Since time immemorial, women have been displaced from various spaces. Literature is just one of the fields in which the authors had to fight for a place, make their names and stories heard. When it comes to horror, women have been reduced to witches, like Shirley Jackson, author of "The Curse of Hill House," who published one of her most famous stories - "The Lottery" - the media related to witchcraft and black magic.
The horror genre also has great authors who wrote about fear, spirits, nightmares, monsters, and death despite all the challenges. Mexico was no exception, and that is why, on the day of the Dead and Halloween, we invite you to remember and read the literary texts of terror and mystery of the following Mexican writers:
AMPARO DAVILA
This writer, originally from Zacatecas, preserves the ordinary and everyday life but gives it a little twist of horror and mystery. Her specialty is short stories, and hers are forceful. Although Amparo Dávila died on April 18, 2020, her literature remains for posterity. Her most famous tales: "El Huiuda," "La Señorita Julia," and "El entierro" can be easily found on the internet. In particular, we recommend: "La Señorita Julia," where the main character —a woman who perishes perfect — little by little walks a mysterious and supernatural path towards madness.
GUADALUPE NETTEL
Nettel is one of the most famous Mexican novelists; her books have been translated into almost twenty languages. Almost everything she writes is dark and mysterious, with characters characterized by pathologies and strange behaviors. Her most famous book to date is "The Guest" and it is the story of a girl "possessed" by a disturbing entity.
GUADALUPE DUEÑAS
With a past marked by death and strangeness, this Mexican writer ventured into realistic literature; however, it is the disturbing details of everyday life that Guadalupe Dueñas masterfully explores and masters. Dueñas keeps disturbing anecdotes in her memory and turns them into stories not fantastic, but his own. Her stories are characterized by having female protagonists, entities, nightmares, and malicious and humorous prose. We recommend you read: "Story of Mariquita," as the author's life, inspires it.
JANETH G. S.
Originally from León, she is one of the youngest writers today. At 16, she wrote, "Who killed Alex?" through a platform to share stories. Her story received millions of visits and caught a Spanish publisher; now, her novel has sold over 160,000 copies and translations into other languages.
ROSLYN ISON
Roslyn Ison uses the specter of remorse to settle accounts with the inability to emerge unscathed from evil. How far would we go to get what we want? Her work is characterized by mystery and reflection.
Labyrinths, eroticism, and death are the components of "Reflejos de Sombra," a story where the protagonist, a young woman searching for herself and very cautious in safeguarding her secrets, tries to build a truth that sustains her and absolves her.
Traducción: Valentina K. Yanes