A Very Specific Guide to Women’s Horror
I have a ton of free time, am a very fast reader, and will read anything. Because of those traits, I have no problem picking up any book and knowing that even if I don’t love it, it’s fine. But if you have a real job, responsibilities, a hobby, etc, you might want some guidance so you don’t waste your day off reading body horror when you wanted psychological horror. So that’s why I’m here! To read every book, shitty and wonderful, and give you the highlights. Without further ado, here’s a quick look at who I think would like three of my top picks.
SEEKING READER:
Smart as a whip
Bored by babies
Hates trains
Maybe has a partner who…leaves something to be desired
Must you go on another business trip?
Lover of absurdity
“Just go with it” attitude
Can handle slight body horror
Who hasn’t had weird body hair?
Feminist
Huge bitch
Secretly catty
(wink)
Does not attend pilates
Enjoys:
Fleabag
Animal Planet
YOU MIGHT LIKE: Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder
My mom went from being a New York City lawyer in her late 20s to having three kids in four years. From being surrounded by people who valued her intelligence and her drive to being surrounded by shit and colic and screaming. The fact that she still likes us (so she says) is a testament to her strength and also to how cool we all ended up being (once we were all properly medicated). She didn’t go full Nightbitch, but who would’ve blamed her if she did?
Rachel Yoder’s 2021 novel follows an artist-turned-mother struggling to accept that her life is not the one she wanted. Her husband travels for work, coming home from fresh sheets and room service simply too exhausted to help out with their train-obsessed son. The hurt and anger and boredom compound to…you guessed it! Turn her into a dog at night. Going into this book with a healthy sense of humor and the willingness to forgive bitchy thoughts is a necessity. You will get mad at everyone in this book, you will feel weird about hating a baby, you will break up with your boyfriend. Have fun!
SEEKING READER:
Thinks they could survive in a post-apocalyptic world
Isn’t squeamish
Like really
Can handle graphic rape scenes
Like really
Anti-TERF
Anti-J.K. Rowling
YOU MIGHT LIKE: Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin
A devastating, gory, horny, sweet, disgusting, and insane look at the world after a virus infects all people with XY chromosomes, making them, essentially, rape machines. However, the trans women who were taking estrogen prior to the outbreak aren’t affected — as long as they can continue taking their hormones. As the pandemic rages on, doctors are unable to continue prescribing medical estrogen, forcing the women to look for…alternative ways to access what they need. Chopping off monstrous cis guys’ balls and consuming them! :) That’s hard enough, but TERFs (trans-exclusionary radical feminists, AKA shitty “feminists” that believe that trans women aren’t women) are hunting down trans women.
While the story itself is wild, the premise behind it is familiar. Every day, cis women “protect” one another at the expense of trans women, actively causing harm and death. The TERFs in Felker-Martin’s novel aren’t too far away from today’s transphobes: how long until an asshole Twitter user also tattoos XX on her forehead? Manhunt manages to explore sisterhood and womanhood in a beautiful way while also condemning trans fear-mongering so familiar to anyone who can stomach to read the news.
SEEKING READER:
Loves feminist retellings of old horror
Wants to read about beautiful houses and pretty dresses
Can get behind a lil science fiction
Suspend your disbelief
Also likes a lil historical fiction
Enjoys:
Old horror
Slow burn
Chaste romance
YOU MIGHT LIKE: The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Moreno-Garcia reimagines the iconic The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells in her 2022 novel. Carlota Moreau, the daughter in question, has strange roommates: her father, the esteemed doctor, is conducting hybrid human-animal experiments. Carlota is content knowing the bare minimum about his experiments until the benefactors of this research come asking questions. I really don’t want to ruin any other aspects of this book, especially because the second half is when the plot really ramps up, but it’s horror, sci-fi, historical fiction, fantasy, and romance all rolled into one. Moreno-Garcia’s gorgeous descriptions and the backdrop of Yaxaktun make it a novel that isn’t quite as gross as the previous two books I’ve recommended. Probably a bit more palatable for those who are newer to horror.