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Feminist Horror Novels That Center the Monstrous Woman
Because sometimes, to finally be free, a woman has to become the thing they feared.
From the dawn of time, women have been told how to behave. And when we don’t adhere to the rules, we’re punished. Eve was banished from the garden. Medusa transformed into a hideous creature meant to destroy. Throughout history, this is the lesson women are taught: Obey or be destroyed.
Thankfully, not all women listened. Not all women went quietly into the night. They embraced their rage and turned into monsters. These women learned that though men might think themselves powerful, there is strength in being unafraid of your femininity. It can be used to curse, to lure, to trap, to ensnare.
And then there’s the brutal truth that, often, to be feminine requires you to be monstrous. To finally stand up for yourself, to go after what you want. You have to be willing to break the rules, defy societal norms, and yes, even commit atrocious acts of violence. Maybe she’s born with it, maybe she learned it, but these six women have had enough. Here are six novels exploring the monstrous side of femininity.
What happens when you take a group of women to an island in the Pacific Northwest and make them compete against each other? Absolute unhinged mayhem. Because what none of the women know is that a misunderstood local is watching them from the shadows. Someone who also wants to connect. Everyone is willing to do whatever it takes to win. But one of them is willing to show exactly how far she’ll go for love.
There’s nothing a mother won’t do to protect their child. No extreme she won’t go to. For Rebecca Carter, she’s willing to kill. Not out of cruelty. Not out of psychopathy. But to feed her daughter’s insatiable hunger. That’s not something FBI Agent Marc Donner could ever understand. He is tracking a serial killer. One who severs the victim’s spines and drains them of blood. When his investigation brings him close to Rebecca, the line between predator and prey blurs.
Annie Wilkes doesn’t think she’s a terrible person. She lives a quiet life, looking forward to the latest release of her favorite book series. So when bestselling author Paul Sheldon crashes near her farmhouse, of course she took him in. Of course, she nursed him and took care of him. She’s his biggest fan. All she wanted was a satisfying end to the series she loved. It’s not asking a lot. She doesn’t understand why he won’t cooperate. But that’s okay. Annie knows that sometimes all it takes is some tough love. And maybe a mallet.
Yaya Betancourt didn’t choose to be a monster. She didn’t ask for the teeth growing between her legs. It’s just a side effect of a rare genetic condition caused by a pharmaceutical company’s experiment when she was in the womb. Only, it doesn’t stop with teeth. As corporate goons hunt her down, she realizes that transforming might not be so bad. Especially if it means taking control of her destiny, once and for all.
Before Bram Stoker’s Dracula, there was Carmilla. She literally crashed into Laura’s quiet life deep in the Austrian forest. What starts as a feverish friendship turns into something else. Something strange and volatile, where Laura suffers terrible nightmares and a growing weakness during the day.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula wasn’t the first vampire story. It was always Carmilla. And she is devilishly monstrous.
Everyone knows the story of the Donner Party. How they left too late. Were plagued with unfortunate tragedies along the way. But what if all of their misfortune was because of one monstrous woman? That’s what some in the party think. That Tamsen Donner is a witch. Something is following them. Something has cursed them. And maybe if they can stop Tamsen, they just might survive.
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