Whether attacking the power structures of the present, or creating imaginative utopias and dystopias, literature has long been an effective way to spread ideas about equality. These feminist books, recommended by talented authors Kirsty Logan and Anna Mainwaring, will inform and empower.
From the queen of the modern gothic to female fantasy heroes, you’ll find plenty to inspire you within these pages.
Feminist horror books, recommended by novelist and poet Kirsty Logan
Dark Tales by Shirley Jackson
She’s considered the queen of modern gothic, and for good reason: these stories are sinister, gleeful, mysterious, desperately sad, and so tense I forget to breathe while reading them.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Mexico is perfect for a gothic story. It’s more than just seeing the usual gothic tropes overlaid on a non-European setting; Mexico’s history and culture are vital to the narrative. And the evil at the heart of the story? Patriarchy!
Beloved by Toni Morrison
You can never go wrong with Toni Morrison, but this is my favourite of hers. The tale of the ghost baby and the horrors of her world will forever haunt me.
Point Horror: Dream Date by Sinclair Smith
Since starting Teenage Scream podcast, I’ve read almost 100 teen horror books from the 1990s – most terrible. But this is a hidden gem: a quick, creepy read that also asks some serious questions about domestic abuse.
