Ep. No. 28, “Don’t Look Now” Rebecca, it’s Women in Horror Month (sorta)

Today, Counter Esperanto is celebrating Women in Horror Month, which is February and therefore a bit in the rear-view mirror, but now it’s March, which is Women’s History Month, so it all works out in the end! Karl and Jubel begin by discussing Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca and “Don’t Look Now.”

Daphne du Maurier brought the Gothic into the 20th century, and looked at the modern world, and human relationships through the classic Gothic lens. High-profile adaptations from Alfred Hitchcock and Nicholas Roeg helped to solidify her legacy, but while she is certainly not a forgotten writer now, her extraordinary work deserves praise and reappraisal as some of the finest horror written in the 20th century.

We look at some other classic authors, but it is important to us that we help spread the word regarding the exciting work that is being made here and now. Not only do we live in the so-called “Weird Renaissance,” where hundreds of talented authors are able to disseminate their work through digital media and boutique small-press publishers, but many of the best of these authors happen to be women. So in this episode, Jubel presents a short piece written about some of his favorite women authors working today: Gemma Files, Livia Llewellyn, Nadia Bulkin, Betty Rocksteady and S.P. Miskowski.

Some information about the “queen” of the Gothic, Ann Radcliffe

Leonora Carrington “in her own words.” Features great examples of her paintings.

Anne Rice’s website

Official site for Poppy Z. Brite

Caitlin Kiernan’s website

A bibliography of Ellen Datlow’s many anthologies

Marjorie Liu’s website for Monstress

“Who Needs Women in Horror Month” by James Chambers

We all need women in horror month.