Oh no! There's too many to name! We put a lot of our favorites by women in our first book, Monster, She Wrote. I think everyone should read We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson and The Good House by Tananarive Due. Those are two of my top favorites. Andy Davidson is writing some really interesting ones right now. AND I recently read Tender is the Flesh and absolutely devoured it (no pun intended). -LK

That's a really interesting question! Our research really only looked at a narrow sliver of the occult, focusing on "mainstream" United States, so I can't fully answer that. One thing, though, that I can say is that the occult is often "hidden" (literally from the definition of the word occult) from or in opposition to the mainstream society. It all seemed to be a kind of rebellion against white patriarchy, offering power to those who normally wouldn't have access to it (women, nonbinary, LGBTQ, and people of color). -LK

MRA: I'm so happy to hear you loved MSW! I do think different people gravitate to different types of horror. There's a perception that Horror means one thing, like slasher or zombie movies, but there are so many subgenres of horror that I think anyone can find a niche. I've always been into supernatural stories. I still prefer to read horror rather than watch it; there's something about viewing a scary or violent image that is more intense for me.

I've always enjoyed horror and the occult, even as a child. As I've read/watched more horror, I realize how much it relies on empathy. We, as readers and viewers, feel the character's fear. It's a powerful thing! I think this is just one reason why it is important. That also was evident in our study of occult history. -LK