Montreal writer, illustrator, and filmmaker Arizona O’Neill is spotlighting a chilling genre twist: horror fiction with a feminist edge.
Appearing on CBC Radio’s The Next Chapter with host Antonio Michael Downing, O’Neill discussed her lifelong love of horror, her artistic influences, and three standout novels where women aren’t just the victims of fear—but its architects.
“I’ve just been a fan forever,” said O’Neill, recalling her early immersion in the works of Stephen King. But it wasn’t until she encountered the haunting prose of Shirley Jackson—particularly The Haunting of Hill House—that she began to see the potential for horror stories told through a feminist lens.
Now, O’Neill is an enthusiastic advocate for feminist horror: a growing literary subgenre in which traditional tropes are subverted, centering women as complex protagonists navigating the terrors embedded in domestic and societal expectations.
“The main character is a woman, and it’s the tasks of everyday life—marriage, having children, childbirth—that become the horror,” O’Neill explained. “Rather than being the victim, she causes the horror.”
O’Neill has published the illustrated book Est-ce qu’un artiste peut être heureux? and contributed illustrations to Hoop Muses by Kate Fagan and Seimone Augustus. Her next project, Valentine in Montreal—an illustrated novel written by her mother, acclaimed author Heather O’Neill—is slated for release on July 15, 2025.
Here are the three feminist horror novels O’Neill recommends:
Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
In Victorian Psycho, author Virginia Feito reimagines the archetypal governess with a sinister twist. Winifred Notty appears to be the ideal caretaker: refined, nurturing, and dedicated. But as the story unfolds, readers gain unsettling access to her inner thoughts—many of which turn toward violence.
“Other governesses in literature… we watch them and never know exactly what they’re thinking,” said O’Neill. “But [in this novel], you’re in her head. It’s a first-person narrative… as she’s thinking about murdering the children.”
Feito, a Madrid-based writer, studied English and drama in London and is a contributor to Vanity Fair Spain. Her debut novel was Mrs. March.
The Lamb by Lucy Rose
Described by O’Neill as “a reaction to the trope of the single mother who can’t function without a husband,” The Lamb by Lucy Rose is a gothic, queer coming-of-age tale that explores hunger, motherhood, and monstrosity.
The novel centers on Margot and her mother, who provide shelter to societal “strays”—only to later consume them in secret. But when a woman named Eden arrives, the mother’s desire complicates their dynamic, and Margot is forced to confront the horror growing within their home.
Rose, a filmmaker and writer based in England, frequently explores themes of horror, girlhood, and gothic identity. The Lamb is her first novel.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Set in 1950s Mexico, Mexican Gothic follows Noemí, a young woman drawn to a decaying countryside mansion known as High Place after receiving a desperate letter from her cousin. There, she uncovers a terrifying mystery steeped in generational trauma and colonial decay.
“In gothic, there’s an emptiness—you have this old, ancient evil,” O’Neill noted. “I think of Dracula, and how he feeds off the people. [Moreno-Garcia] takes this and makes the house the thing that feeds off the people.”
Author Silvia Moreno-Garcia, born in Mexico and based in Canada, is an award-winning writer whose body of work includes Signal to Noise, Gods of Jade and Shadow, and The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. Mexican Gothic gained wider attention in 2023 when it was championed by TikTok creator Tasnim Geedi on Canada Reads.
