BOOK BLURB: 'Ghouls Rule, A Celebration of Female Movie Monsters'
Chippewa Valley author and UW-Eau Claire grad Emma Johnson shares her thoughts on gender stereotypes through horror, science fiction
What image do you first think of when you envision a monster? When you picture a vampire or a werewolf, is it akin to a human man, woman, or something otherworldly?
Some of the scariest monsters in cinematic history have been women, from the bride of Frankenstein in 1935 and the She-Creature of 1956, to Demi Moore’s portrayal of Monstro Elisasue in the 2024 film The Substance.
Ghouls Rule: A Celebration of Female Movie Monsters by Chippewa Valley author Emma Johnson – released with Microcosm Publishing – has compiled stories and visuals of monsters in film, displaying how they are depicted in different ways based on gender and feminine beauty ideals.
Growing up, Johnson watched spooky movies with her dad and saw her very first horror movie in the theater at Eau Claire's Oakwood Mall in the early 1990s. Right away, she was captivated not only by their narratives, but by the creatures themselves.
“I was not scared of the monsters. I was fascinated with them. I saw myself in them,” Johnson said. “But one thing was missing. Almost all the monsters were men.”
Her own literary journey began with a DIY spirit. As a student at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Johnson circulated her movie critiques and takes on the horror genre, noting “I started publishing zines, which I distributed at local punk shows.”
“They were mostly about music, but I'd sneak in movie reviews and even a horror story here and there,” Johnson said.
Today, she explores how beauty ideas – whether a character appears “pretty” or “ugly” – influence a monster’s story arc in differing ways for women; some films depicted in Ghouls Rule adhere to these standards, while others twist them around.
Monsters, as illustrated in the novel, aren’t just of strange identity or appearance – they also represent supernatural or even mythical traits which leave lasting impressions on viewers. With this in mind, Ghouls Rule showcases films across varied themes, Johnson said.
“People immediately associate monsters with the horror genre, but they also appear in science fiction and fantasy,” Johnson said. “Medusa is one of the oldest monsters covered in the book, and she’s associated primarily with fantasy and mythology.”
At 2pm on Oct. 10 at The Beyond (218 N. Dewey St., Eau Claire), Johnson will be joined by fellow horror authors for a book signing and Q&A on her book. The free to attend event will surely spark lively discussion on what it means when women portray gross, slimy ghouls – and other “monsters” – and how this challenges patriarchal norms.
Purchase your own copy of Ghouls Rule: A Celebration of Female Movie Monsters by Emma Johnson ($14.99), online via Microcosm Publishing. Johnson will host a book reading and Q&A on Oct. 10 at The Beyond (218 N. Dewey St., Eau Claire).
