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A review by yarnbard
Dreams from the Witch House: Female Voices of Lovecraftian Horror by Lynne Jamneck, Molly Tanzer, Elizabeth Bear, Storm Constantine, Ellie Knightsbridge, Nancy Kilpatrick, Gemma Files, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Joyce Carol Oates, Lois H. Gresh, Sarah Monette
4.0
I backed this anthology on Indiegogo for the same reason that I keep picking the "Women of HPL" variant covers when I buy issues of Alan Moore's Providence: I love the idea of reclaiming and retelling Lovecraftian horror with a focus on the voices of women.
H.P. Lovecraft himself was, among other things, misogynistic, racist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic. Women barely had a presence in his tales. I often find it difficult to appreciate Lovecraftian horror when it seems to be so deeply interwoven with Lovecraft's own prejudices. But works like Dreams from the Witch House allow me to still enjoy Lovecraftian tales without some of the more problematic aspects of Lovecraft's own work.
Overall, I enjoyed this anthology. I enjoyed some of the stories more than others, but that's really to be expected. My favorites were:
The Body Electric by Lucy Brady
The Wreck of the Charles Dexter Ward by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear
From the Cold Dark Sea by Storm Constantine
I especially loved "The Body Electric." I've reread it several times now, and I keep finding myself going back to it. The concept of demonology in cyberspace is incredibly fascinating to me, and I think Lucy Brady did a fantastic job exploring philosophy and technology, and blending both with Lovecraftian themes.
H.P. Lovecraft himself was, among other things, misogynistic, racist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic. Women barely had a presence in his tales. I often find it difficult to appreciate Lovecraftian horror when it seems to be so deeply interwoven with Lovecraft's own prejudices. But works like Dreams from the Witch House allow me to still enjoy Lovecraftian tales without some of the more problematic aspects of Lovecraft's own work.
Overall, I enjoyed this anthology. I enjoyed some of the stories more than others, but that's really to be expected. My favorites were:
The Body Electric by Lucy Brady
The Wreck of the Charles Dexter Ward by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear
From the Cold Dark Sea by Storm Constantine
I especially loved "The Body Electric." I've reread it several times now, and I keep finding myself going back to it. The concept of demonology in cyberspace is incredibly fascinating to me, and I think Lucy Brady did a fantastic job exploring philosophy and technology, and blending both with Lovecraftian themes.