non-horror reader, I was surprised to be adding so many authors to my reading list! I gained insight about the genre itself and the indispensable role of women, especially queer and non-White women, in wielding it to best effect. I do wish the suggested reading at the end of each chapter was available as a PDF with the audiobook.

Check this out. You won’t be sorry!

Boost that TBR

loved hearing about all the female authors and their back stories. also my TBR has grown.

Good

This was well researched and entertaining. I read it to learn and I did. Decent

A Good Quick Read

It wasn't vedy long but I as a big fan of horror and literature, learning the history of Women's role in the genre was wonderful.

Worth A Listen

I stumbled across this book; somehow. I honestly don’t know how o came across it.

But, it wound up being an interesting listen!

I learned about all sorts of women authors, a lot of which - hundreds of years later - influence modern horror authors.

Most people know Mary Shelly and her writing Frankenstein; but there are so many more.

I also learned a new genre: afro-futurism. Basically, it’s a story whose main character is a poc and has a sort of sci-fi element to it. Tho, the author did say singer Janelle Monae is a part of it?

But, if you’re looking for new people to check out; this is a great reference and is full of suggestions and little-known writers.

Give it a look!!

Fascinating!

As a modern goth girl, this book was wonderful and informative! I learned about dark minds and “difficult” women from the long history of horror, pulp, gothic, and speculative fiction. As someone who is interested in, but not particularly familiar with literary history and terminology, reading this book was enlightening without being inaccessible. The authors don’t shy away from interspersing their own commentary in a way that feels very conversational and passionate. The reading lists are phenomenal! It’s clear to me that this book was written by nerds, and I mean that as the highest compliment!

great review of the lit - with reading recs!

I was totally occupied with this book! I listened to it on a long drive and was worried it mightn't keep my attention but it totally did! the only bummer was not having free hands to write down the recommendations. I'm currently finishing a dissertation and don't have tons of spare reading time but I'm absolutely planning to have a year of gothic women writers for my 2023 reading! in addition to plenty I already knew as a fan of quite a few of these writers was so so much I didn't! the authors take the reader on a journey and do a great job of balancing colloquial tone with academic insight. overall a super fun read!

10/10

Amazing book recommendations and quick history lessons on prolific writers. 100% worth the time and download

Skips

Love the book but it kept skipping at random parts. So I would recommend listening or reading it.

So informative

I have so many books to read! This history of women authors has given me so many titles to seek out and names to explore. Did you know that Mary Shelley wasn't even the first to write horror novels? There were a few published a hundred years earlier!

Of course, many of my already-favorites are here, besides Mary Shelley: Shirley Jackson, C.L. Moore, Tanith Lee, Octavia E. Butler, Toni Morrison, Kelly Link, V.C. Andrews, etc. etc. But now I have so many more to read! My mother and I have always enjoyed C.L. Moore's short SF stories, but I had no idea she wrote under at least two other pen names.

Many women authors were much more prolific than their male counterparts, and, therefore, deemed less important (explain that one!). Also, because so much of this work was published in disposable mediums like the serials of the late 1800s, or the pulp paperbacks of the 1920s through the 1950s, much has been lost to the world. It is a tragedy to know so many inventive and imaginative tales will never be remembered or reprinted. I must also seek out the publishers who are making an effort to revive and preserve these works of past writers.

I loved hearing about mid-20th-century short stories being adapted into television episodes of anthology series like Night Gallery, Outer Limits, and others. I remember several mentioned, and was glad to a woman writer was credited and paid for some of the more memorable episodes.

The structure of this book was also a pleasure. Each chapter begins with a short passage, the name of the author, and a short biography of that writer 's career. After briefly discussing the life, works, and reception of the author (both critical and popularly), there is sometimes a comparison to contemporaries, antecedents, or preceding influences upon the author. At the end of each chapter, the recommended reading list is shared. Perfect.