Women in Horror: Part Twelve
Today we are joined by Carol MacAllister, author of The BlackMoor Tales…
Toni Morrison, author, whose work won a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993 is generally categorized as most interested in presenting the human condition of African Americans through her work. Her characters are African Americans, but even though she addresses racism, it is curious to note that she easily crosses the borders of reality and dips into horror to paint her scenes.
BELOVED, her novel ranked as one of American’s best works, relies on the element of a ghostly main protagonist who follows all the stereotypic trappings of returning to life in the form of a possession to haunt a family. The use of a ghost for Morrison’s main protagonist delights fans of horror and dark fantasy, and at the same time introduces the “fantastic” character to otherwise mainstream readers.
Morrison uses the fantastic character of a ghost to not only dip into Civil War era issues of the treatment of slaves, but also uses the ghost to pull the reader through a mother-daughter relationship, much like Mary Shelley who also discusses relationships as asides in FRANKENSTEIN.
I find this a unique aspect suited for introspective female writers. Octavia Butler, categorized as a sci-fi writer, uses the fantastic character of a vampire-like creature, the Ian, in FLEDGLING. Shori, a young girl only in appearance, feeds on human blood, but in return slows her victim’s aging. But Butler re-defines the standard for an Ian and uses the female main character also as a vehicle, like Morrison, to foster her thoughts on racism at the same time, Butler addresses male and female relationships that are flavored by the gender of the author. It is interesting to me that although these two well-known authors are not “horror” writers, they chose to step into the realm of horror to present their tales that are otherwise mainstream. Three well-known women authors each has used an element of horror on which to base their tales that are laced with the human condition and relationships, two of which walk the fringes of the genre.
I’ve been writing and publishing horror/dark fantasy for nearly twenty years. I’ve noticed my work tends to lean away from the more intense sub-genres of horror, like spatter-gore and other harsh physical violence. I prefer situational storylines that are fast paced, have a fantastic character, touch on relationships and end with a twist. I think the twist comes from overdosing on Twilight Zone TV shows. “Upgrade,” a short story in the upcoming Garden State Speculative Fiction Anthology is based on – what if – and turns into a situation where the woman protagonist gets stuck in an uncontrollable shopping spree that her boyfriend cleverly uses to fatten his pockets.
This is just one woman’s involvement and take in regard to writing horror. Writing is a strong, necessary, and enjoyable thread in the weave of my fabric. I also love to edit my work and knit-pick the crafting side, at times, to an obsessive point. Sometimes, it’s hard to let my “babies” leave home. But mostly, writing gives me great pleasure by allowing me to share my work with readers.
THE BLACKMOOR TALES, now on Kindle, Nook and Kobo, is a compilation of my past stories with new tales. It runs the gamut of monsters, hauntings, evil, psychological horror, coming of age gone wrong, abstract, dark fantasy, alien intervention, and relationships. In “Mourning Light,” the woman-author’s main protagonist, a vampire, intermingles with her in the world she writes and the “real” world she lives in… She is threatened as he steps off the page and becomes an emotional vampire. “Fine Lady,” is based on the fairy tale Bamberry Cross. An evil entity comes to collect the innocence of young girls by hiding within their favorite fairytale rhyme as they turn from 12 years old to 13 years of age. But Christa’s deceased mother rises from the grave to save her.
MAYAN CALENDAR REVEAL, on major readers, is a horror story combined with actual reported UFO sightings. Lovecraftian monsters invade the mangroves and more live within the surrounding hollow mountains. Three major characters with separate sightings and encounters along with a handful of secondary characters gather in the “reveal” section for an end of the world party. The main characters are linked. Touches of dark humor laces through the story as they, the chosen ones, are transported from the celebration to colonize a new planet. Photo-shopped pictures add a bogus authority to the story line. This story promoted UFO magazine to have me as a guest on their talk radio show for 90 minutes.
“Heart In Hand,” represents another area that I enjoy writing. Dark Humor – a niche – in the horror world and one that few write. Kind of like A WEEKEND AT BERNIE’S style story. But alas, limited marketability.
POETRY was my split major when working on my MFA in creative writing. My poetry runs through mainstream but dips into the darkside. Recently, I put together a lusty dark collection that’s looking for a home. I have won numerous awards for poetry and have judged many competitions, National Federation of State Poetry Societies and more. I am proud to have solely produced and published four collections of others’ poetry. In particular, RIPASSO – a limited by invitation only collection – that includes Robert Pinsky and other poet laureates.
