Once Upon A Time, the average insane woman was finding companionship in the wallpaper, spending their time trapped in a Bell Jar, or simply being beautiful little fools, literature venturing down a wacky and wonderful road paved with woman’s voices. 

Past these ancient texts and dated stories, women’s literature has taken on a new, absurd turn. Have you ever stolen your best friend's unpublished manuscript moments after her tragic death in your arms, because wouldn’t she have wanted you to have it? Ever killed and eaten your ex-partners? Ever planned a retirement job as a hit-woman? 

Whether or not you have done any of the latter, and in this case "Denay, Nunavit", take a look at the vast range of modern female literature, hellbent on making you question everything.

To satiate the urge to commit crime

R.F. Kuang is no stranger to the wide range of prejudice within our society, and in her outstanding novel Yellowface, she explores the complexities of cultural appropriation in modern society, through a rage-baiting anti-hero. Winning Fiction Book Of The Year at The British Book Awards, Yellowface is applauded for its taboo discussion of race-based issues within society. Her ability to curate a modern machiavellian villain alongside a plot intent on rage-baiting readers, ensures this book is an amazing satirical take on a serious issue within society.

The modern woman is now the working woman, and who doesn’t applaud all the female food reviewers fighting to make their voices heard, even if it means killing the men who stop you along the way. Chelsea.G.Summers’ A Certain Hunger is an addictive novel following fictional celebrity Dorothy Daniels, who has a dark secret behind her career. The gory details within this book formulates an addictive and sly novel, following Daniels on her hitlist, leaving no stone unturned on her mission. This book is an educational masterpiece for aspiring women wanting to "Have It All".

Translated fiction is on the rise, and as much as one can appreciate a novel on Bookshops, Coffee shops, and Dreamstore Departments, retiring female assassins is a far more gripping read. The Old Woman With The Knife is an amazing novella focusing on a retired woman with an unusual part-time job: hit-woman. Debating female isolation and the demanding state of the economy through a peculiar and unorthodox work demand, this novella is perfect for those wanting an insight into mob-life.

In modern day, families have taken on new forms and have expanded to accommodate our rapidly changing society. However, this takes on a new meaning in the novel How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie, which unravels the ever-present familial issues within society, through an epic murder-heist. In the novel, we gain a detailed account of a series of revenge-filled murders from isolated and ostracized young woman Grace Bernard, who seeks justice against her unfazed and facetious rich family. Perfect for lovers of crime and thrillers, with unexpected and gory plot twists, this novel perfectly encapsulates the efficiency of a woman scorned. 

For a woman obsessed

For anyone obsessing over someone they can’t have, the satirical novel I Love Dick is a perfect look at an obsessive female mental space. Partially inspired by her own life, Chris Kraus explores the mundanity of everyday life, and tells a detailed story on modern female insanity, the boring, the petty, the menopause. This book is the perfect example of why female writers are so essential to capturing complex emotions, and how men named Richard get the nickname Dick.

Translated pieces continue to cover a broad range of femininity in Natsuko Imamura’s The Woman In The Purple Skirt, its ominous title layering its mysterious plot point. The novel's anonymity is a key theme throughout the story, emphasising the obsession and wild goose chase you will be dragged along for. This novella is a real page-turner, and its ending is one that will stay with you.

Female obsession is a topic heavily explored in modern literature, and Death In Her Hands is a perfect example of this. From New York Times Best selling author Otessa Moshfegh, this novella is surrounded by female isolation, obsession, and impulsivity, a typicality amongst Moshfegh’s more popular works. Her writing is extremely underrated, perfectly embedding an essence of emotional disparity and lucidity. An ominous note turned murder case, the protagonist grapples with reality and fantasy, emotional instability being at the core of this novella. 

For the books with deeper meanings

For the fantasy lovers, the gothic tale of A Dowry Of Blood is the perfect sapphic historical novel. Ever wondered if Dracula’s bride could ever actually stand him? The dusty castle, the lack of couples beach vacations, the non-consensual polyamory? S.T Gibson tells a epic tale of Constanta, bride of Dracula, the epistolary adding a haunting tale to this narrative.

This thrilling book is a real page-turner, its dystopian elements haunting the novella throughout the story. I Who Have Never Known Men is an addictive read, which is set in an underground prison, where thirty nine women and one girl are trapped, with no memory of the outside world. The story is filled with heartbreak and uncertainty, the setting adding an eerie and unsettling atmosphere. At the heart of this book is female connections, a vital aspect of womanhood, as this novella offers up a world without men, and what this means for humanity. Within the struggle and entrapment of the women is unity: this is an amazing story for exploring the depths and importance of reclaiming a feminine space. 

Dystopian books form an extremely important part of modern literature, and women’s writing within this genre has stood the test of time. Agustina Bazterrica’s debut novel Tender Is The Flesh is a pioneering piece within the genre of dystopia. Bazterrica explores the bounds of capitalism and consumerism culture by offering up the possibility of a human meat market- absurd in its own right, yet not as far away as many think. Written in a male’s perspective, the author underlines the misogyny within a capitalist market place, highlighting women as victims to this ideology. This book is one everyone must read at least once in their lifetime, as it battles the complexities of human morality and emotion, and the roles we play within society that inextricably weaken us. 

From casual murder to human meat markets, modern female literature reclaims the brand of hysteria, transforming it into a feminine space for women to explore the bountiful range of twisted tales and stories.