On "Monster, She Wrote" : A Book Review

 

Title: Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror & Speculative Fiction
Authors: Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson
Genre: Non-Fiction, Reference, Reader's Guide

About the Book...
The genres of horror and speculative fiction includes a wide span of authors, many of the most influential being female. This book explores the lives of some these women, their work, and the lasting impact they've had on these genres over time. 

What I Think...
This, while small and fairly short, is a very informative book. While my reading veers towards the classics in these genres, I enjoyed this entire book and added a few new names I hadn't been familiar with to my reading list! 

I really liked the way they broke down the information in this. For each author they include a mini biography, a look at some of their most notable works, and then provide a reading list that consists of the sections "not to be missed," highlighting the works they are best know for; "also try," which lists some of the lesser known works; and "related works," which focuses on other things that were inspired by or that relate to the author and her writings. I felt that this provided a quick, yet well-rounded look at each author and really showed the relationship each has with their genre as a whole.

Throughout the text, what I think of as "fact boxes," add to an understanding of what defines each genre (such as "Spotting the Gothic") and provide further insight to the topic. I also loved the illustrations and how peppered throughout are quotes from the works discussed.

To Sum it All Up...
A great book when it come to learning about some of the great female writers in the genre and a fun way of being introduced to some new ones! (As an added note, a companion book called Women of Weird Tales is coming out soon!) ♥️