The Rise of Literary Misandry
There is a certain genre of fiction books that have been slowly creeping their way up the bestselling charts over the last few years. Rather than the classic 'whodunit' crime stories (Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club, for example), or the more light-hearted summer reads (think Emily Henry), these chart toppers are much less filtered and much more gory. This emerging misandry sub-genre, women seeking violent revenge on abusive and predatory men, is single-handedly reinventing the horror fiction genre. But is it more than just a cathartic read on a cozy evening? So-called "femgore" is resonating profoundly with women and feminists, empowered by the idea of regaining control and agency.
Carey Mulligan in Promising Young Woman, a 2020 thriller based on a young woman seeking revenge for a sexual assault: Via Focus Features
Origins
It is hard to trace a single point from which the misandry stroke femgore sub-genre originated. However, it is not only in the last couple of years that these books featuring girl-turned-bad vigilantes have become popular. Back in 2018, we saw the release of Delia Owens's bestseller Where the Crawdads Sing. Whether this was a major turning point in the fashionability of this misandry sub-genre or not, the book's narrative certainly fits the bill. A girl, outcast by society, deep in the marshlands of North Carolina, who may or may not have (no spoilers) taken revenge on the man who abused and assaulted her. While the book may not feature any gory details of the revenge taken by the young woman, the narrative follows the journey of love, revenge, and resilience taken by the female protagonist.
Daisy Edgar-Jones in Where the Crawdads Sing (2022): Via Sony Pictures Entertainment
Leaning more heavily on the femgore aspect of the genre, we can go back even further. Take Carrie by Stephen King, for example. While it is not an outright story of a victim-turned-heroine, the same feminist patterns run throughout. The novel features a bullied teenage girl who develops superhuman telekinetic powers, which she uses solely to take revenge on her oppressors. This transformative narrative from victim to self-assured destructive force is exactly why the misandry sub-genre is all the rage and growing. What these books tell us is that the populism of the female revenge section of the horror shelves has been established for quite some time. Yet, in keeping with the growing populism for women's agency and justice, modern books premised slightly less on psychological suspense and more so on cozy crime are firmly embedding themselves in the bestselling charts.
Modern Popularity
While these books may be promoting a meaningful message deterring abuses against women, these stories are intended to be light-hearted and fun. It makes the strong social message a bit less imposing. Combining a fast-paced action story with unexpected dark humor is a recipe for success. How to Kill a Guy in Ten Ways by Eve Kellman is a perfect example. Though the protagonist initially sets up a help service for women in fear for their safety, this quickly escalates to a bloody path as a vigilante, complete with an intense internal conflict and dubious moral values. A similar premise can be seen with the popular book by Katy Brent, How to Kill Men and Get Away With It: accidental murder of the protagonist's abuser leading to a killing spree of any potentially dangerous men. It is just the right level of victim-turned-weapon of power without creeping too far into the psychotic zone. This combination of retributive justice and dark humor, coupled with the fact that the protagonist here is a vegan AND an influencer, explains why this microgenre is becoming so popular.
Whether these books reflect a changing societal perception of the acceptability to kill people at the drop of a hat is for you to judge. Yet, it is not just the violent storylines that are reeling in readers. It is a universal appreciation for true crime stories, taken into the fictional world but all the while realistic enough to have some relatability for readers. These books are fun, they're heavily "girl power," and they feature voguish women illustrated on the front cover with rounded sunglasses and flowery dresses. Take those features over to TikTok, and it turns into a viral genre encapsulating thousands of admirers. The immense popularity of the misandry sub-genre is a reflection of feminism's place in culture and society today. These books can be hugely empowering for all readers who have feared for their safety or perhaps felt helpless to take action. For any reader looking to indulge their fantasies of retributive murder, the best course of action is to keep it within the fictional world.
