So, for my final paper, I’ve been having to do a bit of a deep dive into monsters, specifically female ones (the paper primarily focusing on Dracula and Coraline since we were supposed to pick two books we studied in class). However, doing this research on female monsters and stereotypes, has really peaked my interest, and I would love some recommendations for whenever I have time to pick what I read again.
by Dogdaysareover365
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Maybe Poor Things by Alasdair Gray.
The Burial Tide by Neil Sharpson. bit more folklore than monster, but plenty horrifying!
Someone you can build a nest in
Perdido street station
Maybe The Golem and the Jinni? It’s about a woman golem
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust also has a monstrous young woman as the protagonist, and has Persian mythical creatures incorporated which was new and interesting to me
Greenteeth by Molly O’Neil has an actual monster (a Jenny Greenteeth or lake hag) as its protagonist, though the plot is more whimsical
I, Medusa by Ayana Gray
In the Greek epic The Odyssey there is the Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis.
In Beowulf, there is the vague “Grendel’s mother.”
Less ancient, Interview with a Vampire there is the female vampire Claudia. Also, The Two Towers has a segment with a female spider-like monster, Shelob.
Beowulf. Grendel is a female monster.
A Botanical Daughter