Introduction

Seriously disturbing women is a collection of novels and stories written by female authors over different time periods that have been deemed disturbing, unsettling or unnerving.

These stories are not necessarily horror or gore, some are not even classified in the horror genre, but are books that send chills up your spine and makes one feel deeply uneasy and affected. subtly horrifying. 

Disturbing fiction is in a way a cross genre between horror, crime and psychological thrillers. What makes a work disturbing can be from various aspects and is not primarily centered on typical horror themes such as murder or torture but instead will include descents into madness, alarming alternate universes/futures, true accounts of (horrible) events, ethically challenged characters and monstrous creations. 'Disturbing’ fiction is predominately dominated by male authors and finding female authors who write novels deemed disturbing/unsettling/distressing/upsetting are hardly known or at least less popular than their male counterparts. That is why this list has been compiled to help fellow readers find the lesser known female counterparts in this genre.

Many of these works raise awareness on issues such as mental illness, abuse and social issues, especially concerning females. These works may attract adult females, even males. Some teens may be interested though these works may be deemed challenging for young audiences. 

--List compiled by Natasha Polkamp--