Kit Whitfield - fantasy writer
@kitwhitfield.bsky.social
Novelist ‘as tart, dark and juicy as a summer pudding’. World Fantasy Award finalist. She/her.
Timeline cleanse queen.
The Gyrford series: tinyurl.com/nvvetupj
Horror reviews: https://tinyurl.com/5cyf7x5v
Agent: Sophie Hicks.
Timeline cleanse queen.
The Gyrford series: tinyurl.com/nvvetupj
Horror reviews: https://tinyurl.com/5cyf7x5v
Agent: Sophie Hicks.
Cool, thanks!
November 13, 2025 at 8:40 AM
Cool, thanks!
Ooh, is it available to read?
November 13, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Ooh, is it available to read?
But ... no, not but. AND. And we are well past the point of needing to see what people like Shelley herself would remake of her work.
Which is to say, women who've had children.
You want Frankenstein monstrousness? Find a mother. 29/29
Which is to say, women who've had children.
You want Frankenstein monstrousness? Find a mother. 29/29
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
But ... no, not but. AND. And we are well past the point of needing to see what people like Shelley herself would remake of her work.
Which is to say, women who've had children.
You want Frankenstein monstrousness? Find a mother. 29/29
Which is to say, women who've had children.
You want Frankenstein monstrousness? Find a mother. 29/29
(Except trans men, maybe, and I'm always here for more trans art.)
Del Toro's Frankenstein respects and admires motherhood.
It's about fatherhood.
And that's fine. Fatherhood is a good subject. He is a father. This is the film he'd make, and I love it. 28/
Del Toro's Frankenstein respects and admires motherhood.
It's about fatherhood.
And that's fine. Fatherhood is a good subject. He is a father. This is the film he'd make, and I love it. 28/
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
(Except trans men, maybe, and I'm always here for more trans art.)
Del Toro's Frankenstein respects and admires motherhood.
It's about fatherhood.
And that's fine. Fatherhood is a good subject. He is a father. This is the film he'd make, and I love it. 28/
Del Toro's Frankenstein respects and admires motherhood.
It's about fatherhood.
And that's fine. Fatherhood is a good subject. He is a father. This is the film he'd make, and I love it. 28/
Literally she said of The Babadook that she thought mothers would relate to it and it'd 'scare the shit' out of everyone else.
I want more mother-horror. And for that, we need the work of mothers.
Which we can't ask men to provide. 27/
I want more mother-horror. And for that, we need the work of mothers.
Which we can't ask men to provide. 27/
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Literally she said of The Babadook that she thought mothers would relate to it and it'd 'scare the shit' out of everyone else.
I want more mother-horror. And for that, we need the work of mothers.
Which we can't ask men to provide. 27/
I want more mother-horror. And for that, we need the work of mothers.
Which we can't ask men to provide. 27/
The mother-as-monster horror is right there.
Mothers as monster's from the child's perspective, pop culture can do.
Mothers as monsters to themselves? Kent's the only filmmaker I can think of. At all. We all no it, but only she says it. 26/
Mothers as monster's from the child's perspective, pop culture can do.
Mothers as monsters to themselves? Kent's the only filmmaker I can think of. At all. We all no it, but only she says it. 26/
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
The mother-as-monster horror is right there.
Mothers as monster's from the child's perspective, pop culture can do.
Mothers as monsters to themselves? Kent's the only filmmaker I can think of. At all. We all no it, but only she says it. 26/
Mothers as monster's from the child's perspective, pop culture can do.
Mothers as monsters to themselves? Kent's the only filmmaker I can think of. At all. We all no it, but only she says it. 26/
You'll notice I feel the need to explain all this. Not least because, as a mother, experience has taught me to be afraid of calling it labour for fear of being called a monster. I feel I need to stress that I love my son and he's fine.
See what I mean? 25/
See what I mean? 25/
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
You'll notice I feel the need to explain all this. Not least because, as a mother, experience has taught me to be afraid of calling it labour for fear of being called a monster. I feel I need to stress that I love my son and he's fine.
See what I mean? 25/
See what I mean? 25/
It's a useful means of control. Call motherhood a lifestyle instead of a social necessity - because we don't all have to have kids, but if you want farmers and doctors when you're old and weak then someone does - and label anyone who calls it work a monster. 24/
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
It's a useful means of control. Call motherhood a lifestyle instead of a social necessity - because we don't all have to have kids, but if you want farmers and doctors when you're old and weak then someone does - and label anyone who calls it work a monster. 24/
But motherhood? Fuck. 'You're an angel or a monster' is a pretty good summary.
To small dependent children, that's how much power we have. Too much. More than any fallible human being should be trusted with.
And to a world that needs mothers' labour but doesn't want to call it labour? 23/
To small dependent children, that's how much power we have. Too much. More than any fallible human being should be trusted with.
And to a world that needs mothers' labour but doesn't want to call it labour? 23/
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
But motherhood? Fuck. 'You're an angel or a monster' is a pretty good summary.
To small dependent children, that's how much power we have. Too much. More than any fallible human being should be trusted with.
And to a world that needs mothers' labour but doesn't want to call it labour? 23/
To small dependent children, that's how much power we have. Too much. More than any fallible human being should be trusted with.
And to a world that needs mothers' labour but doesn't want to call it labour? 23/
I mentioned The Madwoman In The Attic. It talks about a Victorian idea of women: not the virgin/whore dichotomy, but the angel/monster dichotomy. If a woman isn't one, she's the other.
We don't talk about the angel in the house any more. It's considered gauche. 22/
We don't talk about the angel in the house any more. It's considered gauche. 22/
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
I mentioned The Madwoman In The Attic. It talks about a Victorian idea of women: not the virgin/whore dichotomy, but the angel/monster dichotomy. If a woman isn't one, she's the other.
We don't talk about the angel in the house any more. It's considered gauche. 22/
We don't talk about the angel in the house any more. It's considered gauche. 22/
I absolutely loved del Toro's Frankenstein. Smashing movie, would watch again any time.
But if we want to address the very present motherhood aspect of Mary Shelley's work ... we need a mother.
Because I don't think anyone but a mother knows what monsters we are. 21/
But if we want to address the very present motherhood aspect of Mary Shelley's work ... we need a mother.
Because I don't think anyone but a mother knows what monsters we are. 21/
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
I absolutely loved del Toro's Frankenstein. Smashing movie, would watch again any time.
But if we want to address the very present motherhood aspect of Mary Shelley's work ... we need a mother.
Because I don't think anyone but a mother knows what monsters we are. 21/
But if we want to address the very present motherhood aspect of Mary Shelley's work ... we need a mother.
Because I don't think anyone but a mother knows what monsters we are. 21/
Is it for good? For evil? Yes. Either. It's too visceral to have a simple explanation.
Birth is violent. Parenthood is feral.
Look at a room full of women. You want a killer? Look for the mothers. 20/
Birth is violent. Parenthood is feral.
Look at a room full of women. You want a killer? Look for the mothers. 20/
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Is it for good? For evil? Yes. Either. It's too visceral to have a simple explanation.
Birth is violent. Parenthood is feral.
Look at a room full of women. You want a killer? Look for the mothers. 20/
Birth is violent. Parenthood is feral.
Look at a room full of women. You want a killer? Look for the mothers. 20/
Motherhood is the capacity for violence.
In The Babadook the violence is turned against the child. In The Nightingale it's turned against the man who killed the child.
But it's the same raw truth. Motherhood makes you into something more dangerous than you used to be. 19/
In The Babadook the violence is turned against the child. In The Nightingale it's turned against the man who killed the child.
But it's the same raw truth. Motherhood makes you into something more dangerous than you used to be. 19/
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Motherhood is the capacity for violence.
In The Babadook the violence is turned against the child. In The Nightingale it's turned against the man who killed the child.
But it's the same raw truth. Motherhood makes you into something more dangerous than you used to be. 19/
In The Babadook the violence is turned against the child. In The Nightingale it's turned against the man who killed the child.
But it's the same raw truth. Motherhood makes you into something more dangerous than you used to be. 19/
And on a purely physical level, that's what it takes to make Clare, a normal person, capable of murder.
This is a truth that every mother knows, and that in all my life I've never, ever seen another filmmaker properly articulate: 18/
This is a truth that every mother knows, and that in all my life I've never, ever seen another filmmaker properly articulate: 18/
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
And on a purely physical level, that's what it takes to make Clare, a normal person, capable of murder.
This is a truth that every mother knows, and that in all my life I've never, ever seen another filmmaker properly articulate: 18/
This is a truth that every mother knows, and that in all my life I've never, ever seen another filmmaker properly articulate: 18/
But when Clare comes across the rapist whose most to blame for her horrors, she can't shoot him.
Why not? She shot the other man without a flinch.
This guy raped her, abused her, had her husband killed, is a racist plundering monster.
But he didn't kill her baby. 17/
Why not? She shot the other man without a flinch.
This guy raped her, abused her, had her husband killed, is a racist plundering monster.
But he didn't kill her baby. 17/
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
But when Clare comes across the rapist whose most to blame for her horrors, she can't shoot him.
Why not? She shot the other man without a flinch.
This guy raped her, abused her, had her husband killed, is a racist plundering monster.
But he didn't kill her baby. 17/
Why not? She shot the other man without a flinch.
This guy raped her, abused her, had her husband killed, is a racist plundering monster.
But he didn't kill her baby. 17/
And yeah, he has to die.
Was he redeemable? Probably. Is he evil? Not exceptionally? Is he in pain and fear? Definitely.
He has to die. He just does.
He killed a baby. He is no longer part of life. There is nothing left to feel for him; it's time for him to rejoin the death he served. 16/
Was he redeemable? Probably. Is he evil? Not exceptionally? Is he in pain and fear? Definitely.
He has to die. He just does.
He killed a baby. He is no longer part of life. There is nothing left to feel for him; it's time for him to rejoin the death he served. 16/
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
And yeah, he has to die.
Was he redeemable? Probably. Is he evil? Not exceptionally? Is he in pain and fear? Definitely.
He has to die. He just does.
He killed a baby. He is no longer part of life. There is nothing left to feel for him; it's time for him to rejoin the death he served. 16/
Was he redeemable? Probably. Is he evil? Not exceptionally? Is he in pain and fear? Definitely.
He has to die. He just does.
He killed a baby. He is no longer part of life. There is nothing left to feel for him; it's time for him to rejoin the death he served. 16/
She finds the lower-ranking soldier who killed her baby.
She shoots him.
I've never watched a scene of violence with such ... passionate indifference?
He suffers. The abuse wasn't his idea; he mostly just panicked. He's a human being. 15/
She shoots him.
I've never watched a scene of violence with such ... passionate indifference?
He suffers. The abuse wasn't his idea; he mostly just panicked. He's a human being. 15/
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
She finds the lower-ranking soldier who killed her baby.
She shoots him.
I've never watched a scene of violence with such ... passionate indifference?
He suffers. The abuse wasn't his idea; he mostly just panicked. He's a human being. 15/
She shoots him.
I've never watched a scene of violence with such ... passionate indifference?
He suffers. The abuse wasn't his idea; he mostly just panicked. He's a human being. 15/
...snaps when the soldiers kill not only her husband but her baby daughter. Clare runs off on a quest to kill them, teaming up with an Aboriginal man going through his own cultural apocalypse as he tries and fails to find any surviving family. 14/
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
...snaps when the soldiers kill not only her husband but her baby daughter. Clare runs off on a quest to kill them, teaming up with an Aboriginal man going through his own cultural apocalypse as he tries and fails to find any surviving family. 14/
Of course The Babadook is a masterpiece. But people talk less about The Nightingale - and the two together are why she could do Frankenstein.
For those who haven't seen it, The Nightingale is the story of a transported Irish woman who, after enduring sexual abuse from the officer of her camp... 13/
For those who haven't seen it, The Nightingale is the story of a transported Irish woman who, after enduring sexual abuse from the officer of her camp... 13/
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Of course The Babadook is a masterpiece. But people talk less about The Nightingale - and the two together are why she could do Frankenstein.
For those who haven't seen it, The Nightingale is the story of a transported Irish woman who, after enduring sexual abuse from the officer of her camp... 13/
For those who haven't seen it, The Nightingale is the story of a transported Irish woman who, after enduring sexual abuse from the officer of her camp... 13/
Can we get a major Frankenstein movie by a female director?
This was a book by a mother. Let's see a film by a mother.
I've got the perfect candidate: Jennifer Kent. 12/
This was a book by a mother. Let's see a film by a mother.
I've got the perfect candidate: Jennifer Kent. 12/
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Can we get a major Frankenstein movie by a female director?
This was a book by a mother. Let's see a film by a mother.
I've got the perfect candidate: Jennifer Kent. 12/
This was a book by a mother. Let's see a film by a mother.
I've got the perfect candidate: Jennifer Kent. 12/
Frankenstein the book is still there to be read.
Frankenstein the idea is everything from movies to snack food. We can play with it. And right now, there's still a feeling that the parenthood aspect needs exploring.
So here's my question:
11/
Frankenstein the idea is everything from movies to snack food. We can play with it. And right now, there's still a feeling that the parenthood aspect needs exploring.
So here's my question:
11/
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Frankenstein the book is still there to be read.
Frankenstein the idea is everything from movies to snack food. We can play with it. And right now, there's still a feeling that the parenthood aspect needs exploring.
So here's my question:
11/
Frankenstein the idea is everything from movies to snack food. We can play with it. And right now, there's still a feeling that the parenthood aspect needs exploring.
So here's my question:
11/
His Victor isn't disgusted by his creation as in Shelley, but it's an interested take: this is the horror of parenthood, and part of that horror is the demands it places on your patience, which is more patience than some people have. 10/
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
His Victor isn't disgusted by his creation as in Shelley, but it's an interested take: this is the horror of parenthood, and part of that horror is the demands it places on your patience, which is more patience than some people have. 10/
It's the old joke: A child tugs on his mother's skirt saying, 'Mummy! Mummy! Mummy! Mummy! Mummy!' The mother looks at him and says, 'You know, the first time you said that word I was so happy.'
Del Toro is a dad and he knows this. 9/
Del Toro is a dad and he knows this. 9/
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
It's the old joke: A child tugs on his mother's skirt saying, 'Mummy! Mummy! Mummy! Mummy! Mummy!' The mother looks at him and says, 'You know, the first time you said that word I was so happy.'
Del Toro is a dad and he knows this. 9/
Del Toro is a dad and he knows this. 9/
Nobody who writes Frankenstein telling his monster, 'I haven't had a winky-dinky-doo of sleep' has missed the parenthood theme.
And Victor turning away because the monster won't stop calling, 'Victor?' Again, it's not obscure. 8/
And Victor turning away because the monster won't stop calling, 'Victor?' Again, it's not obscure. 8/
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Nobody who writes Frankenstein telling his monster, 'I haven't had a winky-dinky-doo of sleep' has missed the parenthood theme.
And Victor turning away because the monster won't stop calling, 'Victor?' Again, it's not obscure. 8/
And Victor turning away because the monster won't stop calling, 'Victor?' Again, it's not obscure. 8/
And del Toro clearly took that seriously. He didn't do exactly what Shelley did, but he picked up on the theme and approached it with interest.
Very openly, it's the story of failing to reclaim or become your mother because instead you became your father. 7/
Very openly, it's the story of failing to reclaim or become your mother because instead you became your father. 7/
November 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
And del Toro clearly took that seriously. He didn't do exactly what Shelley did, but he picked up on the theme and approached it with interest.
Very openly, it's the story of failing to reclaim or become your mother because instead you became your father. 7/
Very openly, it's the story of failing to reclaim or become your mother because instead you became your father. 7/