Despite what some (mostly male) readers would have you think, women have always written science fiction, horror, and gothic fiction, and in fact helped to invent those genres. This book is an entertaining reader's guide and history of female macabre authors from Ann Radcliffe to Shirley Jackson. Includes biographical details for each, as well as best works, read-alikes, and historical context.

I’ve wanted to read this since I saw the beautiful cover - and then I saw that it was a book about women horror writers?! Sign me the heck up!

An absolutely brilliant read, with so many wonderful authors included, from the more well-known ‘foremothers’ like Mary Shelley, Anne Rice and Daphne Du Maurier, to lesser-known authors like Tanith Lee, Lisa Tuttle and Jewelle Gomez (all of which have been added to my ‘MUST READ’ on goodreads!

I can’t wait to get the physical copy to see the gorgeous illustrations and support the wonderful authors. Thank you Netgalley and Quirk Books for the chance to read this title.

Women have always been at the forefront of horror and speculative fiction, despite the gender constructs that stood in their way. The book Monster, She Wrote goes back to the beginning and takes readers up to the present with women you may or may not have ever heard of. Authors Lisa Kroger and Melanie R. Anderson have created a fantastic book that is part biographical, part readers guide for those who want to read more about the women who shaped fiction.

While most know about Mary Shelley and the creation of Frankenstein, chances are you haven't heard of people like "Mad Madge" Cavendish. Brief spoiler? Cavendish was known for creating her own style of science fiction about 150 years ago and wearing topless dresses to theaters to make a splash.  You'll learn about amazing writers like Ann Radliffe, go into more details about the life of Shirley Jackson, and even go into the popular writers of young adult horror in the 1990s. 

The most dangerous part of Monster, She Wrote is how many books I put on hold at the library or added to my Amazon wish list.  It is so easy to fall into this book and not come out until you've finished the whole thing; not counting the brief interruptions to jot down that short story you're going to search for later or that novel that sounds amazing.

Monster, She Wrote is available September 17, 2019 from Quirk Books.

"There seems to be an unspoken assumption that women aren’t interested in horror and speculative fiction, despite ample evidence of the opposite (p. 269)."

Monster, She Wrote provides this ample evidence. It is fantastic overview of women writers throughout history that have made their marks in the weird fictions. I am not a big horror reader so this book was a great exploration into genre. The horror writers I am familiar with are majority men so it was wonderful to read about new to me authors that I may not have read about in the past. I absolutely recommend this book. My TBR has definitely expanded by 27 stories!

Also RIP to Toni Morrison who was represented in this book, before her passing, with her story Beloved.

Thank you Netgalley and Quirk Books for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is what I’m always hunting for in a book that explores a genre; quick write ups on the notable names, recommendations on what to read, followed by read-alikes. Tres magnifique!

I love this book! I learned about so many new, to me, and important female writers. Kroger and Anderson have single-handedly doubled the size of my TBR pile. I will definitely be buying this book to add to personal collection when it comes out. This is a great book for any horror fan!

Fun and informative. Along with learning about several authors that I both had and had not heard of, I liked that the authors included information about their time periods as well. I've got plenty to add to my tbr list and I'm looking forward to starting my own Christmas ghost story tradition.

A reader’s guide about the most prolific and lesser-known Gothic / horror women writers; from Mary Shelley and Ann Radcliffe to Anne Rice and Helen Oyeyemi.

It offers you some biographical details and reading lists (not to be missed, also try and related work). There are some references to films and TV series related to the topic.

If you like this genre, you must read this guide, it’s a great reference book! You’ll get lots of new titles for your TBR list.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quirk Books for a copy of this book to read and review.

More than 'monsters', this is an ideal book for readers interested in exploring more in the genres of horror, SF and related hybrids: the authors do a bit too much storytelling for my taste in the main sections as they recount the plots of key books, but the biographical information is useful. More enticing are the brief essays that are slightly more analytical about developments in the genres and spin-offs which are lightly historicised.

Perhaps my favourite section is the final one where they discuss contemporary fiction which has its roots in horror/hauntings/SF/supernatural but which over-spill those boundaries themselves: dystopia, the uncategorisable works of Joyce Carol Oates, and recent fiction by people like Carmen Maria Machado (My Body and Other Parties), Sarah Waters, Gillian Flynn and Oyinkan Braithwaite (My Sister, the Serial Killer).

Definitely a 'what to read next' rather than an academic book, written in a knowledgeable though fun and light way.

This is a very readable reference book about women writers of horror throughout history. The short blurbs about each woman’s bio and reading recommendations were great, and definitely TBR-accumulating, but this is a hard text to read straight through like a normal book. It functions much better as a book to pick up and learn about an author or two then put back down. The ebook arc formatting as is leaves a lot to be desired but I can tell the illustrations would be lovely in physical book form!

As a lover or horror, science fiction, and everything in between, I was SO excited to see this book. I learned about many authors I was unfamiliar with, and it's nice to have the biographies alongside where to find the author's writings...even if it means my "to-read" pile has grown exponentially! Well done to the authors. This is also a great reference for librarians and others doing reader's advisory.

An exceptional compendium of female authors within the horror and speculative fiction genres. I have recently become more interested in exploring books within these fields during the last few years, especially after completing a reader's advisory training on horror last month, and this book has served to further fuel this curiosity. Authors are included from the 1600s through present day, covering a wide variety of topics related to the genres; I like how essential titles from each author are highlighted within the reading lists and that the related work sections serve as a way to mention additional writers of interest. The introductions of each group of writers are informative and occasionally amusing, and I like how the book's authors explore the future of the genres as well as break down the antiquated notion that these types of stories are solely the territory of male writers. Kröger and Anderson have clearly done a vast amount of research that I fully appreciate and I will definitely be buying this book to use as a reference to direct my future reading.

This is out in September, but I had the privilege of receiving a proof ARC to read and it's fantastic.
Part analysis of the history and evolution of horror, weird fiction and supernatural fiction through a feminist lens, part massive TBR list, this was fun, informative and intriguing.
The authors are so breathlessly excited by the wealth and breadth of horror and supernatural female writers that it’s impossible not to get caught up in their enthusiasm. As well as learning loads, my TBR pile expanded exponentially – in main thanks to the Reading List summaries which are included after each author.
I was pleased to see that they showcase a diversity of authors, and are sensitive to pointing out when authors are or are not inclusive in their depictions.
Each chapter looks at a different format of the genre and they give just enough hints and analysis of the stories of each writer to really whet the appetite.
Horror is the genre which I’ve probably explored the least,but after reading this I can’t wait to get
started. Make sure you have a notepad next to you as you read.

This book is fantastic! The reading guide portions of the book are wonderful (so many recs!!) and the biography portions are well-written and fun to read. This might not be a read cover-to-cover book, but looking through and reading bits and pieces works well with this text and, also, this would look great on a coffee table. I am excited to look at the physical copy of the book because some of the formatting of the e-galley was whack, but the cover looks so nice!

Basically, this is up my alley and my supervisor has already put this on the "t0-buy" list for our library. Yay!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me look at this early!

Enjoyable read and approachable format, the thumbnail biographical sketches are engaging and encourage the reader to explore the subject further. Monsters in literature is a popular low-level English lit. class at our institution and this would be a useful bibliography-building resource.

Horror fans rejoice! Kröger and Anderson have created a fascinating and intensely readable overview of classic horror novels, from their humble beginnings all the way up to the present day.

Horror is very much considered a man's genre, but there are so many excellent woman writers who are completely overshadowed by their contemporaries. The authors do an excellent job of highlighting these women and giving them their moment in the spotlight without discounting the men who were writing at the same time.

Make no mistake, though, this book is just as much a feminist manifesto as it is a love letter to the Gothic and the "Weird". But, again, Kröger and Anderson come to it with just the right amount of everything. More conservative readers might find their message a little heavy-handed, but the book remains enjoyable throughout.

Perhaps the best part for me was the recommended materials lists at the end of each author profile. Curious readers are given a starting point for each author, as well as further recommendations, and even titles by other writers whose work showcases similar styles or themes. Even the most voracious bookworm will find more than enough to be occupied for years to come!

A fascinating book examining the female influence over the horror genre. As an aspiring writer myself, I found this book to be useful and beautifully presented.

***Thanks to the publisher and #NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

For fans of horror and classical literature, this book gives an in-depth look into the monsters and the authors that wrote about them. I enjoyed learning more about gothic literature and was delighted that the recommended other books to read if you liked certain novels.

Wow. I really enjoyed reading "Monster, She Wrote" because it took me back to my college days but better. I loved that this book had a little bit of everything. I found this book to be interesting and I will definitely recommend it.

I have to say, the e-arc doesn't do this book justice, but I was lucky to get my hands on a physical galley and it is is so, so pretty! The illustrations and fonts are gorgeous and it's just a pleasure to hold in one's hand. Besides that, it's great to have a book that outlines women's contributions to the genre. Of course, it's not comprehensive and is more like an encyclopedia with short bios and fact-dumping, but it's pretty long and full of interesting names not many folks know. Moreover, every chapter ends with a reading list, so that's really nice. It's a really good gift book for anyone interested in feminist studies and the genre; the language it's written in seems to be aiming more at teens and general audience - it is definitely not an academic book.

Have to say, I'm kind of upset the three greats of the 20th century: Ursula K. Le Guin, Margaret Atwood, and Octavia Butler didn't get their own chapters. Like I said, the book isn't comprehensive at all, but does include less famous names, so that's great, I suppose... Just seems strange talking about women who "pioneered" speculative fiction and not talk about them. Overall though, I loved the book. Quirk books never disappoint.