Name: Fist of the Spider Woman
ISBN: 9781551522517

Amber Dawn

An anthology of erotic lesbian horror comprised of tales (and a few poems) with a decidedly female twist. The writings are poised as a feminist response to the traditional horror tropes, often depicting women as the victims. In this empowering collection, contributors such as Michelle Tea, Courtney Trouble and Larissa Lai turn the genre on its head.

Tales of Fear & Queer Desire

Fist of the Spider Woman

Traditional horror has often portrayed female characters in direct relation to their sexual role according to men, such as the lascivious victim or innocent heroine; even vampy, powerful female villains, such as the classic noir “spider women,” use their sexual prowess to seduce and overwhelm married men. Fist of the Spider Woman is a revelatory anthology of horror stories by queer and transgressive women and others that disrupts reality as queer women know it, instilling both fear and arousal while turning traditional horror iconography on its head. In this collection, horror (including gothic, noir, and speculative writing) is defined as that which both titillates and terrorizes, forcing readers to confront who they are. Kristya Dunnion's "Homeland" reveals the horrors that lurk on your average night in a lesbian bar; Elizabeth Bachinsky’s “Postulation on the Violent Works of the Marquis de Sade” is a response to Sade from a feminist (yet kinky) perspective; and Amber Dawn’s “Here Lies the Last Lesbian Rental” is a paranormal fantasia about urban gentrification, set in a house rented by lesbians on the eve that it is sold to new owners. Subversive, witty, sexy—and scary—Fist of the Spider Woman poses two questions: “What do queer women fear the most?” and “What do queer women desire the most?” Amber Dawn is a writer, performance artist, and radical sex/gender activist who co-edited With a Rough Tongue: Femmes Write Porn.

Tales of Fear and Queer Desire

Maga P

I didn't expect the stories in this anthology to be so dependent on sexual violence for their horror, so that was a letdown. Moreover, I feel they suffer for it.

There were some stories I enjoyed though, but the rest of them were more miss than hit for me. 

Noteworthy stories (♢ liked; ❥ loved) 

♢ Slug by Megan Milks
♢ Conspiracy of Fuckers by Nomy Lamm
❥ Homeland by Kristyn Dunnion
♢ Crabby by Michelle Tea
❥ Shark by Kestrel Barnes
♢ Fear of Dying to the Wrong Song by Amanda Lamarche

I'd be all over Here Lies the Last Lesbian Rental in East Vancouver by Amber Dawn if it weren't for the sexual assault. A shame, because the concept is really good and the execution was doing well up until that point.

Please mind the warnings if you intend to read this anthology, I wouldn't recommend it to someone who's had trauma related to any of the things listed.

Fist of the Spider Woman Tales of Fear & Queer Desire

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