1 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:08,280 Speaker 1: Hey, this is any In Samantha, and welcome to Stephane. 2 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 1: Never told you protection of I heart radio. Samantha. You 3 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: know what the scariest thing you've ever read is? Do 4 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: you know what? I used to scare the hell out 5 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: of myself with the scary stories in the dark? Yeah, 6 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:33,879 Speaker 1: oh my god, I would. I wouldn't read all the 7 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: stories and then not sleep for days. But yeah, yeah. 8 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 1: My old roommate and I, Katie she in college, we 9 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:48,640 Speaker 1: were like the sweetest, dorkiest nerds and during October we 10 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: would light our little jackline and like the little Baby 11 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:53,959 Speaker 1: one and we would take turns reading those to each other. 12 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: You don't out loud. I don't know if I could 13 00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: the imagination alone, like for me to see in my head, 14 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: because what are some of the stories like the ribbon 15 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:06,960 Speaker 1: around her next story really figuring out? The witch stories 16 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,680 Speaker 1: always freaking me out? The banchee bungee, Oh my goodness, 17 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 1: I was petrified. That obviously still resonates with me. M 18 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: And I know there was a movie. Have you seen 19 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: the movie for it? I have seen the movie. Is 20 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 1: it worth it? It depends on what your level of 21 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 1: worth it is. I don't want to rule in a great, 22 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: great memory and great book though I don't think it 23 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 1: would do that, but it's definitely like I didn't. It 24 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 1: didn't scare me at all. Um. I was also very 25 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:40,120 Speaker 1: very drug drink responsibly when I saw it in theaters 26 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:41,399 Speaker 1: and I had to rewatch it because I was like, 27 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:43,760 Speaker 1: maybe I just wasn't in the right place. And I 28 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: was like, no, it's great. The story didn't really make 29 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: sense to me. UM. But I mean, if you have 30 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: the option and it's streaming anywhere, I'd say go for it. 31 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 1: I don't think it'll ruin it for you. What is 32 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: this something that you've read that's super scary? UM. I 33 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: was very very scared by pet Cemetery by Stephen King. Um. 34 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 1: I remember reading it and just like lying awake and 35 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:08,239 Speaker 1: not really sure why I was so scared. And I 36 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:09,920 Speaker 1: think that's what he does really well, So he just 37 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: sets like a atmospheric tone and you can't really pinpoint 38 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 1: why you're so scared. But actually, the scariest thing I 39 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 1: ever read, and this is so so me, is a 40 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 1: Silent Hill fan fiction that, like, to this day, I 41 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: think of it and I just my mind is like, 42 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 1: don't even think about it. Oh, it scared me so bad. 43 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: That's amazing. Yeah, alright now never never even read a 44 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: Silent Hill fan fiction since then? Really, yeah, it scared me. Yeah. Um, 45 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:52,799 Speaker 1: have you ever written anything like horror? No? I am 46 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 1: more like so my if I were to write anything, 47 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 1: my genre would be a little more like sudden gothic 48 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 1: tragic type of thing and so not necessarily scary. Oh, 49 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: we are talking a lot about Gothic. I love gothic 50 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 1: stuff for sure. Yeah. Yeah, and typically why anything scary? 51 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:14,800 Speaker 1: I know you do the really sad stuff. Yeah, that's 52 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 1: my go to is sad. But um, I have written. 53 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 1: I wrote a book called Silence, and it was I 54 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:24,679 Speaker 1: mean it was pretty typical like it was about a 55 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: therapist who's like through her sessions realizing something's very wrong 56 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:34,640 Speaker 1: in this town. Um. And then recently I wrote there's 57 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: a new podcast coming out called Thirteen Days of Halloween, 58 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 1: and I wrote thirteen stories because I'm an overachiever or 59 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 1: a masochist. I don't know. They only chose one. I 60 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 1: was only supposed to do one. Say, didn't they say 61 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 1: write one? And then you wrote thirteen and said them 62 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: all of them? Yeah, And they were like, Okay, this 63 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 1: is great, but we have a lot of stuff to 64 00:03:55,520 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: go through to rank them. An you're an edit, there's nightmare, 65 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 1: I know, I know, believe me, do I know that? Um, 66 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 1: so look out for that. It should be interesting. Again. 67 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 1: My story is called red Bilvity. It's a good one. Um. 68 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:15,160 Speaker 1: But yeah, today we were talking about women in horror 69 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 1: writing horror because yes it is October, and uh, I 70 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:23,839 Speaker 1: just love things that are scary and I'm always ready 71 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: to talk about these things. Uh. And disclaimer for We're 72 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: gonna give a lot of examples in this episode, but 73 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,039 Speaker 1: we have not read them all. We have not read 74 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:37,159 Speaker 1: all the examples we're going to cite, and I cannot 75 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:42,360 Speaker 1: speak for their depiction of women, race, queer able, is 76 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:46,279 Speaker 1: m all that intersexual stuff? Um. Also, we are focusing 77 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 1: largely on horror written in the Western world, but I 78 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 1: would absolutely love to come back and do another one. Um, 79 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: looking at horror in different places and women writing horror. 80 00:04:56,960 --> 00:04:59,160 Speaker 1: I bet it would be so interesting that the legends 81 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 1: that they have in the kind of like the folklore 82 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 1: that's behind those legends. I would love to hear about 83 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:08,280 Speaker 1: that me too, like things like the gin Oh my goodness, 84 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:13,040 Speaker 1: that's say stuff. Yeah, And if any listeners has anything 85 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 1: we should pursue in that area, or any examples to 86 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:18,080 Speaker 1: share with us, Oh my gosh, please send them in. 87 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, and just to put this in there, we 88 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 1: are for our monthly reading. Just to go ahead and 89 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:26,720 Speaker 1: let everybody get a heads up reading The Bloody Chamber. Yes, yeah, 90 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 1: which is by a female horror writer. Who is it, 91 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: Angela Carter? You know, was like Alicia Watts Nope, giving 92 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: our new name. Yeah, So we're reading The Bloody Chamber 93 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:43,360 Speaker 1: by Angela Carter, which is an older horror story. So 94 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:45,160 Speaker 1: if you want to pick that up and join us, 95 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:48,839 Speaker 1: just to let you know, Yeah, it's pretty short. Um, 96 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:52,039 Speaker 1: neither of us have read it before, so we're going 97 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:55,480 Speaker 1: to go on this journey together. Who knows what it 98 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 1: will be like. It was recommended to me by by 99 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 1: actually past host Christen Caroline mentioned it in one of 100 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:06,719 Speaker 1: their episodes, so I'm excited to check it out. But 101 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 1: in the meantime, all right, let's talk about women in 102 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:13,599 Speaker 1: horror fiction and what exactly is horror fiction. It turns 103 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 1: out that that's sort of a difficult thing to pin down. 104 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 1: Some people say it's more of an emotion, more of 105 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 1: a feeling, than a definition. One of the founders of 106 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 1: the Horror Writers Association, Robert McCammon, tried to define it 107 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 1: in though with this, horror fiction can be a guide 108 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 1: through a nightmare world, entered freely and by the reader's 109 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: own will. And since horror can be many many things 110 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:41,599 Speaker 1: that go in many many directions, that guided nightmare ride 111 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 1: can shock, educate, illuminate, threatened, shriek and whisper before it 112 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:50,279 Speaker 1: lets the readers loose um And as we've talked about 113 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:53,720 Speaker 1: time and time again, horror is often a reflection of 114 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:56,359 Speaker 1: what we fear on a societal level. And because we 115 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:58,720 Speaker 1: are so afraid of women and women's bodies, as we 116 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:01,800 Speaker 1: recently talked about, women are definitely tied to the genre. 117 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 1: It makes sense that women authors have been pioneers and 118 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 1: writing horror fiction. Despite this, many of the authors that 119 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:10,760 Speaker 1: get lifted up as the best in horror or of 120 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:14,000 Speaker 1: course men. And if you look at horror anthologies, out 121 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 1: of fifteen stories, maybe one to three are written by women, 122 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 1: which is so unfortunate if any of them are at all, right, 123 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 1: And I think if you asked the average person to 124 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:31,119 Speaker 1: name three authors who are writing horror, they would probably 125 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 1: all be men. Yeah, for sure. The top ones in 126 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:38,280 Speaker 1: my head for sure come up as men. Yeah. Um. 127 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:41,119 Speaker 1: And many of the accounts of women writing and horror 128 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 1: described not only having difficulty getting published, but this layer 129 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 1: of over analysis when it comes to subtext, both from 130 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: the reader and the writer. A woman can't just write horror, 131 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:57,240 Speaker 1: has to have some hidden man hating theme, even if 132 00:07:57,280 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 1: that's not there, like, that's fine if it is, but 133 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 1: of people just assume. And therefore it's like women's literature 134 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:08,160 Speaker 1: as opposed to horror. Um. And not only that, there's 135 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 1: this question of what kind of woman would right horror. 136 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 1: Women describe being judged as weird or disturbed if they 137 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 1: were writing horror, whereas male authors would be viewed as 138 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 1: cool or brave, like bucking the system. Um. And these 139 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 1: judgments following them to job interviews. At least one account 140 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 1: said she uh, an interviewer had found that she had 141 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 1: written this horror story and there was definitely already this 142 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:37,960 Speaker 1: layer of well, I don't know about this woman. Yeah. Yeah. 143 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:41,559 Speaker 1: Horror stories or stories mean to bring a sense of fear, 144 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:43,920 Speaker 1: have been told for as long as people have been 145 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 1: telling stories, and those are the best stories, the ones 146 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:48,960 Speaker 1: that kind of become legends um. And a lot of 147 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:52,880 Speaker 1: these first horror stories weren't told for fun necessarily, but 148 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:56,199 Speaker 1: as of course cautionary tells. Don't go alone in the 149 00:08:56,280 --> 00:08:58,960 Speaker 1: dark or you might get eaten. They might also feature 150 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:01,440 Speaker 1: a creature, which are ghost, to explain things that people 151 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 1: don't understand at that time. Do people understand these things 152 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 1: at this time? Do we really understand creature? Which is 153 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:10,560 Speaker 1: we're just sort of like, you know, like banshees. They 154 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 1: think was that sound coming from swamps? Or or maybe 155 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:16,079 Speaker 1: it was a screech owl, but of course it's pushees. 156 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: To be fair, I do assume ghost first almost always. 157 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: As you know, Samantha, I think you're correct. We're definitely harden. Uh. 158 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:28,559 Speaker 1: These stories make up a great deal of our foundational 159 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:30,560 Speaker 1: folk stories, which again we would love to hear the 160 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:34,280 Speaker 1: international levels because I can't imagine like how it transitions 161 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 1: from culture to culture. And ancient Greek tales told of 162 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:41,680 Speaker 1: which is vampires and monsters, yes, and so did religious texts, 163 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 1: which we know maybe more like demons and such. Yeah. 164 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:48,080 Speaker 1: One of my favorite things I've ever learned is that 165 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 1: almost every culture has a vampire legend, and and almost everyone, 166 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 1: I think in everyone except for one vampires don't like garlic. 167 00:09:56,800 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 1: And all these stories came separately like originated and set 168 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 1: replace at separate times. Fascinating m h m hmm. Horror 169 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:09,719 Speaker 1: for horrors or curiosity's sake emerged in Western literature in 170 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:15,079 Speaker 1: the century with the Gothic novel sixty four novel The 171 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 1: Castle Otranto by horrace At Walpole often gets the credit 172 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:22,080 Speaker 1: for cementing the genres legitimacy. So maybe not the first 173 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 1: book or the first short story, but the first one. 174 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 1: People were like, oh, this is a book and it 175 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:30,880 Speaker 1: deserves respect. At the same time, in France we see 176 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 1: the erise of Roman noir, black novels and German shutter novels, 177 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:39,760 Speaker 1: which I love. And women have been riding a horror 178 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 1: since the very beginning, but they haven't always gotten the 179 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:45,640 Speaker 1: attention or the credit. And we'll get into that and 180 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: some famous historical examples after we take a quick break 181 00:10:48,400 --> 00:11:05,160 Speaker 1: for word from our sponsor and we're back, Thank you sponsor. Yeah, 182 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:07,960 Speaker 1: so let's get into history. Historically, a lot of horror 183 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 1: written by women has been lost to time and not 184 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:13,360 Speaker 1: preserved in the same way mal warts were, of course, 185 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:16,000 Speaker 1: and many of these words were not discovered until long 186 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:19,040 Speaker 1: after the author's death, usually when a male writer of 187 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 1: acclaim highlights the story. Some of these authors are believed 188 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:26,719 Speaker 1: have literally starved to death. However, it was not all 189 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 1: doom and gloom. A lot of women succeeded in the 190 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:33,640 Speaker 1: realm of writing. Horror particularly got the car as the 191 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:37,760 Speaker 1: genre emerged and gain popularity, and this popularity was only 192 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 1: possible due to the introduction of new technologies that allowed 193 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:44,960 Speaker 1: for the printing of cheap magazines and newspapers. To distribute 194 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:47,600 Speaker 1: these stories to a wider audience and to fill these 195 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 1: pages required a lot of stories, and in the early days, 196 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 1: women were largely the ones providing these stories. It was 197 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:56,439 Speaker 1: an appealing career path for women who didn't have a 198 00:11:56,480 --> 00:11:59,280 Speaker 1: lot of opportunities at the time. Uh though the world 199 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:02,440 Speaker 1: of publishing is largely dominated by men, women could still 200 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 1: get works published by writing under a gender neutral or 201 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:08,640 Speaker 1: masculine sounding pen name, or anonymously or with a missus 202 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 1: so people knew you had a husband to keep you 203 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:12,800 Speaker 1: in lyne, you weren't such a big threat. And not 204 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 1: to say that some women didn't do those things. It 205 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:18,680 Speaker 1: was just easier to get published by doing their things. 206 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:23,920 Speaker 1: Not only that strict genres weren't so much a thing yet, 207 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 1: so there was a lot of freedom to try all 208 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 1: kinds of stories, Like you could write a horror story 209 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 1: one day in a romantic story the other day, and 210 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:33,320 Speaker 1: nobody really questioned, oh, you should stick to stick to 211 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:38,040 Speaker 1: your life um, And these women did. Even within the 212 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:43,520 Speaker 1: horror genre ghost swear worlds, vampires, banshees, cosmic tears, mad scientists, 213 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 1: dark dread inducing stories. Several of the horror stories written 214 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:51,440 Speaker 1: by women from this time did include feminine themes womanhood, 215 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:58,320 Speaker 1: social and class movements, feminism, domesticity, motherhood, uh children, childlessness, 216 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:01,199 Speaker 1: and the self worth of child All those women all 217 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:05,760 Speaker 1: of this stuff in these early horror stories. Examples include 218 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 1: What Was the Matter by Elizabeth Stewart Phelps, The Dream 219 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 1: Baby by Olivia Howard Dunbar, The Giant Wistaria by Charlotte 220 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 1: Perkins Gilman, The Wind in the Rosebush by Mary Wilkins Freeman, 221 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 1: Twilight by Marjorie Bowen, Transmigration by Dora Sigerson Shorter, and 222 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:23,679 Speaker 1: so so so many more. A lot of these are 223 00:13:23,679 --> 00:13:25,240 Speaker 1: in the public domain, by the way, if you'd like 224 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:28,400 Speaker 1: to go check them out. At this time, most horror 225 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 1: stories were written by women. The Gothic genre owes its 226 00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:35,720 Speaker 1: existence to women, and the audience was primarily women too. 227 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:38,880 Speaker 1: In the early days of its existence, Gothic horror was 228 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 1: dismissed as essentially chick lit, which still problematic to dismissed 229 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:49,040 Speaker 1: chickolt neither is good, neither is good m So many 230 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:51,199 Speaker 1: of these women were able to support a family and 231 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:53,760 Speaker 1: fairly quickly by writing, especially in the wake of a 232 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:57,360 Speaker 1: loss of a Husbandhood previously provided support. And Radcliffe, who 233 00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:00,480 Speaker 1: wrote primarily Gothic fiction, was a top paid author in 234 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:03,680 Speaker 1: the seventeen nineties. Her most famous work was a supernatural 235 00:14:03,679 --> 00:14:06,440 Speaker 1: tale following a female protagonist in a castle, called The 236 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 1: Mysteries of Udolpho. Some consider this the first best seller, 237 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 1: which maybe that should be on our list. Most of 238 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:19,160 Speaker 1: her works did focus on dynamic, interesting female characters, which 239 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:21,360 Speaker 1: of course was a rarity for the time, which even 240 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:24,680 Speaker 1: is a rarity to this day. For some unknown reason, 241 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:27,200 Speaker 1: she stopped writing at the age of thirty two, and 242 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:31,360 Speaker 1: there's several probably untrue stories around her life and death, 243 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 1: which is even better like I'm like you do you 244 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:38,040 Speaker 1: not love that? Like Aura of Mystery are under so 245 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:42,040 Speaker 1: from c U and Y Brooklyn quote. Little was or 246 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 1: is known about Radcliffe's life, so not surprisingly, hypocritical story 247 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:48,560 Speaker 1: sprang up about her. It was reported that she had 248 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:51,200 Speaker 1: gone mad as a result of her dreadful imagination and 249 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:54,200 Speaker 1: been confined to an asylum, that she had been captured 250 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:57,200 Speaker 1: as a spy in Paris, or that she ate rare 251 00:14:57,280 --> 00:15:00,600 Speaker 1: port chub before retiring to stimulate nightmares for her novels, 252 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 1: and several times she was falsely removed to be dead. 253 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:07,520 Speaker 1: It sounds like a fascinating woman. I mean, why have 254 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:09,560 Speaker 1: we not thought about her? We talked about Emily Dickinson 255 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:12,200 Speaker 1: all the time with her past. Yeah, I want to 256 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:14,400 Speaker 1: know why? Why did people think she was a spy? 257 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:19,640 Speaker 1: Emparison such a stretch from eating raw pork to have nightmares? 258 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:25,720 Speaker 1: And I also just love dreadful imagination. That's so good. 259 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:30,040 Speaker 1: But okay, no history of women writing horror would be 260 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 1: complete without mentioning Mary Shelley. In eighteen eighteen, Shelley published Frankenstein, 261 00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 1: a novel that continues to influence our pop culture to 262 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 1: this day. I was thinking about this. It had such 263 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 1: a huge impact. You still, like, I still hear it mentioned, 264 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:50,800 Speaker 1: like just recently I heard it on a like late 265 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:54,360 Speaker 1: night talk show. And then I was thinking about Darth 266 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: Vader and because of Forest in Revenge of the Sith 267 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:02,680 Speaker 1: and how when he comes to life. Oh it's like, yeah, 268 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:05,480 Speaker 1: it's still mentioned and it's still a popular costume, like 269 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:10,680 Speaker 1: it has lived for sure. Oh yeah, it lose lose. 270 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:16,320 Speaker 1: Shelley was eighteen when she wrote this, and allegedly she 271 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 1: wrote it in response to Lord Byron's ghost story challenge. 272 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:22,080 Speaker 1: So this is kind of a legendary tale in itself 273 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:26,000 Speaker 1: that after rain kept Byron and Shelley inside with three 274 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 1: other vacationing friends. Uh, they told each other ghost stories, 275 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:32,520 Speaker 1: and then Byron was like, I challenge all of the 276 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 1: to write a scarier ghost story than these, and she 277 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:41,240 Speaker 1: and one other person did. Um. The fact that this 278 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: was written by a woman did cause surprises no one. 279 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 1: I'm sure a fair share of controversy and its day. 280 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 1: The British Critics eighteen review of the book claimed quote, 281 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 1: if our authoress can forget the gentleness of her sex, 282 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:57,680 Speaker 1: there is no reason why we should, and we shall 283 00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:07,639 Speaker 1: therefore dismiss the novel without further comments. Wow. Yeah, excellently, 284 00:17:07,680 --> 00:17:13,320 Speaker 1: says demanthis so verbos you are still the book was 285 00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:17,280 Speaker 1: successful and her earned her the nickname the Mother of Horror, 286 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:21,879 Speaker 1: which is an excellent nickname. Many consider this the first 287 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:25,560 Speaker 1: science fiction novel, an epic pseudoscience tale about a monster 288 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:30,360 Speaker 1: destroying its creator. That fateful rainy day, by the way, 289 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:34,720 Speaker 1: also allegedly led to Paul Dori's The Vampire or the 290 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:38,440 Speaker 1: Vampire perhaps in eighteen nineteen, and the nineteen eight six 291 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:41,880 Speaker 1: movie Gothic. And there's also the movie Mary Shelley, which 292 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:43,879 Speaker 1: Hulu keeps telling me I should watch? Is that the 293 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:47,679 Speaker 1: one with Julia Roberts. There's probably more than one, this one. 294 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:52,119 Speaker 1: I think this one has Ellie Fanning. Oh well, there's one. 295 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:56,600 Speaker 1: Oh wow, look at that. And I think al Pacino, No, 296 00:17:56,600 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 1: no, no no, al Pacino. Robert de Niro is one of 297 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:04,359 Speaker 1: them too. Wow. Okay, yeah. So in the nineteenth century, 298 00:18:04,359 --> 00:18:07,960 Speaker 1: Irish writer Charlotte Riddle turned out several short stories and novella's, 299 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:13,440 Speaker 1: primarily about ghosts and haunted house. Originally she published under 300 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:16,800 Speaker 1: masculine pen names like F. G. Trafford and RVM Sparling, 301 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:19,360 Speaker 1: and she was quite prolific and popular at the time, 302 00:18:19,359 --> 00:18:21,480 Speaker 1: and she started writing as a means to support her mother, 303 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:25,720 Speaker 1: which is even better, and we have Marie Correlli. She 304 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 1: was the top paid author in the eighteen nineties. Writing 305 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:31,440 Speaker 1: was one avenue that women could receive pay equal to men's, 306 00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:35,560 Speaker 1: particularly if their pen name was again anonymous or allowed 307 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:37,600 Speaker 1: people in some way to believe that they were men. 308 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:40,920 Speaker 1: Two women who turned to writing out of dire financial 309 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:42,720 Speaker 1: need later became some of the most well known of 310 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:47,119 Speaker 1: the time, Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Frances Hodgson Burnett. And 311 00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:49,320 Speaker 1: and we can't forget two of my favorites, Emily and 312 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:53,200 Speaker 1: Charlotte Bronte, who wrote Weathering Heights in Jane Eyre and yes, 313 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:55,560 Speaker 1: read both of them. Jane Eyre is probably my favorite 314 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:59,199 Speaker 1: on top on the other hand, but it's delightful in 315 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:02,159 Speaker 1: our classic examples of the Gothic pieces from this period. 316 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:08,200 Speaker 1: Very haunting, yes, yes, lots of atmosphere, so much atmosphere 317 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:12,720 Speaker 1: with names like hey, Heythcliffe, come on um and fire, 318 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:16,280 Speaker 1: so many fires. But anyway, people were really concerned about 319 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:19,280 Speaker 1: women reading this material. I think it was mentioned in 320 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:22,720 Speaker 1: the fan fiction two parter right. Yeah, yeah, they were 321 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:27,480 Speaker 1: worried that it was giving us emotions, so many emotions. Um. 322 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:31,520 Speaker 1: Jane Austin's eighteen seventeen worked North Hangar Abbey mocked women's 323 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:33,879 Speaker 1: love of these books. I will say there was this 324 00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:37,720 Speaker 1: weird uh rival against the Bronte sisters in Austin. There 325 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:40,240 Speaker 1: was because I love both of them, all of them. 326 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:43,320 Speaker 1: I love all of them. M But she did mock 327 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:47,159 Speaker 1: the love of these books, with protagonist Katherine Morland imagining 328 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:50,360 Speaker 1: all sorts of monsters thanks to reading too many horrid 329 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:54,600 Speaker 1: books and giving to her feminine curiosity, the idea slowly 330 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:57,119 Speaker 1: to call that women were way too fragile for horror 331 00:19:57,119 --> 00:19:59,560 Speaker 1: and gothic of the course, in a genre that had 332 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:03,160 Speaker 1: once been received as feminine, was mascualized. The anxiety wasn't 333 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:05,760 Speaker 1: confined to women reading it, to women writing it, as 334 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:08,720 Speaker 1: a lot of the themes consciously or not reflected anxiety 335 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:13,520 Speaker 1: around the patriarchy and were feminist in nature. Oh no, yeah, 336 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:17,240 Speaker 1: oh no, indeed. And there's also a layer of um, oh, 337 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:21,199 Speaker 1: you poor thing, like you're silly enough that you'll believe this. 338 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:24,880 Speaker 1: You're not, You're not smart enough to know that this 339 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:29,680 Speaker 1: is in reality. Uh. The link between feminism and harsh 340 00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:32,119 Speaker 1: strengthened by the end of the eighteenth century, and women 341 00:20:32,119 --> 00:20:34,760 Speaker 1: writers use their stories to critique society and push for 342 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:39,000 Speaker 1: social change, particularly around issues like motherhood, health, and hysteria. 343 00:20:39,359 --> 00:20:42,439 Speaker 1: Despite the plethora of examples of women's short stories, gothic 344 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:45,520 Speaker 1: novels written by men are what we remember from this period. 345 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:48,680 Speaker 1: I had a really hard time. Obviously, there are plenty 346 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:51,720 Speaker 1: of examples, but when I went to just a page 347 00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:56,040 Speaker 1: that was highlighting, I'd say probably one hundred, almost all 348 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:59,199 Speaker 1: of them were men. No joke. Um. There are several 349 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:02,960 Speaker 1: reasons why I this could be. Perhaps novels receive more 350 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:05,879 Speaker 1: respect and attention than short stories, perhaps because these stories 351 00:21:05,920 --> 00:21:09,040 Speaker 1: dealt with women's and social issues, and thus we're categorized 352 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:11,720 Speaker 1: as women's writing instead of gothic or heart which again 353 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:14,520 Speaker 1: is a problem that remains to this day. But the 354 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:18,080 Speaker 1: point is women were there at the very beginning, and 355 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:21,800 Speaker 1: they were writing most of this and then until society 356 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 1: was like, Nope, that's not that's not ladylike, and men 357 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:29,680 Speaker 1: should do it. And now it's a respected genre because 358 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:32,200 Speaker 1: men are doing it right and should be paid more 359 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:38,359 Speaker 1: for it. Right. Yep. Absolutely, Well that's that's about our history. 360 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:40,480 Speaker 1: But we do have some more modern day examples we 361 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:42,560 Speaker 1: wanted to share with you. But first we have one 362 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:57,920 Speaker 1: more group, break for a word from our sponsor, and 363 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:03,200 Speaker 1: we're back, Thank you sponsor. So unfortunately, in our more 364 00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:07,119 Speaker 1: modern times, they are still more men writing horror than women. 365 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:12,440 Speaker 1: But there are women producing some amazing stuff and this 366 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:17,159 Speaker 1: is slowly changing that it's not super weird that women 367 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:19,920 Speaker 1: are writing horror. And we thought we'd leave you with 368 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,280 Speaker 1: a few examples if you want to check them out, 369 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:26,600 Speaker 1: Starting with Shirley Jackson, who wrote things like The Haunting 370 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:28,359 Speaker 1: of Hill House, which I know a lot of you 371 00:22:28,359 --> 00:22:33,080 Speaker 1: are probably familiar with. The Netflix show. UM Daphne do Martier, 372 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 1: whose works were adapted into films twelve times, including several 373 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:41,280 Speaker 1: by Hitchcock, like The Birds and Nicholas Real Eggs It 374 00:22:41,359 --> 00:22:44,520 Speaker 1: Don't Look Now, which we mentioned in our which is 375 00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:49,639 Speaker 1: episode about hocus Pocus in the Witches. UM Joyce Carol Oates, 376 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:52,480 Speaker 1: a Pullit Surprise winning author who has written over one 377 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:56,880 Speaker 1: hundred books. Of course, Octavia Butler, who you love, Yeah, 378 00:22:57,119 --> 00:23:01,560 Speaker 1: I love Octavia Butler. Yeah, it's one of the few times, 379 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:04,080 Speaker 1: while now that's not true at all, I was gonna 380 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:05,639 Speaker 1: say it's one of the few times in an assigned 381 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:07,720 Speaker 1: book became one of my favorite books. I've actually generally 382 00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:09,639 Speaker 1: liked every book I've been assigned to read. But I 383 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:11,600 Speaker 1: was assigned to read some of her books in college, 384 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:14,119 Speaker 1: her science fiction books, and I love them and I 385 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:16,919 Speaker 1: still love them to this day. Yeah uh yeah. And 386 00:23:16,960 --> 00:23:19,920 Speaker 1: she has a lot of horror in her science fiction, 387 00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:22,600 Speaker 1: which I do feel like go hand in hand oftentimes. Um. 388 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:25,359 Speaker 1: And she frequently addressed the horrors of systemic racism in 389 00:23:25,359 --> 00:23:29,040 Speaker 1: her work, which is awesome as needs to be. Also 390 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:31,360 Speaker 1: on anomie author of things like The Body and Now 391 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:34,360 Speaker 1: You're one of Us Lisa Tuttle, which, by the way, 392 00:23:34,359 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 1: I thought you were saying Lisa Turtle, and I was 393 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:38,880 Speaker 1: really caught up and just played by the bill anyway. 394 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:42,720 Speaker 1: Lisa Tuttle an eighties horror fiction writer who also wrote 395 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:48,160 Speaker 1: Encyclopedia of Feminism. Yeah, we might need to read. Yeah. 396 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:51,000 Speaker 1: Then there's Linda Addison, who in two thousand one became 397 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:53,280 Speaker 1: the first black woman to be awarded the Bram Stoker 398 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:56,280 Speaker 1: Award for her work Consumed Reduced to Beautiful Gray Ashes, 399 00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:59,320 Speaker 1: And in two seventeen, the Horror Writers Association shows her 400 00:23:59,359 --> 00:24:02,040 Speaker 1: for their Lifetime Achievement Award, which is in the horror 401 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:07,280 Speaker 1: world that's like the top. Yeah. Yeah, Also, I'm just 402 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:08,760 Speaker 1: gonna put out there. I tried to get to the 403 00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: bottom of I don't know. Have you heard the rumor 404 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:14,280 Speaker 1: that brand Stoker didn't really write Dracula but a woman did? Yes, 405 00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:16,440 Speaker 1: I actually I did. I tried to get to the 406 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:18,359 Speaker 1: bottom of that, and I could not find the answer. 407 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:21,399 Speaker 1: But we are aware of it. Right. There's also like 408 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:23,560 Speaker 1: the rumor, well not the rumor that yes, he did 409 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:25,639 Speaker 1: write it, but because it was legend and had already 410 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:28,160 Speaker 1: been there, that there were other rights that he took 411 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:31,719 Speaker 1: from right right right, right right right. Yeah. We mentioned it. 412 00:24:32,320 --> 00:24:34,960 Speaker 1: Oh gosh, that feels like centuries ago in our serial 413 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:38,080 Speaker 1: Killer episode because we talked about kind of the inspiration 414 00:24:38,119 --> 00:24:42,480 Speaker 1: around it and there was a woman behind that. Um. 415 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:46,760 Speaker 1: But anyway. Uh. There's also Karma Krmen Maria Machado, author 416 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:50,439 Speaker 1: of Her Body and Other Parties. Um. And then there's 417 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:54,280 Speaker 1: Tanana reeve Do who, on top of writing horror, also 418 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:57,119 Speaker 1: teaches classes on it, including a u c L A 419 00:24:57,160 --> 00:25:01,920 Speaker 1: class called the Sunken Place, Racism Survival, and Black Horror Acidic. 420 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 1: We made her on the show. Sounds awesome. Um. And 421 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:09,919 Speaker 1: then there's Helen Oh yeah, Ammi, author of things like 422 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:12,920 Speaker 1: White Is for Witching and Acorus girl, right, and I 423 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:15,120 Speaker 1: guess we should put in there and Rice because yes, 424 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:19,280 Speaker 1: she did right, many of the vampire series. Um, and 425 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:21,879 Speaker 1: she's one of the probably more popular ones because of 426 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:24,480 Speaker 1: those vampire series. As you know, Tom Cruise and Brad 427 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 1: Pitt comes together to subduce Kristen Stewart. I don't remember 428 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:33,879 Speaker 1: Kirsten Dunst whatever. See, there's so many vampire movies and 429 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:37,280 Speaker 1: I love vampire genres. Please don't hate me, so, but yeah, 430 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:40,440 Speaker 1: Kristen dunts there. It is in her young self. But yeah, 431 00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:42,280 Speaker 1: so we have to put her in there because she did. 432 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:49,920 Speaker 1: She definitely create a whole level of sexy, sexy vampire. 433 00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:52,760 Speaker 1: Well no, I mean the vampires always been sexualized, but 434 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:55,120 Speaker 1: in this level, when you have iconic stars like Tom 435 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:58,119 Speaker 1: Cruise and Brad Pitt Pitt playing the main characters, you 436 00:25:58,200 --> 00:26:04,080 Speaker 1: can't help but notice, right, Okay, I've never read an 437 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:07,359 Speaker 1: Ann Rice book, Um, but I would, I mean, I 438 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:10,440 Speaker 1: would definitely say she would be one of the first 439 00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:13,680 Speaker 1: that if you were trying to list popular horror writers, 440 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:17,159 Speaker 1: people would think of her. Um the first woman, I 441 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:18,879 Speaker 1: would say a lot of times. And she did do 442 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:23,920 Speaker 1: a lot to popularize specifically a vampire Horrors a whole 443 00:26:24,119 --> 00:26:30,320 Speaker 1: series yep. Um. For all the older examples we mentioned, 444 00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:33,480 Speaker 1: most if not all, of them, are featured in the 445 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:37,760 Speaker 1: book Weird Women Classics Supernatural Fiction by groundbreaking female writers 446 00:26:39,320 --> 00:26:42,159 Speaker 1: Y three by Leslie s Clinger and Lisa Morton. So 447 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:45,879 Speaker 1: you can go check that out too. And I'm so happy. 448 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:48,720 Speaker 1: I feel like I have a whole repertoire books I 449 00:26:48,720 --> 00:26:50,879 Speaker 1: want to check out now. Yeah, for sure. I know 450 00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:53,280 Speaker 1: when we were talking again about our monthly reading and 451 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:55,520 Speaker 1: You're like, I have a whole list. I think we 452 00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:57,360 Speaker 1: should read one of these, and I was like, okay, cool, cool, cool, 453 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:02,399 Speaker 1: let's do this. Yeah. Well, I was reading the the 454 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:07,320 Speaker 1: synapsis for a lot of these and everyone I was like, oh, 455 00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:11,080 Speaker 1: I think there's an original for sure. I gotta do it. 456 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:15,639 Speaker 1: I gotta do it, yes, yes, um. And And for 457 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:19,560 Speaker 1: this one, since it is October, we thought we would 458 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:23,320 Speaker 1: close out with a reading anyone I would be done 459 00:27:23,359 --> 00:27:27,359 Speaker 1: to us. A dramatic reading isn't dramatic, Okay, here we go. 460 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:31,840 Speaker 1: So we are going to read from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. 461 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:34,320 Speaker 1: So go ahead and light your candle, sit in the dog, 462 00:27:34,359 --> 00:27:38,159 Speaker 1: and here we go. So how we start. Yes, it 463 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:40,720 Speaker 1: was on a dreary night of November that I beheld 464 00:27:40,800 --> 00:27:44,080 Speaker 1: the accomplishments of my toils with an anxiety that almost 465 00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:47,600 Speaker 1: amounted to agony. I collected the instruments of life around me, 466 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:50,040 Speaker 1: that I might infuse a spark of being into the 467 00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:52,800 Speaker 1: lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already 468 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:56,000 Speaker 1: one in the morning, the rain patterned dismally against the pains, 469 00:27:56,080 --> 00:27:59,240 Speaker 1: and my candle was nearly burnt out, when by the 470 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:02,080 Speaker 1: glim of the extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow 471 00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:04,919 Speaker 1: eye of the creature open. It breathed hard, and a 472 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:09,800 Speaker 1: convulsive motion agitated its limbs. How can I describe my 473 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:13,240 Speaker 1: emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom 474 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:16,199 Speaker 1: with such infinite pains and care I had endeavored to form. 475 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:18,359 Speaker 1: His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his 476 00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:23,160 Speaker 1: features as beautiful, beautiful, great God. His yellow skin scarcely 477 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:25,920 Speaker 1: covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath. His hair 478 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:28,919 Speaker 1: was of illustrious black and flowing, his teeth of a 479 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 1: pearly whiteness. But these luxuriances only formed a more horrid 480 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 1: contrast with his watery eyes that seemed almost of the 481 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:38,440 Speaker 1: same color as the dun white sockets in which they 482 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:42,360 Speaker 1: were set, his shriveled complexion and straight black lips. The 483 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:45,200 Speaker 1: different accidents of life are not so changeable as the 484 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:48,440 Speaker 1: feelings of human nature. Had worked hard for nearly two 485 00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:51,040 Speaker 1: years for the sole purpose of infusing life into an 486 00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:55,480 Speaker 1: inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rust 487 00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 1: and health. I had desired it with an ardor that 488 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:01,320 Speaker 1: far exceeded moderation. But now that I had finished, the 489 00:29:01,360 --> 00:29:04,680 Speaker 1: beauty of the dream vanished and breathless. Horror and disgust 490 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:07,280 Speaker 1: filled my heart, and able to endure the aspect of 491 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:09,560 Speaker 1: the beating I had created, I rushed out of the 492 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:12,760 Speaker 1: room and continued a long time to versing my bed chamber, 493 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:16,160 Speaker 1: and able to compose my mind asleep. At length last 494 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:18,920 Speaker 1: Dude succeeded to the tumult I had bullied endured, and 495 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:21,880 Speaker 1: I threw myself on the bed in my clothes, endeavoring 496 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 1: to seek a few moments of forgetfulness. But it was 497 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:27,920 Speaker 1: in vain I slept, indeed, but I was disturbed by 498 00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 1: the wildest dreams. I thought I saw Elizabeth in the 499 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:34,440 Speaker 1: bloom of health, walking in the streets of Ingolstadt. Delighted 500 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:36,800 Speaker 1: and surprised, I embraced her, but as I imprinted the 501 00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:38,720 Speaker 1: first kiss on her lips, they became livid with the 502 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:41,120 Speaker 1: hue of death. Her features appeared to change, and I 503 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:42,760 Speaker 1: thought that I had held the corpse of my dead 504 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:45,320 Speaker 1: mother in my arms. A stroud enveloped her form, and 505 00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:48,120 Speaker 1: I saw grave worms crawling in the folds of the flannel. 506 00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:51,800 Speaker 1: I started from my sleep with horror. A cold dew 507 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:56,200 Speaker 1: covered my forehead. My teeth chattered, and every limb became convulsed. 508 00:29:56,640 --> 00:29:58,480 Speaker 1: When by the dim and yellow light of the moon, 509 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:00,560 Speaker 1: as it forced its way through the window shutters, I 510 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:04,000 Speaker 1: beheld the wretch, the miserable monster whom I had created. 511 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:06,320 Speaker 1: He held up the curtain of the bed, and his eyes, 512 00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:08,880 Speaker 1: if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me. 513 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:13,600 Speaker 1: His jaws opened and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while 514 00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:16,240 Speaker 1: a grin wrinkled his cheeks. He might have spoken, but 515 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 1: I did not hear. One hand was stretched out seemingly 516 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:22,200 Speaker 1: to detain me, but I escaped and rushed downstairs. I 517 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:24,520 Speaker 1: took refuge in the courtyard belonging to the house which 518 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:27,080 Speaker 1: I inhabited, where I remained during the rest of the night, 519 00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:30,440 Speaker 1: walking up and down in the greatest agitation, listening, attentively, 520 00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:32,680 Speaker 1: catching and fearing each sound as if it were to 521 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:35,320 Speaker 1: announce the approach of the demonical corpse to which I 522 00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:39,520 Speaker 1: had so miserably given life. Oh, no mortal could support 523 00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:42,120 Speaker 1: the horror of that countenance. A mummy again and endued 524 00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:44,560 Speaker 1: with animation. It could not be so hideous as that 525 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:47,200 Speaker 1: wretch I had gazed on him while unfinished. He was 526 00:30:47,360 --> 00:30:50,120 Speaker 1: ugly then, But when these muscles and joys were rendered 527 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:52,680 Speaker 1: capable of motion, it became a thing such as even 528 00:30:52,760 --> 00:30:56,480 Speaker 1: Dante could not have conceived. I passed the night wretchedly. 529 00:30:56,800 --> 00:30:59,120 Speaker 1: Sometimes my pulse beat so quickly and hardly that I 530 00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:02,080 Speaker 1: felt the palpitation and of every artery. At others I 531 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:05,280 Speaker 1: nearly sank to the ground through languor and extreme weakness. 532 00:31:05,720 --> 00:31:08,840 Speaker 1: Mingled with this horror, I felt the bitterness of disappointment. 533 00:31:09,240 --> 00:31:11,360 Speaker 1: Dreams that have been my food and pleasant rest for 534 00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:14,480 Speaker 1: so long a space were now become a hell to me. 535 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:18,440 Speaker 1: And the change was so rapid, the overthrow so complete. 536 00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:27,560 Speaker 1: Flaws flaws, Amantha. I remember reading this in my ninth 537 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:30,920 Speaker 1: or tenth grade ap English class, and loving, Loving, because 538 00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:35,520 Speaker 1: we did um literature. Yeah, European literature as ap English 539 00:31:35,560 --> 00:31:38,240 Speaker 1: class I think and uh. I loved this book and 540 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:41,040 Speaker 1: loved everything about this book because it was so different. 541 00:31:41,760 --> 00:31:43,920 Speaker 1: Don't get me wrong, I still love Jane Austen, I 542 00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:47,000 Speaker 1: still love the Bronte Sisters, but this one was unique 543 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:49,840 Speaker 1: in itself. It was so it was so small, it 544 00:31:49,920 --> 00:31:53,520 Speaker 1: was a short read, but it was perfect. I like 545 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:57,360 Speaker 1: how structured too, with different like there's letters being written 546 00:31:57,360 --> 00:32:00,160 Speaker 1: to different people. Right. The point of view switch is 547 00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:03,480 Speaker 1: um And yes, this is in the public domain, so 548 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:06,040 Speaker 1: if you would like to read it, you absolutely can. 549 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:10,720 Speaker 1: And we hope that that gave you a little taste 550 00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:14,120 Speaker 1: of something spooky for the season. If you have any 551 00:32:14,200 --> 00:32:18,280 Speaker 1: horror book suggestions or short stories or whatever, please send 552 00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:21,240 Speaker 1: them our way. Our email is Stuff India, mom Stuff 553 00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:23,160 Speaker 1: at i heeart media dot com. You can find us 554 00:32:23,160 --> 00:32:25,120 Speaker 1: on Instagram at Stuff I've Never Told You, are on 555 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:27,640 Speaker 1: Twitter at mom Stuff Podcast. Thanks as always to our 556 00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:31,800 Speaker 1: super producer Andrew Howard. Happy Halloween, and thanks to you 557 00:32:31,840 --> 00:32:34,040 Speaker 1: for listening Stuff I've Never Told You as a production 558 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:36,400 Speaker 1: of iHeart Radio for More podcast from my Heart RADIOVI 559 00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:38,440 Speaker 1: is the I Heart Radio app Apple podcast or wherever 560 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:39,720 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.