Willful Monstrosity: Gender and Race in 21st Century Horror

by Natalie Wilson

Taking in a wide range of film, television, and literature, this volume explores 21st century horror and its monsters from an intersectional perspective with a marked emphasis on gender and race. The analysis, which covers over 70 narratives, is organized around four primary monstrous figures--zombies, vampires, witches and monstrous women. Arguing that the current horror renaissance is populated with willful monsters that subvert prevailing cultural norms and systems of power, the discussion reads horror in relation to topics of particular import in the contemporary moment--rampant sexual violence, unbridled capitalist greed, brutality against people of color, militarism, and the patriarchy's refusal to die. Examining ground-breaking films and television shows such as Get Out, Us, The Babadook, A Quiet Place, Stranger Things, Penny Dreadful, and The Passage, as well as works by key authors like Justin Cronin, Carmen Maria Machado, Helen Oyeyemi, Margo Lanagan, and Jeanette Winterson, this monograph offers a thorough account of the horror landscape and what it says about the 21st century world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Horror

285 pages, Paperback

Published February 25, 2020

About the author

Author of Seduced by Twilight. Professor of Women's Studies and Literature.

Reviews

[Matt Sautman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m torn between a 3 and a 4; the introduction is incredibly strong, but the actual study that comprises the bulk of the chapters feels more shallow than I expected. I think any of the chapters could easily be the basis for an incredibly thought-provoking book that felt more groundbreaking even if the quantity of the films and related texts is extensive.

[Sandra Del Rio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such agentic women in contemporary times are what Sara Ahmed named feminist killjoys - women who ‘kill joy’ in their questioning of societal norms and structures. This killjoy, a twin to the willful subject, is a monster in the eyes of normative society. Too loud, lusty, opinionated, and obstinate, not white enough or chaste enough or heterosexual enough, following the wrong religion or no religion at all, refusing to buy into consumer capitalism and disputing the oppressive ideologies strangling the world, the killjoy is the ‘monstrous feminine’ of the quotidian world

[Rhea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was a great examination of race and gender in different forms across horror media. This book has definitely changed the way that I look back on the mentioned films. My one issue is that the commentary felt a little short, especially in the last two chapters. I wish there was a little more to tie together the main themes, as opposed to plain explanation of the film/book mentioned.

[Amanda Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it started dry at first, once it got into analysis of selected films and the contemporary lenses it really got me hooked. I started thinking about a number of current films mentioned and might even look into watching them. What is interesting is commentary of the patriarchy not just from the films but from the author as well.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Official review will be published in The Journal of American Culture...but I want to say this is such an essential book for Horror scholars and fans alike! Loved it! And it gave me so much to add to my to-read/to-watch lists!