Reviews

Women's Weird 2. More Strange Stories by Women, 1891-1937 by Melissa Edmundson

thegothiclibrary's review against another edition

5.0

Weird fiction is a designation used for a particular subset of supernatural horror and speculative fiction most commonly associated with H. P. Lovecraft and his literary circle. But as with the Gothic, it’s a genre that’s a bit hard to nail down with a particular definition. In her lengthy introduction to volume 1, editor Melissa Edmundson did her best to pin down the genre by examining and critiquing different definitions. In volume 2, rather than rehashing that discussion, Edmundson instead seeks to expand our understanding of the term “Weird fiction.” First, though the Weird is often associated with American authors like Lovecraft and American publications such as Weird Tales magazine, authors all over the English-speaking world were participating in the genre. Volume 2 covers a wider geographical range than volume 1, with writers not only from the U.S. and Great Britain, but also Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. Secondly, the introduction to this volume dives deeper into the overlap between Weird fiction and the ghost story. Weird fiction is often contrasted with the rather straightforward and trope-ridden ghost stories of the Victorian era. However, Edmundson argues that rather than something entirely separate and distinct, Weird fiction is part of a continuous tradition with the Victorian ghost story, though the ghosts change form to reflect the changing society at the turn of the twentieth century. Indeed, several of the stories in this collection contain spectral apparitions of the dead, though just as many explore other supernatural elements, such as “weird” spaces and otherworldly creatures. Edmundson’s introduction also lays out some of the major themes addressed in the stories, including trauma, empire, and female power.

See my full review: https://www.thegothiclibrary.com/review-of-womens-weird-volume-2/

jayrothermel's review against another edition

5.0

A magnificent must-own collection. And I never say that.