KC Grifant

I’m happy to announce that my nonfiction article “Legendary Women of Horror” appears in Aurealis Magazine‘s issue #119, alongside of two other essays, “Suffer the Little Children: An Analysis of Parental Horror in Stephen King’s Early Fiction” by Kris Ashton and “Worldbuilding: The Bad and the Just Plain Ugly” by Amy Laurens.

The issue of this esteemed Australian monthly SF/F magazine is rounded out with three fascinating stories by Gordon Grice, Michelle Birkette and Chris Walker, as well as reviews and excellent art.

Aurealis Magazine, founded in 1990, and, in 1995, instituted the Aurealis Awards for Excellence in Australian Speculative Fiction. This issue was edited by Michael Pryor, an award-winning writer and prolific novelist.

I begin “Legendary Women of Horror” with a nod to the master, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley:

Over 200 years ago, Frankenstein’s monster lumbered across the minds of readers around the globe. The tale of Victor Frankenstein and his monster’s anguish tapped into fears about science, nature, and both the power and helplessness of humanity.

After a brief historic overview and discussion on why diverse viewpoints are particularly important in the horror genre, I dive into some of the cutting-edge modern horror writing by women today, as well as highlight two key efforts to showcase women’s work: a social media movement that happens every February called Women In Horror (which just celebrated its 10^th year) and a website and comprehensive directory called Ladies of Horror Fiction.

To read the full essay and other pieces in this issue, check out #119 here, for just $2.99.