Supernatural Mothers and Wombs of Discontent - Exploring Horror's Deviant Reproductions

Contributors to this volume examine the womb and the mother as separate sources of supernatural reproduction in horror media, arguing that the alchemy of pregnancy and birth offers myriad critical possibilities in horror, particularly in the context of the monstrous feminine and gynae horror. From television shows like WandaVision and films like The Witch (2015) to novels like Toni Morrison's Beloved and Salman Rushdie's Victory City, contributors examine a range of horror media texts to offer a dedicated examination of supernatural motherhood in diverse contexts. Supernatural Mothers and Wombs of Discontent is divided into three sections to guide the reader through various themes and narratives of the genre. Part One examines the challenges both to and of power represented by the figure of the witch through analyses of themes of magical motherhood, the “anti-mother”, and exploitation. Part Two, focusing more fully on the Othering of the mother in the face of supernatural reproduction, examines themes of abject othering, vulnerability, and paradoxical reproduction.