When I chose this theme for November, I expected some gore. Maybe a fresh twist on body horror? The inevitable sexy-wolf-man romance, of course. Instead, I got so much more. The wolf and its inevitable extension, the werewolf, blew me away.
The “alpha wolf,” the idea that a single dominant, aggressive male rules a pack, is a myth.
It has familiar origins. In the 1970s, a researcher published a book based on flawed science—the claims were based on captive wolves, a non-representative population. No matter. The claims were exciting and easy to quote, useful for reenforcing human myths society was already keen to promote. The book got so popular, the researcher couldn’t claw it back once he realized its issues.
As an article from Science America movingly puts it, “In the wild, wolf packs are simply families.” So why are we so frantic to believe in that image of the snarling, grizzled, very much masculine “alpha” leader? What do our beliefs about wolves say about us, as humans?
A lot of today’s best werewolf horror, I think, engages with that question.
Books
Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison is masterful. It’s about women: our trauma and rage; our complicated relationships with our wonderful, bizarre, and sometimes horrifying bodies; our struggle to trust and grow when trust seems impossible and chaos is so much more tempting than stability. It’s about all of that, yet somehow it’s also in the form of a fun, funny, somewhat gory but definitely heartfelt werewolf story with a romance. (Mind your trigger warnings.)
What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo, in contrast, demands a little more patience. It’s one of the best “complicated family” books I’ve bumped into since The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina. But there’s no lyrical asides that explain its themes—much like the family, you have to let the story be what it is and trust it to do what’s right by you.
The Girl in Red, my first Christina Henry book, was so well paced. If you’re in a reading slump, this one could pull you out. Dystopian books aren’t usually my thing, but its dystopian setting didn’t put me off; the story is really a character study, digging into Red’s raw grit and will to survive by weaving in and out of her past.
I only found Tom, Thom because I bumped into the art! It’s a short folklore-flavored short story, uncanny and bleak, but with just enough tenderness amid the darkness to coax you in.
This is my longest “to be read” list yet! Right now, I’m most excited for Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones, Lobizona by Romina Russell, and The Devourers by Indra Das.
This time, I have a special category: books with fewer than 800 reviews on Goodreads—sometimes far fewer! If you pick one of these, remember to drop a review. It’s one of the most powerful ways to support small authors.
I don’t read a ton of anthologies, and I lean toward adult versus young adult books. But if a cover below catches your eye, I’m telling you: Look it up. The premises for these are all absolute bangers.
Written and illustrated by Micheline Hess, Diary of a Mad, Black Werewolf looks amazing (literally and in terms of story). A pack of female werewolves works together to avenge Black men and women killed by racists. Mark Cheng, in turn, created an award-winning short film based on the story in 2021.
Art
“Three Women and Three Wolves” (1892) by Eugène Samuel Grasset, done with watercolor, pencil, and ink. The horn on the ground. The distinct expressions on each woman’s face. The tameness of the three wolves. What were they caught doing in the woods? Who has caught them? Are these entities really human?
A detail from “Roja,” a contemporary oil painting by Karla Ortiz (@kortizart). (Find the full piece on their Instagram profile.) I love the subtle yellow glow shared in their eyes—there’s a bit of the wolf in this girl. I’m a sucker for Red Riding Hood retellings that reposition the woman as the threat, someone with power who chooses whose companionship she wants.
“The Woods” by Vishnu M. Nair, a contemporary artist based in New Delhi, India. This composition is just arresting. For as small as she is, the red figure pins everything in place. She controls the visual gravity. I’ve also always loved ink art. My favorite details on the wolf are its piercing white eyes and the subtle hint of ribs . . . this animal is hungry.
“Cry Wolf” by Borja González (@borja_gonzalez_illustraciones), a self-taught Spanish illustrator and a script writer. Ah, that use of ink! A pair of pinprick white eyes in an otherwise black-ink figure always gets me. This image feels so uncanny. It’s hard not to think of this as a single wolf, stalking the a house over time, maybe night after night, seeking something.
A detail from a 2023 piece by contemporary artist Michelle KamMei Harvey, who goes by @WolfSkullJack_art on Instagram. I’ve followed her for ages now. Her art is gripping, mystical and vicious and always in motion. She volunteers at Wolf Watch UK, a wolf sanctuary.
Indie Games
Neva looks stunning. I’m talking real visual poetry. Just the banner alone! A young woman and her ethereal wolf companion embark on a journey through a dying forest, each battling the trauma they’ve sustained from their encounter with dark forces.
Other
These aren’t foxes. They’re Ethiopian wolves, a top predator in their food chain. The yellow flowers, Kniphofia foliosa, ooze nectar . . . and these carnivores taught each other to enjoy it.
The behavior is so unusual that researchers followed six foxes for four days just to be sure. But yes, there it was. “The dessert hypothesis.”
Meat eaters drawn to a little sweetness, spreading bright yellow flowers as a result.
Enjoy this Content?
Check out my other themed lists! Clicking your way through this weird little library is a great way to discover new books, art, games, and music. Here’s my full list of themes for the year: SNOW (January), MUSHROOMS (February), CAVES (March), HOUSES (April), APPLES (May), SUBMERGED (June), CATS (July), EYES (August), MERMAIDS (September), DREAMS (October).
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