Feral and Hysterical: Mother Horror's Ultimate Reading Guide to Dark and Disturbing Fiction by Women

by Sadie Hartmann

Overview

Discover the Scream Queens of Must-Read Horror

Bram Stoker Awards® winning author Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann has curated the ultimate collection of recommendations from the leading ladies of horror! From classic authors such as Mary Shelley, Shirley Jackson, and Daphne du Maurier to the modern wave of indie names and all the underrated voices waiting to be discovered, there’s enough deadly damsels in here to leave you feeling distressed long after you’ve run out of shelf space.

Each recommendation includes a spoiler-free synopsis and has been carefully catalogued and organized into thematic reading lists making it easier than ever to sate your darkest desires. Are you in your Gothic Era? Love watching a marriage gruesomely fall apart? Just finished Mexican Gothic and need more Sporror in your life? Whatever you’re vibing with, there’s a list for that.

Featuring a foreword by prolific horror author Ania Ahlborn and five essays from Alma Katsu, Alexis Henderson, Christina Henry, Rae Wilde, and Laura Purcell, this fully illustrated reader’s guide is a must-have for any horror fanatic looking to get out of a reading slump or diversify their TBR pile.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798890032980
Publisher:	Page Street Publishing
Publication date:	08/19/2025
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	199 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Sadie Hartmann, aka Mother Horror, is the co-owner of the monthly horror fiction subscription company Night Worms and the Bram Stoker Awards® winning author of 101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered. She lives in the PNW with her husband and family.

Editorial Reviews

“This is an essential, long-overdue guide, and a wonderful read.”
— Stephen Graham Jones, author of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

“Hartmann is the Crypt Keeper, the Elvira, and the Vampira that the book world has been waiting for. I promise you, this book will sit on my bedside table until it’s in bloody tatters.”
— Daniel Kraus, author of Whalefall

“With boundless enthusiasm, thoughtful commentary, and the conversational tone of your BFF, this book will become your own personalized horror concierge.”
— Delilah S. Dawson, author of Bloom and The Violence

“Engaging and smart as hell.”
— Keith Rosson, author of Fever House and Coffin Moon

"The breadth of Hartmann’s research and reading habits is astonishing (legendary), balanced by the sincerity evident in every written word. There isn’t a single passage of this book that won’t make you want to seek out more for yourself. Feral and Hysterical transcends nonfiction and runs unfettered in the province of passion. Infectious, contagious, this book is a masterwork of a reading guide. A pristine aerial view of the stars of horror."
–Josh Malerman, New York Times bestselling author of Incidents Around the House and Watching Evil Dead

From the Publisher