February is Women in Horror Month (WIHM), something Carina Bissett looks forward to each year. It is a celebration of women and female-identifying authors in a genre that is often misunderstood and overlooked. Although there is a negative preconception that often follows the mention of “horror,” the genre is actually diverse and multi-faceted. It’s true that gore-soaked Grimdark can be found at one end of the spectrum. But, on the flip side, fantasists working at the other end tend to explore the liminal spaces inhabited by fabulism and magical realism. For instance, Bissett’s story “Burning Bright” earned a mention in Ellen Datlow’s Best Horror of the Year, Vol. 12, yet this piece is missing many of the traditional elements often found in bloodier tales of terror. Instead, “Burning Bright” relies on the disturbing prevalence of repetition in the cycle of domestic violence. It’s a story about hidden violence. But, at its core, it’s also a story about reclaiming power.
Carina Bissett will be discussing her approach to horror at the online panel Females of Fright!, hosted by the Horror Writers Association. She will be joining the conversation with Christa Carmen, Sara Tantlinger, Nicole Willson, Jessica Guess, and Zoje Stage. The online event is scheduled to be held on Friday, February 12 at 6 pm (Mountain Time). This first panel in the series celebrating WIMH will be moderated by award-winning author Gwendolyn Kiste. Registration is free and open to the public. Sign up HERE. (Note: The panel can be accessed at the HWA’s YouTube channel.)
For readers interested in exploring the sensory side of dark literature, Bissett recommends the following stories:
- “The Husband Stitch” by Carmen Maria Machado
- “Stone Animals” by Kelly Link
- “Red” by Katie Knoll
- “The Eight People Who Murdered Me (Excerpt from Lucy Westenra’s Diary)” by Gwendolyn Kiste
- “The Boys of Karachay Lake” by Angela Pelster
- “Finnegan’s Field by Angela Slatter
- “The Mussel Eater” by Octavia Cade
- “In the Cave of the Delicate Singers” by Lucy Taylor
The Nearby Universe 