Weird Women

Volume 2: 1840-1925: Classic Supernatural Fiction by Groundbreaking Female Writers

Lisa Morton

Following the success of Weird Women: Volume 1, acclaimed anthologists Lisa Morton and Leslie S. Klinger return with another offering of overlooked masterworks from early female horror writers, including George Eliot, Zora Neale Hurston, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Edith Wharton.

Following the success of their acclaimed Weird Women, star anthologists Lisa Morton and Leslie S. Klinger return with another offering of overlooked masterworks from early female horror writers.

This volume once again gathers some of the most famous voices of literature—George Eliot, Zora Neale Hurston, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Edith Wharton—along with chilling tales by writers who were among the bestselling and most critically-praised authors of the early supernatural story, including Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Vernon Lee, Florence Marryat, and Margaret Oliphant.

There are, of course, ghost stories here, but also tales of vampirism, mesmerism, witches, haunted India, demonic entities, and journeys into the afterlife. Introduced and annotated for modern readers, Morton and Klinger have curated more stories sure to provide another "feast of entertaining (and scary) reads" (Library Journal).

Lisa Morton is a screenwriter, author, anthologist, and the editor of the acclaimed Ghosts: A Haunted History. She is a six-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award, a recipient of the Black Quill Award, and winner of the 2012 Grand Prize from the Halloween Book Festival. A lifelong Californian, she lives in North Hills, California, and can be found online at www.lisamorton.com.

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Endorsements & Reviews

Advance Praise for Weird Women (Vol 2):

"Lisa Morton and Leslie S. Klinger offer another thought-provoking collection of 16 short horror and science fiction stories by both iconic and overlooked women writers. Covering not only 75-plus years but a broad expanse of regional writers, Weird Women: Volume 2 offers a tasting flight of sorts for English-language horror and science fiction enthusiasts. A testament to the value of those short pieces that don't conform to the literary norm, Weird Women: Volume 2 is an eclectic collection of haunting stories." Shelf Awareness

"Morton and Klinger have gathered yet more eerie stories, including short tales by such big names as Edith Wharton (The Fullness of Life), George Eliot (The Lifted Veil), and Zora Neale Hurston (Spunk). The stories feature lonely wives seeking companionship or fulfillment, mothers struggling to protect their children, and women whose instincts warn them of horrors or grief to come. Fans of the previous collection honoring women’s contributions to early horror will enjoy this additional anthology." Booklist

“Editors Morton and Klinger deliver another strong installment to their Weird Women anthology series featuring ‘classic supernatural fiction by groundbreaking female authors,’ this time showcasing 16 works written between 1840 and 1925. The stories are as creepy as they are varied, with pieces from classic horror authors like Georgia Wood Pangborn, as well as those not generally associated with the genre, including George Eliot and Harriet Beecher Stowe…Weird fiction fans won’t want to miss this excellent survey of the genre’s female pioneers.” Publishers Weekly

Praise for Weird Women (Vol 1):

"Morton and Klinger refute the popular misconception that the early horror genre had few female writers—in reality, as they show, women writers were forerunners of the genre, often supporting their families through their work and gaining fame. The two editors bring these authors back into the spotlight here. These tales were written by women with streaks of independence and their rebellion shines through the subtext. Feminist and horror-genre readers will jump on this compelling and spooky collection." Booklist (starred)

"Horrors and mysteries abound here, with well-known writers like Charlotte Perkins Gilman. If the difficulties of enforced domestic life take their toll, it might be worth reading the supernatural dread and unexplained occurrences women imagined from an earlier time of homebound life." Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine

"It is an absolute must-own for those interested in the women who helped shape the horror genre. Weird Women ultimately works because of the stories and authors Klinger and Morton chose. The focusing is on tales that are not only well-written but are also genuinely creepy." iHorror.com

“Presents a brilliant and wide-ranging selection of stories. All of them challenge literary scholars and popular readers alike in new and exciting ways to see connections across the genre of the supernatural story." Supernatural Studies