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Critical Caribbean Studies
The Things That Fly in the Night: Female Vampires in Literature of the Circum-Caribbean and African Diaspora
The Things That Fly in the Night explores images of vampirism in Caribbean and African diasporic folk traditions and in contemporary fiction. Giselle Liza Anatol focuses on the figure of the soucouyant , or Old Hag—an aged woman by day who sheds her skin during night’s darkest hours in order to fly about her community and suck the blood of her unwitting victims. In contrast to the glitz, glamour, and seductiveness of conventional depictions of the European vampire, the soucouyant triggers unease about old age and female power. Tracing relevant folklore through the English- and French-speaking Caribbean, the U.S. Deep South, and parts of West Africa, Anatol shows how tales of the nocturnal female bloodsuckers not only entertain and encourage obedience in pre-adolescent listeners, but also work to instill particular values about women’s “proper” place and behaviors in society at large.
Alongside traditional legends, Anatol considers the explosion of soucouyant and other vampire narratives among writers of Caribbean and African heritage who in the past twenty years have rejected the demonic image of the character and used her instead to urge for female mobility, racial and cultural empowerment, and anti colonial resistance. Texts include work by authors as diverse as Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison, U.S. National Book Award winner Edwidge Danticat, and science fiction/fantasy writers Octavia Butler and Nalo Hopkinson.
Alongside traditional legends, Anatol considers the explosion of soucouyant and other vampire narratives among writers of Caribbean and African heritage who in the past twenty years have rejected the demonic image of the character and used her instead to urge for female mobility, racial and cultural empowerment, and anti colonial resistance. Texts include work by authors as diverse as Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison, U.S. National Book Award winner Edwidge Danticat, and science fiction/fantasy writers Octavia Butler and Nalo Hopkinson.
312 pages, Paperback
First published February 16, 2015
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About the author
Giselle Liza Anatol
10 books8 followersGiselle Liza Anatol is an Assistant Professor of English at the University of Kansas, Lawrence. In addition to editing two collections of critical essays on the Harry Potter books, she has published a number of scholarly journal articles.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 7, 2016
Oh man, this book is amazing! It completely changed/ expanded my thinking about vampires as a subject of cultural fascination. She focuses on representations of female vampires in the folklore of the African-Caribbean diaspora (hence title), particularly the Soucouyant, but the ideas in this book can be applied to many images of the monstrous, transgressive, hypersexualize female body. If you are interested in gender issues and/or want to understand why you are so keen on vampire horror stories, I would start here.
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July 20, 2023perfect for those interested in literature dealing with the monstrous feminine, vampire mythology, and african diaspora. meticulously researched, this book provided me with different perspectives and for that i am grateful !
May 13, 2021
Incredibly fascinating and an obvious labor of love for Giselle Liza Anatol, The Things That Fly in the Night is a survey of a vampiric heritage that more people need to know about!
My research field is firmly entrenched in the early 19th century Brits, which means my technical knowledge of the African diaspora is sketchy at best, and my familiarity with Caribbean folklore is largely non-existent. It wasn't until after watching one of Dr. Anatol's lectures on Youtube that I even had an inkling that there might be a Caribbean vampire, much less that she would be such a rich character with so many permutations and adaptations across the centuries.
By nature of the research beast, I was more intrigued by the early chapters of Things That Fly, because of the implications these 19th century versions of the soucouyant myth might have on my own work somewhere down the line, but Anatol's survey moves right up to present day genre-fiction and this long, largely ignored, history of black female vampires being used as literary embodiments of freedom, cruelty, strength, independence, maternity, Otherness, and a whole host of descriptors.
Beautifully and comprehensibly written, Things That Fly will be excellent for researchers curious about Caribbean folklore and the soucouyant figure, but is also approachable for lovers and writers of genre fiction who might be looking to expand the kinds of characters they're looking to write. I mean, skinless, burning, flying vampires? What on earth could be cooler than that?
My research field is firmly entrenched in the early 19th century Brits, which means my technical knowledge of the African diaspora is sketchy at best, and my familiarity with Caribbean folklore is largely non-existent. It wasn't until after watching one of Dr. Anatol's lectures on Youtube that I even had an inkling that there might be a Caribbean vampire, much less that she would be such a rich character with so many permutations and adaptations across the centuries.
By nature of the research beast, I was more intrigued by the early chapters of Things That Fly, because of the implications these 19th century versions of the soucouyant myth might have on my own work somewhere down the line, but Anatol's survey moves right up to present day genre-fiction and this long, largely ignored, history of black female vampires being used as literary embodiments of freedom, cruelty, strength, independence, maternity, Otherness, and a whole host of descriptors.
Beautifully and comprehensibly written, Things That Fly will be excellent for researchers curious about Caribbean folklore and the soucouyant figure, but is also approachable for lovers and writers of genre fiction who might be looking to expand the kinds of characters they're looking to write. I mean, skinless, burning, flying vampires? What on earth could be cooler than that?
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews