In Episode 17 Gen and Jette talk about The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente, their 2019 March/April book club selection. Valente takes on the trope of the “fridged” woman in superhero stories. The term was coined by author Gail Simone and was named after the Green Lantern comic in which his girlfriend is killed and stuffed in the refrigerator. It refers to the sexist trope of women being killed in stories to further a male character’s story. And it’s everywhere.
The Refrigerator Monologues, as the title suggests, allows each of these dead women to tell their story upon entering the underworld/after life. Written as only Valente could, it’s funny and bristling with anger. Each character has a distinct voice and story, and Valente’s rendering of the afterworld is wonderfully vivid and strange. This was such a fun book to read and talk about. It was especially fun to match each monologue to its comic book counterpart, since each one is based on an existing female character in well known comics. We hope you enjoyed this one as much as we did!
Show Notes
Once you’re aware of the Women in Refrigerators trope, you start to see it everywhere. Like in Supernatural, Peaky Blinders, Daredevil, The OC, The Amazing Spiderman…need we go on?
All the artwork that appears throughout the book is by the incredible Annie Wu.
Other Books by Catherynne M. Valente
Deathless
Space Opera
Pamlimpsest
Radiance
The Fairyland Series
The Orphan’s Tales
