The monsters that make horror movies fun!

Ghouls Rule

A Celebration of Female Movie Monsters

by Emma Alice Johnson (Author)

Some of the scariest monsters of the cinema have been females. From The Bride of Frankenstein in 1935 to Demi Moore in 2024's allegory The Substance, every page contains a fascinating story. Some of the most monstrous tales happen off-screen, with life imitating art. Along the way, author and horror critic Emma Alice Johnson explores the cultural standards of "pretty" and "ugly”, confronting the feminine beauty ideal and the burden on women to be conventionally pretty, even when playing the monster, and how the simple act of a woman playing a gross, slimy ghoul is an attack on the patriarchy.

SUBJECT: Feminism / Gender / Microcosm / Macabre / Pop Culture / Movies

PUBLICATION: Aug 4, 2026

PRICE: $14.99

ISBN: 9781648416293

FORMAT: 192 pages, 5x7", paperback

WHOLESALE: Standard

CARTON QTY: 48

ART: N/A

Marketing Notes

Feminist horror is a major sales trend going into 2026, with almost half of horror fans are women
Despite the influx of books on women in horror—i.e., scream queens, women creators making horror movies, etc.—very little attention has been paid to female monsters
This book seeks to give readers a new appreciation of monster movies by creating an understanding of their history and mythology, and by encouraging thought about beauty standards and how they relate to the concept of a monster

Emma Alice Johnson grows wildflowers and writes. She lives on a farm dedicated to conservation of native plants and endangered insects. Her short fiction has appeared in more than 75 publications, including Dark Matter Presents Human Monsters, The Dark, Dark Discoveries, and other dark places. Learn more at http://www.freaktension.com.

A small, innovative publishing house, Microcosm Publishing specializes in work designed to make the reader feel good about being alive, take an active role in bettering their life, and impact the world around them. Microcosm has developed a reputation for teaching self-empowerment, showing hidden histories, and fostering creativity through challenging conventional publishing wisdom with books and zines about DIY skills, food, politics, and art. Our books are printed in the USA.