Review: She Walks in Shadows edited by Gemma Files and Silvia Moreno-Garcia

H.P.Lovecraft’s fiction didn’t include many women. Not, I think, out of sexism, but more because almost all of his protagonists were reflections of himself- bookish scholars or sensitive creative men of Anglo-Saxon descent from New England.

The few women who do appear in his works offer intriguing story possibilities, though. There’s the lonely, bookish Lavinia Whateley from the Dunwich Horror, body-swapping Asenath Waite of The Thing on the Doorstep, the enigmatic gorgon-lamia Marceline from Medusa’s Coil, and more. She Walks in Shadows explores these characters and other aspects of the Lovecraft mythos from a female-presenting perspective.

With many anthologies, the stories can be hit or miss. Some good tales alongside average stories. Though, admittedly, which stories are “good”, “bad” or just “mediocre” is highly dependent on the reader’s own tastes.  With that in mind, I’m pleased to say that I found every story in this anthology enjoyable. Each is different in tone, subject, and style, yet each offers an intriguing facet to Lovecraftian horror.

In many of these stories there is another strain of fear paralleling cosmic horror. It is the Earthly fear of being controlled, undermined and ignored by people who have more power. A fear that all too many women- cis, trans or non-binary- can understand.

One thing that can make this anthology difficult is the fact that it’s often necessary to have read the original stories to fully understand what’s going on. This is especially true for stories based on more obscure works such as “Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family”, and Lovecraft collaborations like “Medusa’s Coil”, and “The Mound”. This can make the anthology difficult for more casual readers of Lovecraft. It’s not a good starting place for newcomers looking to explore the mythos writing of other writers beyond the Old Man of Providence’s tales, but it a rewarding read for those who have already waded deep into that dark universe.

Some of the stories that particularly stood out for me include:

 “De Deabus Minoribus Exterioris Theomagicae” by Jilly Dreadful. Certainly the most stylistically interesting piece. Written as a bibliographic study by a PhD candidate. The actual story unfolds through numbered notes within the paper. Its structure is reminiscent of the subtle “clerical” horror of an SCP Foundation entry.

“Hairwork” by Gremma Files is a sequel to Medusa’s Coil, a story that Lovecraft ghostwrote for Zelia Bishop. The original tale had interesting potential that was undone by its ridiculously racist ending. This new work, however, reframes the narrative to create a powerful, interesting twist.

“T’la-yub’s Head” by Nelly Geraldine Garcia-Rosas combines Mesoamerican myth and history with the lost world of K’n-yan, found beneath an earth mound in the ghost-written story, The Mound.

She Walks in Shadows is a fantastic collection of stories exploring the female side of the mythos. You can get a copy at Innsmouth Free Press