As the authors of The Science of Women in Horror, as well as lifelong fans of the genre, and yes, as women, we believe it’s our duty to let you know how you can support female-identifying horror creators. Here are some ways we believe you can celebrate women in horror all year round.
Watch contemporary spooky movies made by women.
There’s a myth that men rule horror cinema, and sure, maybe in the days of the slasher VHS that was true. But, not anymore. We recommend you do your research into current female filmmakers bringing the macabre, like Karyn Kusama and Axelle Carolyn. In the meantime, watch the newly released horror/comedy/romance mashup Lisa Frankenstein written by Diablo Cody and directed by Zelda Williams. You will also find countless independent short films made by women playing at your local film festivals and showcases. It’s a great way to meet up and comers! Recommend the films you enjoyed by female identifying creatives and help spread the word about this exciting, expanding genre. As more women have a voice, more stories can be told and that will benefit us all.
Read contemporary spine-tingling books by women.
Yes, we love a good Stephen King. But there are SO many wonderful horror authors out there who have a female perspective on what goes bump in the night. Whatever kind of horror flavor is your thing, we can suggest a female writer. If you’re looking for a southern-fried scream, may we point you to Lindy Ryan’s Bless Your Heart which came out April 9th. There’s also Rachel Harrison (our favorite is Such Sharp Teeth — we can’t say no to a werewolf) Tananarive Due (The Good House will haunt your dreams) and many up-and-coming talented indie darlings like Hailey Piper, Cynthia Pelayo, and Gwendolyn Kiste. Basically, your whole bookshelf could be bursting with female-created gothic fare…so what are you waiting for?
Don’t forget the women that came before us.
While we hope you’re spending your money and social media shoutouts on contemporary creators, we also encourage you to take some time to steep yourself in the women of horror’s yesteryear. Unfortunately, many of us missed out on learning about women’s influence on the genre in film and literature in school because of, you know, the patriarchy. If you haven’t had the chance to read novel or short stories by Shirley Jackson, Ann Radcliffe, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, or Mary Shelley herself, treat yourself. We recommend picking up a copy of Monster She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction by Lisa Kroger and Melanie R. Anderson to learn more. And we also think you should dive into the history of early female pioneers in horror film like Vampira (Maila Nurmi) or Alice Guy Blache, the first woman to direct a movie. And, yep, it was a scary one!
Start an event in your community.
Host a screening, an art show, a reading, or even just a house party with friends. Celebrate women’s contribution to horror in whatever small or big way you can! We recently threw a Golden Girls themed party complete with cheesecake which featured episodes of the television show inspired by the horror genre! Surprisingly, there’s an abundance of horror, thriller, and true crime references throughout the popular series so have fun brainstorming ways to work them into your theme. Over our twenty year friendship we’ve found other ways to host themed events including fundraisers, haunted trails, workshops, classes, presentations, and parties. The sky’s the limit! (and it’s always fun decorating for a theme.)
Attend a horror themed art show featuring female identifying artists.
Visual artists have featured themes of the macabre for generations in their work and we guarantee you’ll find some spooky pieces to admire or even purchase at a local gallery. From paintings and photography, to jewelry and ceramics, we enjoy perusing art shows and meeting fellow fans of the gothic. We’ve been able to decorate our spaces over the years with spooky themed art that reflects our interests and personalities while supporting artists from all across the country.
Get tickets to a theatre production focusing on women in horror.
We’ve seen our fair share of live theatre in our lives and it’s been a joy to witness adaptations of great women’s work on stage including the queen of mystery herself, Agatha Christie. While we focused on her play The Mousetrap in our 2023 book The Science of Agatha Christie, you’ll be sure to find many other adaptations of her works and other female identifying crime and thriller authors on your local stage.
Read articles, share posts, and listen to podcasts by women in the genre.
While researching and writing for our book The Science of Serial Killers, we found articles, blogs, and podcasts to be an excellent source to hear women talk about the genre of true crime that resonates with so many. While empowering survivors and giving a voice to those who may not be heard, sharing supporting small creators on social media can help to boost women who make a living in the genre. When we started our podcast Horror Rewind, we began with the idea of seeing how the films of our childhood held up through the lens of today. As we’ve gone on, we realize it’s an important platform to give and get suggestions of films to watch, television shows to check out, and books to read. With social media, the experience becomes interactive and listeners have a voice, too!
Travel to places that have a history in the horror genre.
For our upcoming book, Travels of Terror, we visited twelve cities in the United States and found the spooky destinations our horror hearts love. We also made a point to discover a woman in each city to write about that we think the public should know. Whether she was a horror writer, an advocate for her community, or a film director, we discovered so many amazing stories! You, too, can do this in your own community and help find and uplift those that others may not have heard of yet.
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