Women Are Terrifying and I Love Them - Reviews feat. Emma E. Murray, Angela Sylvaine, & Julia Fine
Exactly what it says on the tin.
I don't think it's hyperbole to say that women in horror and dark fiction are having a big moment. Hundreds of authors are providing stories and distillations of what it means to be a woman in this chaotic world. Today we will discuss three outstanding authors who have new and/or upcoming work that you may or may not know about.
In the words of Metro Station: Let's drop!!
When The Devil by Emma E. Murray, Shortwave Publishing
I mean, just look at that cover.
When the Devil is one of the 2024 releases by author Emma E. Murray, another coming from Apocalypse Party later this year. A svelte and propulsive novelette, our central protagonist is Libby, a housewife who has known no other life than the one she was thrust into patriarchal grandparents. Her dicknozzle of a husband, Travis, is an abusive truck driver who spends long swaths of time on the road, leaving her still living grandpa to look after her while he's away, making sure Libby does what she's ought to.
Insert the alluring June, a family member of her neighbors who is spending time in this sleepy town to earn money working the farm. Where Libby is timid, June is confident and seductive, prompting unexpected feelings from Libby. When the two are approached by a man looking to proposition June, she seems to oblige before offering a drink to the man which quickly induces a painful death. What follows is a tale of violence and liberation, akin to contemporaries Rae Wilde, Izzy Lee, Sam Kolesnik, Chloe Spencer, Monica Brashears, and many more, reveling in the upending of patriarchal structures with a true whirlwind of a climax, bringing these women even closer together by way of primal desire.
When the Devil crafts so much in its brief page-count, providing a heartfelt romance amidst the "darkness" that comes with June's murders. Playing with the trope of scorned woman, her violence is far more vigilante than serial killer, taking the power refused to her and Libby into her own hands the only way she knows how. It's the form of realistic empowerment wielded by Sam Kolesnik in True Crime and Waif, but with Murray's unique rage. For those who love a quick read in the vein of more crime-adjacent horror, you will want to add When the Devil to your TBR on May 7th.
The Dead Spot: Stories of Lost Girls by Angela Sylvaine, Dark Matter Magazine
Oh, Angela Sylvaine...my heart. After devouring and adoring last years, Frost Bite–which if you haven't read yet, get on that immediately–I was buzzing with excitement at the announcement of a new story collection from one of my favorite debut authors.
The Dead Spot stands in the tradition of dark parables concerned with women who inhabit worlds fantastical and dark, yet illuminating in their unique rage, love, fear, agency, etc. Each story within carries the hallmark of Sylvaine's signature heart, while hiding a particularly sharp butterfly knife behind her back. Instead of deluding readers with neat, easily digestible endings, these women commit atrocities, suffer horrific ends, but no matter how dark or potentially "mean spirited," there is a sense of unbecoming–a freedom achieved no matter their fate.
These stories growl beside the likes of Gwendolyn Kiste, A.C. Wise, Nadia Bulkin, Isabel Yap, and even the starker tales of Kelly Link. Additionally, there are topics of social upheaval woven in between these tales, with themes of gentrification, fascism, and queerness throughout. Be sure to bring tissues, as several of my favorite stories cause a bit of leaky eye syndrome, not necessarily due to their more downcast themes, but because there is a beauty in their larger implications/moments of empowerment.
With this jaw-dropping collection, Sylvaine continues to assert her voice and empathy in the mastery of her craft. In a medium some may find oversaturated (ridiculous), Angela Sylvaine offers tales with such earnest vulnerability, it's impossible not to fall in love with her authorial tone. Come May 27th, I implore you to let these disturbed little girlies into your soul.
Maddalena and the Dark by Julia Fine, Flatiron Books
Julia, if you read this, I'd like to apologize. I had planned to read Maddalena and the Dark before its release last year, as I had fallen so deeply in love with The Upstairs House back in 2021. I was so unbelievably excited for this book and when I sat down to initially read it, I wasn't connecting in the way I knew I would, so I set it down, but unfortunately wasn't able to return to it before the end of the year.
HOWEVER. You bet your bottom dollar I rectified that this year. I used one of my Libro credits so I could enjoy the audiobook, which was absolutely the move. This dreary 2023 gothic utilizes the historical backdrop of 1717 Venice to tell a compelling story of class and obsession. While the horror may appear more subdued in this particular novel, make no mistake. Maddalena and the Dark, similar to its predecessor, lulls you into its magical realism before claiming your consciousness with a savage right hook.
Maddalena finds herself sent to the Ospedale della Pieta, following an unspecified family scandal perpetrated by her mother. At the Pieta, Maddalena meets an unassuming violinist, Luisa, with whom she swiftly becomes obsessed with. Luisa herself finds the sunny warmth of Maddalena's attention a soothing balm to her previous lonely existence, however, her new friend holds her own secrets.
Before coming to the Pieta, Maddalena's desperation brought her to the attention to a mysterious vision within the canals. Feeling as though she's found salvation for her future, the young woman makes a deal with this entity, becoming entwined with a mysterious gondolier who asks for far more than Maddalena may be prepared to give.
With the moral haziness that makes Fine's work so addictingly entrancing, we find these two women dancing ever closer to their own oblivion amidst political upheaval. Much like the historical context of The Upstairs House, queerness and social desperation highlights just how far humans may be driven to commit acts of pure selfishness and "evil." Both Maddalena and Luisa are attempting to move within the colonial and patriarchal strictures of their time, place, and class.
Maddalena, while completely enraptured in Luisa, her precarious social capital grants her power over the subject of her desires. Ultimately, safety and power override any love she may hold for her friend, causing her to use Luisa as a form of playing chip when the girl unwittingly falls for her brother, setting the stage for the novel's breathtaking climax.
Focusing on a tumultuous time of class violence, Julia Fine continues to bring to light the dangers of seeking tenuous agency in worlds that would rather see you beneath its heel. Maddalena and the Dark uses subtlety to weaponize the gothic as a genre challenging class apathy, serving as a unique cautionary tale for those who dig into its margins. What a pleasure it is to live in a world where she is writing.
My deepest thanks to both Shortwave, Dark Matter, Emma E. Murray, and Angela Sylvaine for providing e-ARCs. To have the privilege of reading and engaging with these remarkable works is something I don't take lightly and it's even more fun to discuss them in these silly posts.
Women are terrifying, and that is only part of their superpowers. As they continue to shed further light on the inequities of our social structures, we would do right to continue to listen. You just may learn a thing or two about revolution...
You can find Emma on Instagram @emmaemurray_, as well as Shortwave Publishing @shortwavebooks. When the Devil will release on 05/07/24.
You can find Angela on Instagram @angela_sylvaine, as well as Dark Matter @dark_matter_magazine. The Dead Spot: Stories of Lost Girls will release on 05/27/24
And lastly, you can find Julia on Instagram @julia.r.fine. Maddalena and the Dark is currently available everywhere books are sold.
