Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror & Speculative Fiction by Lisa Kroger and Melanie R. Anderson.

Quirk Books, 2019

ISBN-13: 978-1683691389

Available: Hardcover, Kindle edition, audiobook

For anyone claiming to be a horror fan, this is an essential. Women have long been a force in horror and speculative fiction, yet the majority of readers are only familiar with Shirley Jackson, Mary Shelley, and a few others.  Yet, there are dozens more, and it’s doubtful most horror readers are aware of them, much less tried one of the tales by the authors highlighted by Kroger and Anderson.
While I’m somewhat embarrassed to not recognize many of the names in this book, I’m also thrilled by it. After meeting Lisa Kroger, I was wowed by the breadth of the insight both authors had into the importance of women writers in the horror canon.

“Mad Madge” Margaret Cavendish took 1666 by storm (that’s a long time before Frankenstein was written). She was a storm herself, described here as a “Kardashian” of her times (yet one who had a purpose). Her The Blazing World was a science fiction tour de force. In the nineteenth century, Elizabeth Gaskell won the admiration of Charles Dickens and spurred a unique relationship with him. Her ghost tales changed views at the time, while she took societal ills head on– rare for women to do successfully at that time. Amelia Edwards predated Indiana Jones by more than a century, and unlike the famed iconic figure, was real. This lady lived adventures that would have made Indy blush– and then there was her writing. For all her wild excursions, she became a power in quiet horror in the world of Victorian ghost tales. Many others follow, but they’re best discovered while reading the book.  The authors here have captured the stories of each writer as a person first, then as a writer. Kroger and Anderson know their material, yet steer clear of academic jargon. They have penned a highly readable book that one could tear through in a single sitting, although it’s unlikely that that will happen. Most readers will stop from time to time and check libraries, used bookstores and online sources for the stories of the writers detailed within.

This is a treasure trove of amazing tidbits and histories of women who shaped the genre as we know it. From pure adventure to Gothic romance, from science fiction to all-out horror, Kroger and Anderson school the reader on what’s crucial to filling in the holes in readers’ learning about what makes horror what horror truly is. Dive in and enjoy– you’ll want to track down these authors’ works before you even finish reading. Five stars isn’t enough here– this book is crucial, essential to the history of the genre for any true horror fan (as well as or fans of women who bucked the system and challenged what was accepted). You will NOT be disappointed. My interview with the authors will be posted on Monster Librarian soon. Check it out– these two women know their histories and explain it well. They’ve hooked me. Highly, highly recommended.

Reviewed by David Simms

Editor’s note: As has been noted in the past, many reference books on horror authors include relatively few women. Librarians and academics focused on related topics will want to consider this as a complement to other biographical reference books on authors of horror and supernatural fiction.