A review by oddly
Black Magic Women: Terrifying Tales by Scary Sisters by Nicole Givens Kurtz, Crystal Connor
4.0
An anthology of horror stories written by Black women, this is a wonderful collection that has introduced me to a bunch of new ladies of horror fiction! I can't wait to find more works from these authors.
There is a lot to love about this anthology. First, I loved the wide range of stories. There are familiar tropes like werewolves or vampires—though all done with a unique twist—and also stories more strange and unclassifiable. I'm particularly haunted by one about an undefinable being that decorporealizes and engulfs someone ("Appreciation" by Mina Polina).
I also loved how the characters in these stories are complex, often edging on morally ambiguous. What at first glance might appear benevolent behavior could be masking a darker intent. And often there are ways to look at both sides of the coin.
The stories also center around Blackness and specifically Black women, which feels especially important in horror as far too often Black characters have been relegated to "that unnamed character who dies first." Not so in these stories!
I truly enjoyed every story, but here were a few of my favorites:
"Here Kitty!" by LH Moore: In which a good samaritan tries to help her elderly neighbor find her cat and finds something else entirely.
"Labor Pains" by Kenya Moss-Dyme: In which a husband and wife take a dark and desperate approach to have a child.
"Alternative™" by Tabitha Thompson: In which a woman tries a new kind of birth control only to find out that it doesn't work as advertised.
Definitely recommended!
There is a lot to love about this anthology. First, I loved the wide range of stories. There are familiar tropes like werewolves or vampires—though all done with a unique twist—and also stories more strange and unclassifiable. I'm particularly haunted by one about an undefinable being that decorporealizes and engulfs someone ("Appreciation" by Mina Polina).
I also loved how the characters in these stories are complex, often edging on morally ambiguous. What at first glance might appear benevolent behavior could be masking a darker intent. And often there are ways to look at both sides of the coin.
The stories also center around Blackness and specifically Black women, which feels especially important in horror as far too often Black characters have been relegated to "that unnamed character who dies first." Not so in these stories!
I truly enjoyed every story, but here were a few of my favorites:
"Here Kitty!" by LH Moore: In which a good samaritan tries to help her elderly neighbor find her cat and finds something else entirely.
"Labor Pains" by Kenya Moss-Dyme: In which a husband and wife take a dark and desperate approach to have a child.
"Alternative™" by Tabitha Thompson: In which a woman tries a new kind of birth control only to find out that it doesn't work as advertised.
Definitely recommended!