What Did Miss Darrington See?: An Anthology of Feminist Supernatural Fiction

Name: What Did Miss Darrington See?: An Anthology of Feminist Supernatural Fiction
Price: 16.95 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781558610064

✍️ Jessica Amanda Salmonson

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

$16.95

In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days

📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

An anthology of feminist supernatural fiction from the 19th and 20th centuries.

The editor gathers writers who disrupt typical horror plots. Authors such as Carrington and Russ use surrealism to twist expectations. This method uncovers deeper meanings in tales that appear standard at first glance. The book connects literary traditions from America, Britain, and Latin America. It illustrates how women handle supernatural occurrences distinct from men. The focus is on restoring a tradition ignored by mainstream critics.

Key Themes

feminist supernatural fiction magic realism allegory

Literary Context

Published by Feminist Press in 1993, this work won the 1989 Lambda Literary Award. It addresses a gap in literary history by highlighting female authors from the US, Britain, and Latin America who used supernatural elements to critique social norms during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Difficulty

●●● Challenging

Recommended For Fans Of

Margaret Atwood · Sherley Anne Williams · Daphne du Maurier · Joyce Carol Oates

🩸

Horror Fiction

🏛 Feminist Press 📅 1993 📖 263 pages 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781558610064

📝 Description: What Did Miss Darrington See?: An Anthology of Feminist Supernatural Fiction

Salmonson assembles a feminist anthology of twenty-four supernatural stories from the US, UK, and Latin America. Spanning the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, these works use magic realism and surrealism to flip genre tropes by centering women. Notable authors include Phelps, Valenzuela, Carrington, Burford, and Russ. This book targets scholars and fans of literary history who want to see how gender shifts horror narratives. It may disappoint readers looking for simple thrills without deeper meaning. The editor highlights a neglected tradition where women used the fantastic to discuss power. The collection offers a structured view of how female writers explored identity through speculative means. It serves as a key resource for tracing feminist speculative fiction's evolution. By linking diverse regions, it argues for the importance of these overlooked voices. The stories show how magical realism functions as social critique. This volume provides context for late twentieth-century literary landscapes.

💎 Our verdict on What Did Miss Darrington See?: An Anthology of Feminist Supernatural Fiction

“

🩸

Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Salmonson successfully curates a collection that flips genre tropes by centering women across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The anthology excels in demonstrating how magical realism functions as sharp social critique within horror and supernatural frameworks. While it may disappoint those seeking straightforward scares, it rewards readers with complex interpretations of power and identity. The inclusion of diverse voices from the US, UK, and Latin America creates a rich tapestry of speculative fiction. This volume serves as a vital resource for tracing the development of feminist horror, making it an indispensable text for academic study and serious genre appreciation.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers interested in the evolution of feminist speculative fiction will find this volume essential for understanding how gender shifts horror narratives. Scholars and fans of literary history gain insight into a tradition ignored by mainstream critics, seeing how women disrupted typical plots through surrealism. It appeals to those seeking deeper meaning over simple thrills, offering a structured view of identity exploration. By linking diverse regional voices, it argues for the importance of overlooked authors who used magic realism as social critique, providing crucial context for late twentieth-century literary landscapes.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Horror Reads editorial team

Salmonson successfully curates a collection that flips genre tropes by centering women across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The anthology excels in demonstrating how magical realism functions as sharp social critique within horror and supernatural frameworks. While it may disappoint those seeking straightforward scares, it rewards readers with complex interpretations of power and identity. The inclusion of diverse voices from the US, UK, and Latin America creates a rich tapestry of speculative fiction. This volume serves as a vital resource for tracing the development of feminist horror, making it an indispensable text for academic study and serious genre appreciation.