So, you thought women writers are supposed to write about nice and comforting stories? Meet these popular women writers whose bone-chilling works would cause you sleepless nights.
If you have been a student of literary history, you might be aware of the fact that women writers have not been widely acknowledged in the horror or suspense genre. But even then, there have been pioneer writers who have gone beyond this assumption and have given us some of the best horror/suspense books of all time. Mary Shelley can be considered as a pioneer who, with her classic book “Frankenstein”, has managed to keep the readers on hooks for the last 200 years. Since then, we have been bestowed by some of the greatest women horror writers that you must read if you are a fan of this genre.
Daphne Du Maurier
Daphne Du Maurier is a writer that you must read if you are a fan of Hitchcockian cinema. She was truly romanticism married horror kind of a writer. There was a deep undertone of feminism and tearing apart of status quo of the respectable female. Her books and setting are what helped define the landscape for horror in the 20thcentury. Watch out for her immortal works, such as Rebecca and Jamaica Inn.
Shirley Jackson
If you are a habitual Netflix binge-watcher then you must have seen an adaptation of one of her most famous works, “The Haunting of Hill House”. She had a very trying personal life where she suffered from depression and an oppressive husband. You can clearly see the reflection of her inner demons in her novels where she projected an uneasy and dreadful atmosphere that can make one question the very essence of the word “Home”.
Joyce Carol Oates
If there is someone who holds the title of master of horror, then it is Joyce Carol Oates. This Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer is known for writing stories that would knock your sock off. Her impressive catalogue is of more than a hundred books, but we recommend starting from her short stories such as “Where are you going, where have you been?”. The story is inspired by the chilling tale of a real-life serial killer Charles Schmid.
Mariko Koike
Mariko Koike is a well-known author known for her works in romance, suspense and horror. She is known for her critically acclaimed works such as “The Graveyard Apartment” and “The Cat in the Coffin”, where she builds the creepy and macabre scenarios from the ordinary thing.
So, whose work would you like to read first?
