Reader Recommendation: Eden Royce
Happy February!
It is Black History Month & it is also Women in Horror Month! So I thought I would talk about a black woman horror writer that I am sad to say that I JUST discovered:
Eden Royce
As you all know, I am trying to focus on reading more BIPOC authors, and while we should be reading BIPOC authors outside of whatever cultural month it is - these months act for me as a good reminder to fill in my reading gaps and make me go "have you worked towards your goal of reading more BIPOC authors yet?"
I found Eden Royce on a list of some of the greatest women horror authors - and was immediately enamored before I read anything because the list said that she is a master of the Southern Gothic Genre (!)
THAT'S MY FAVORITE GENRE
So I immediately put a book on hold and tried to find some samples of her writing because I'm impatient.
Let me backtrack though and mention some things about her.
She was born in Charleston, South Carolina and now lives in Kent England.
She is primarily a short story writer, but has also written articles and reviews.
She was awarded the Diverse Worlds Grant by The Speculative Fiction Foundation.
She references the local Gullah-Geechee culture (African Americans who live in the lowcountry region of the US states of Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina, and in both the coastal plain and the Sea Islands. They developed a creole language and are a culture with some African influence) in her writing.
She also just recently published a children's book called Root Magic.
Okay, now back to her writing.
When I was searching I came across 2 stories:
Devil's Playground which is more of a poem than a story in my opinion, and a beautiful and spooky description of Death (the personification of).
Hand of Glory a very unique take on an interrogation between a criminal and a Good Cop, and a Bad Cop.
Currently, I am about a quarter of the way through a collection of her stories (including the two I mentioned above), called Spook Lights: Southern Gothic Horror and I am enjoying every single word of it.
Royce is so skilled and reading Southern Gothic Horror from the POV of black characters is a new and exciting experience for me.
Check her out. She's worth it.
Until next time,
B Strong &;