"But women were never out there making horror films, that's why they are not written about - you can't include what doesn't exist."
"There are really, very few women horror filmmakers working today, that's why so few are coming up."
"Women are just not that interested in making horror films."
"How can you be a woman and be a fan of horror?"
This is what you get when you are a woman working in horror, whether as a writer, academic, festival programmer or filmmaker. These assumptions are based on decades of flawed scholarly, critical and industrial thinking about the genre. Women Make Horror sets right these misconceptions. Women have always been making horror, they have always been an audience for the genre, and today, as this book reveals, women academics, critics and filmmakers alike remain committed to a film genre that offers almost unlimited opportunities for exploring and deconstructing social and cultural constructions of gender, femininity, sexuality and the body.
Women Make Horror is the first book-length study of women filmmakers in horror film, the first all-women edited book on horror film, and the first book to call out the male-bias in written histories of horror and then to illuminate precisely how, and where, these histories are lacking. It re-evaluates existing literature on the history of horror film, on women practitioners in the film industry and approaches to undertaking film industries research. It establishes new approaches for studying women practitioners and illuminates their unexamined contribution to the formation and evolution of the horror genre. The book focuses on women directors and screenwriters but also acknowledges the importance of women producers, editors and cinematographers. It explores narrative and experimental cinema, short, anthology and feature-filmmaking, and offers case studies of North American, Latin American, European, East Asian and Australian filmmakers, films and festivals.
Women Make Horror is designed to not only engage and inspire dialogue between the academy, filmmakers, industry gatekeepers, festival programmers and horror film fans. With this book we can transform how we think about women filmmakers and genre.
Industry Reviews
"It's about time a book like this came to light! Why wouldn't women make horror? We've been dealing with it forever. As artists we often bring up the very things we are most afraid of as a way of facing them, and there's a lot to fear in this world where men still dominate. May books like this -- eloquently written -- help to bring about a shift toward equality and embracing female artistic perspectives, whatever they may be." -- Katt Shea * Feature film writer/director *
"This thrilling collection of essays confirms what women have known since Mary Shelley: patriarchy is scary, and the horror genre can gruesomely, gloriously play out its nightmares. It will jumpstart a new playlist of women's horror cinema and will provoke us to rethink the films we've already seen." -- Linda Mizejewski * distinguished professor of women's, gender and sexuality studies at Ohio State University *
"New Releases--2020"
https://www.ladiesofhorrorfiction.com/lohf-new-releases/ * Ladies of Horror Fiction *
"Clearly written by people who love the genre, but are also experts in their field. And while the level of detail is certainly indicative of scholarly journals, it is clear that the authors know what they are talking about, and are also excited to share their distinct viewpoints and theories. Women Make Horror is an excellent addition to any fan's library who is interested in the scholarly examination of a genre that is often demonized or dismissed by critics." * Conskipper *
Typical Books: Horror Reading video review of Women Make Horror
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ecke5wDYSs * Typical Books: Horror Reading *
"Women Make Horror excels in providing rigorous criticism of horror cinema in terms
of the genre's production and reception....As a collection, Women Make Horror succeeds in this aim and provides new interpretative angles which will intrigue fans, students, and scholars interested in the future of horror cinema." * Goulish *
"There are many reasons why Women Make Horror is an important book: it responds to its time (the #metoo movement, the horror resurgence and the renaissance of women in horror), it starts the uphill battle of filling the gap in the scholarship regarding women as makers of horror and carves up space for filmmakers and the writers of the book to be recognised within the 'boys club' that is the industry and academia (as mentioned by Peirse in her chapter). The book stands as a point of entry for anyone who wants to delve into the issue of gender in the horror genre, while also offering avenues for research to be expanded." * The Dark Arts Journal *
"Women Make Horror would make an invaluable reference tool for anyone writing about or creating horror as its scope is broad and varying. Its tone is heavily academic but so rich in its offerings that there is no doubt that repeated readings will provide a rewarding experience. Upon finishing the book, I found to my great delight that I had amassed a treasure trove list of previously undiscovered films, festivals and resources to sink my teeth into. As a woman who often writes from a feminist perspective, I found this collection of essays (the first all-female and female edited book of its kind) deeply moving, oftentimes upsetting and always incredibly inspirational. As one contributor remarks: 'the impossible can only become possible when we know it is already being done.'" * Ghouls Magazine *
"The aim and the encouragement of the book is clear. It points out the potential of the female voice in genre filmmaking and horror as a means of expression and as a challenge to the status quo, a possible path towards gender equality and resistance." * Film International *
