Femicidal Fears

<p><b>Argues that contemporary female Gothic novels of death can in fact breathe new life into feminist debates about victimization essentialism agency and the body.</b></p><p>In Femicidal Fears Helene Meyers examines contemporary femicidal plots-plots in which women are killed or fear for their lives-to argue that these female Gothic novels of death actually bring the nuances of feminist thought to life. Through her examination of works by Angela Carter Muriel Spark Edna O'Brien Beryl Bainbridge Joyce Carol Oates and Margaret Atwood as well as such infamous cases as the Montreal Massacre and the Yorkshire Ripper Meyers contends that these femicidal plots restage and embody feminist debates flattened by such glib and automatic phrases as essentialism and victim feminism. Bringing the Gothic and the quotidian together in discussions of heterosexual romance the sadomasochistic couple female paranoia postfeminism and images of the female body the book affirms that refusing victimization may not be a simple story but it is nevertheless one worth telling.</p>