08 – Emily Danforth and “The Blair Witch X Lesbians”

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This week Emily Danforth takes us back to school. Her new novel, Plain Bad Heroines has a lot to say about the history of queer women, the price of fame, and whether found footage horror is any good. Plain Bad Heroines features heavily on all the best-of lists for the season, and it’s an early reputation that’s well deserved. This tricksy, twisty novel spans centuries to tell the tale of a very peculiar school and the horror film made about it two hundred years later.

If you have any interest in experimental fiction, queer writing or American Gothic then, somehow, this book covers all those bases.

Emily also tells one hell of a story about why she’s frightened of home invasion. Come, gather round the teacher’s desk and listen . . .

Books mentioned in this episode include:

• The Fingersmith (2002), by Sarah Waters
• The Little Stranger (2009), by Sarah Waters
• Ghost Story (1979), by Peter Straub 
• Haunting of Hill House (1959), by Shirley Jackson
• House of Leaves (2000), by Mark Z. Danielewski
• The Return (2020), by Rachel Harrison
• “The Talent of the Room”, by Michael Ventura

Come talk books with us on Twitter @talkscaredpod or email direct to [email protected].

Thanks to Terry Smith Audio for sound editing.

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