women in fiction Archives -

Brisbane has a number of nicknames, I generally call it Brisvegas but this book uses Brisneyland. Whatever you call it, Brisbane has a cliched reputation for warm weather, theme parks and palm trees. But Vigil shows Brisbane in a completely different light.

Verity Fassbinder is a woman who strides between two worlds. The world of the Normals, us everyday types and the Weyrd, the paranormal underworld sitting just below the surface of everyday Brisbane. Verity is the product of a Normal mother and Weyrd father, she inherited some powers, extraordinary strength, but the rest of Verity is very Normal.

Recent Reads – She Walks in Shadows

By Madeleine D'Este

On May 18, 2017

In book review, gothic, horror, women in fiction

Today, an anthology of short stories inspired by HP Lovecraft all written by women. The collection is called She walks in Shadows edited by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Paula R Stiles, published by Innsmouth Free Press in 2015.

HP Lovecraft is a founding father of the horror genre but he’s well known for his lack of female characters and his dubious perception of anyone who wasn’t of English descent.

For those unfamiliar with HP Lovecraft, his work is filled with dark, gory, lush imagery and his stories often focus on scientists uncovering the paranormal in the course of their experiments and the revelations drive them mad. Or family legends of inherited guilt. In his writings, he built a rich pantheon of mythology including the all powerful cosmic entity Cthulu. Lovecraft never experienced fame during his lifetime but has inspired many writers since.

This collection, by all female writers, takes the Lovecraft universe and focuses on, or reimagines, the role of women in his world. The writers are from all across the world, each bringing their own unique spin on Lovecraft.

Usually I find short story anthologies are a bit hit and miss, but when I went back to write this review and looked through all the stories I liked, I was surprised how many I really enjoyed.

Recent reads – The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

By Madeleine D'Este

On April 11, 2017

In book review, folk horror, gothic, horror, podcast, reading, women in fiction

In the past few months, I’ve fallen in love with Shirley Jackson and her creepy weird normality. Today it’s The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, a classic haunted house story, first published in 1959.

Stephen King described The Haunting of Hill House as one of the most important horror books of the 20^th century and inspired The Shining. It has also been the basis for two films. And today, a new ‘reimagining’ via Netflix was announced.

Dr Montague, a paranormal academic researcher, rents a haunted house for a summer to undertake a research project. Hill House has a frightening reputation and history of hauntings after a series of tragic events in the house. The local townspeople won’t come anywhere near the place, and any one who rents the house barely stays a week. Determined to document the phenomenon, Dr Montague seeks out a few research assistants to join him at the house for the summer.

Recent reads – Uprooted by Naomi Novik

By Madeleine D'Este

On April 7, 2017

In book review, fantasy, folklore, review, storytelling

This week, it’s fairytales with Naomi Novik’s Uprooted, first published by Del Ray in 2015.

Agnieska lives in a village deep in the Wood, where an ageless hermit Wizard called the Dragon lives in a white tower nearby. The Wood is no ordinary forest, twisted and enchanted it takes people, including the Queen who disappeared in the Wood twenty years earlier and over the years, the Wood has gobbled up entire villages.

Recent reads – The Female Man by Joanna Russ

By Madeleine D'Este

On March 4, 2017

In book review, scifi-fantasy, women in fiction

The Female Man by Joanna Russ, first published in 1975 by Bantam Books.

One of the main reasons why I like speculative fiction is how the genre allows the exploration of different ideas about science or culture or in the case today’s book, gender, by using made-up worlds.

While people might think it’s not about reality with all the aliens, spaceships, dragons and demons, but the truth is speculative fiction is a different way of examining our world by using these allegories.

This is definitely the case with The Female Man. This is a book has been hailed as a landmark feminist science fiction novel.

www.urbanhonking.com

Recent Reads: The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

By Madeleine D'Este

On January 31, 2017

In book review, characters, scifi-fantasy, world building

Today I’m going to talk space opera with The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, first self-published in 2014 but now available through Hodder and Stoughton.

It’s time to talk spaceships.

The Wayfarer is a tunnelling ship, creating wormholes between planets, captained by a pacifist and crewed by a diverse group of characters from across the galaxy. In this ‘world’ (using the term loosely because there are many worlds), humanity is only one of a number of species all grouped together under the Galactic Council.

Recent reads – To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

By Madeleine D'Este

On January 17, 2017

In book review, scifi-fantasy, women in fiction

Today, it’s all about time travel with To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. First published in 1997 by Bantam Spectra and won two of Science Fiction’s major awards, the Hugo and Locus Awards in 1999.

As part of my speculative fiction reviews I am aiming to discuss as many female speculative fiction writers as possible. But of course, whether I like the book or not, comes first. No fear with To Say Nothing of the Dog.

Ned Henry is knackered and is on the verge of getting ‘time lag’, the time traveller’s version of jet lag. He’s been travelling backward and forward through a portal from the 21^st century to the 1940s trying to locate a weird Victorian object called the “bishop’s bird stump.”

Interview with Annelisa Christensen – the Popish Midwife

By Madeleine D'Este

On July 29, 2016

In historical fiction, interview, Uncategorized, women in fiction, world building, writers, writing

I do love a bit of historical fiction and today, I’m talking with UK author, Annelisa Christensen. Some might know her from the weekly writers’ game, #1linewed, and some might know her from her blog, Script Alchemy, but she’s hoping that we’ll get to know her as the author of her debut novel The Popish Midwife: A tale of high treason, prejudice and betrayal.

Re-reading my top 5 fave childhood books

By Madeleine D'Este

On June 12, 2015

In book review, reading, women in fiction

I was pulling together a series of blog posts on my top 5 most influential books of my childhood and an idea struck me. Why not re-read all five books and review them with adult eyes.

So I’ll be reading and blogging about….

The O’Sullivan Twins by Enid Blyton
Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend
Starring Sally J Freedman as Herself by Judy Blume

All female writers too.

Look out for the posts in the weeks to follow….

Have you re-read your favourite childhood books as an adult?

Awesome Female Characters – my picks for #womeninfiction

By Madeleine D'Este

On March 28, 2015

In book review, characters, inspiration, my tips, women in fiction

Last week (last century in internet terms), the hot trending hashtag was #womeninfiction. Everyone chiming in with their favourite female characters. I jumped on the band wagon and here’s my picks in more than 140 characters.

In no particular order:

Harriet the Spy – Louise Fitzhugh

Harriet M. Welsch, an eleven year old budding writer, who started jotting down everything she saw in a notebook. I’ve just reread the synopsis of the book and I can’t remember any of the rest of the plot! But her inquisitive ways, her bravery and her love of tomato sandwiches stuck with me to this day!

Lisbeth Salander – Steig Larsson

“Salander was the woman who hated men who hated women.”

A powerful messed-up character, who you cheer for, cringe with and cry for. Smart, stupid and stubborn. The only female character here written by a man.

www.thedebutanteball.com

Pippi Longstocking – Astrid Lindgren

“Don’t you worry about me, I’ll always come out on top.”

Free-spirited girl, strong and brave, clever and resourceful. A rocking role model for any girl.

VI Warshawski – Sara Paretsky

I went through ten years of avid crime reading. Then one day I woke up and seemed to have moved on. One of my earliest reads and loves was VI Warshaswki. VI was the original self-sufficient, tough, clever female private investigator.

Super exciting post script – Sara Paretsky tweeted me back to thank me for my nomination. Squeee!

I’m sure I’ve missed a million others, who are your #womeninfiction?

Tag: women in fiction

#49 – Rosalie Morales Kearns – Write Through The Roof

Episode 49 with Rosalie Morales Kearns – feminist fiction writer and publisher

Episode 49 – Rosalie Morales Kearns – Show Notes

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Recent reads – Vigil by Angela Slatter

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Recent Reads – She Walks in Shadows

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Recent reads – The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

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Recent reads – Uprooted by Naomi Novik

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Recent reads – The Female Man by Joanna Russ

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Recent Reads: The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

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Recent reads – To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

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Interview with Annelisa Christensen – the Popish Midwife

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Re-reading my top 5 fave childhood books

Have you re-read your favourite childhood books as an adult?

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Awesome Female Characters – my picks for #womeninfiction

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Tag: women in fiction

Episode 49 with Rosalie Morales Kearns – feminist fiction writer and publisher

Episode 49 – Rosalie Morales Kearns – Show Notes

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