I’m having a “duh” moment since I left a question for you about Shirley Jackson on the part five post 🙂 I for one am looking forward to a post on women horror writers. And I have thoroughly enjoyed these five posts. The more on horror writing, the better for me 🙂

There are MANY HUGE authors who aren’t romance. In fact, some of the biggest mega-authors are female–J.K. Rowling (YA Fantasy), Amy Tan (Literary), Ann Rice invented the current vampire genre/world as we have today. I met her and she talked about how, in the 70s, NO ONE would publish a vampire book. Karthryn Stockett (The Help–Mainstream Fiction), Tess Gerritson (Thriller/Suspense), Jacquelyn Mitchard (Literary Fiction and Oprah Book of the Month–also made into a movie), Kathy Reichs (who wrote a NYTBS series and the TV series “Bones” is based on her suspense novels). There is a looong list of women who’ve not only been mega-best-sellers outside of romance, but movies and TV series were based off their works. And fact is, the romance genre alone accounts for almost 70% of the entire book market and is largely female authors. When discussing ANY genre other than romance, we are talking about a small piece of the literary pie, horror being one of the smallest because it is labeled as so many different things like sci-fi, dark fantasy, etc.

BTW, just curious here. How much of that women’s lion’s share outside of romance is actually reviewed? Promoted? How many books by men are reviewed in comparison?

Kevin, it is indeed nothing personal. I am alive to box ears and open eyes. Women are the invisible minority. I do everything in my power to change that. And I will never *ucking apologize for it either.

Kara, Kevin wrote A LOT about these women in an earlier series he did on this blog. And he said exactly what you are saying, how much of today’s horror writing was birthed from early female writers. This installment was to offer fresh content so he hit on other authors not mentioned earlier in October and today is mentioning more females.

And I am not oppressed. I didn’t apologize for being a woman, only addressed that women were being talked about in the final post. Kevin is my guest, and I was addressing your concerns. I am am a writer and writers have no race or color or gender. Many of the early classics were written by men and women under female pen names. And in today’s market, when females easily make up two-thirds of writers, why is there a need to grumble we aren’t being represented? How are we “oppressed” when we now produce a lion’s share of the books in today’s market?

“And you are not ‘personally familiar’ with women horror writers.”

I hate to get into a tiff on Kristen’s blog, so I’ll just leave it at this: I never said I’m not personally familiar with women horror writers. What I said is that, if I was writing a series about about horror writers I was recommending, I wanted to reference authors that I had read extensively. There we just as many male authors I discounted from this list merely because I’d only read a little of their work.

And I do indeed know – Anne Radcliffe was one of the first gothic/romance writer – The Mysteries of Udolpho – a wonderfully lyrical, vivid work. But you could also argue that while horror developed FROM the gothic/romance (and Udolpho is what’s considered a “natural gothic” in which all the supernatural elements are explained away) it is not horror.

Mary Shelley could also be considered a ‘horror’ writer, but just as many folks consider her a science fiction writer.

Again, I apologize if you’re offended. I have many close friends and mentors who are female horror writers. And I’m also willing to acknowledge that your concerns are ones that have been expressed quite a bit within the horror genre over the past few years, at conventions and online. Again, I apologize for any offense.

Kevin, you say you read what you like. And seek out what you like. And you are not ‘personally familiar’ with women horror writers. Easiest connect the dot game ever!

what I find disturbing is the ‘great idea’ to devote a special series for women. sounds so awesome, except for the fact women make up half the population, and that such events (like special series) are just barely veiled examples of segragation, and that it’s just another form of erasure. Most people don’t know that women wrote horror in the early nineteeth century. Gee, why is that? Or that Bram wasn’t all that original a writer. But throw the good girl a bone. Hah! Don’t take it ‘personally.’ It’s hard to see when the writing world pigeon holes half the population. Or doesn’t find half the population’s minds particularly interesting. And the most funny part of all is when the oppressed scramble to apologize for the loudmouthed bitch. Laters.

Kara – as I have mentioned, this list is basically what I’ve read myself, and is hardly comprehensive. I do have some women mentioned in an upcoming post, and, as I’ve mentioned to Kristen, focusing in particular on women horror writers – with women horror writers – is an excellent idea for a series down the road, because it in and of itself could be considered a series all by itself. I can make some quick recommendations on my own, however:

1. Shirley Jackson: She of course gave us the seminal novels THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE and WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE, as well as the short story “The Lottery.” Main reason why I didn’t focus on her is because I’ve only read the two books, and wanted to blog about writers I’ve read extensively.

2. Anne River Siddons gave use the modern haunted house story in THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR, Wonderful example of an utterly urbane, southern, genteel, upscale community…invaded by evil. Again, didn’t feature her, because I’ve only read the one novel.

3. Joyce Carol Oates – again, I didn’t feature her because I’ve only had the chance to read one or two of her short stories (a collection of hers sits in my TBR pile). What I have read, however, has been pretty darn mind twisting.

4. The Gentling Box, by Lisa Manetti – a perfect example of historical horror – gypsies, curses, demons…pretty heavy stuff. Again, it’s the only book of hers I’ve read.

5. Sarah Pinborough – across the pond in Britain, Sarah is one of the leading horror writers. Again, I’ve only had the occasion to read TOWER HILL. But she’s written with the best, time and again. http://sarahpinborough.com/

6. Susan Hill – of course wrote THE WOMAN IN BLACK, which is much different – and just as good – as the movie. But, also, that’s only book of hers I’ve managed to read.

There are a bunch more, and again – I link a series here at Kristen’s several months hence – focusing entirely on women horror writers – would be fabulous. I didn’t mean to slight female horror writers in anyway, I only wanted to focus on writers I’d read deeply enough to feel conversant on. As to why I haven’t read more women horror writers…I honestly couldn’t tell you. I just read what I like, and then seek out more of that. That is definitely fodder for a future series, however.

That’s my fault. Kevin is addressing women in horror in another installment and I am behind because I had a stomach bug and didn’t post yesterday.