By Lisa Kröger and Melanie Anderson
I think he had spotted Monster, She Wrote and thought it'd be right up my wheelhouse. It took me a while to realize this, but it turned out he was right! At first, I only read the chapters of authors I was already familiar with, ie. Shirley Jackson, Angela Carter, Sarah Waters, etc. It was only later when I started reading the book from start to finish that I discovered a treasure trove of new authors. This also explains why I finally finished it in 2024, as I would read a chapter in between my "regular" reading routine.
Even though Monster, She Wrote gives a general overview of sorts, it also pays tribute to the trailblazing women writers of horror and science fiction of the past four centuries starting with the Gothic fiction of Mary Cavendish and Mary Shelley to contemporary award-winners Helen Oyeyemi and Emily St. John Mandel. Yet what makes this book special is that Kröger and Anderson also shine a light on more obscure and/or overlooked writers, like Ruby Jean Jensen, Elizabeth Engstrom and Kathe Koja.
The authors may be academics, but Monster, She Wrote is written in an easy, informal yet informational style with lots of pop-cultural references. Each featured author is organized by subgenre, gets a brief life history, their better known works (with brief descriptions), recommended reads and a quote. I sat updating my 'to read' list as I went through each author, picking up almost several new books to check out!
Monster, She Wrote is a keeper for sure. I have my first wave of authors I want to read asap but there will definitely be a second wave as I delve into works by other featured writers.
p.s. I've already started checking off my list by:
- borrowing the graphic novelThrough The Woods from the library
- purchasing a reprint of Elizabeth Engstrom's When Darkness Loves Us
- purchasing a reprint of Kathe Koja's The Cipher
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