These Ladies are Killer
The Science of Serial Killers, what a juicy name right? When I first saw the title release, I knew that I couldn’t wait to dive into the pages of another instalment by authors Meg Hafdahl and Kelly Florence. Now while I don’t typically do book reviews, as I am a costuming blog, I knew when these ladies put out the bat signal, I had to answer their call.
This is the fourth installment in their “Science of…” series, where based on the topic they are breaking down horror movies and literature alike. What makes their work completely unique from the plethora of other horror scholars out there is how they seamlessly bring in scientific facts and figures to explain the physical or the psychology of the given topic. I have still to dive into their …Monsters and …Stephen King books but I have read The Science of Women just over the pandemic and fell in love with their creativity on a topic so near to my heart. So, my obvious excitement when they announced they were now tackling real life killers was something I could not miss.
I have never really been a true crime person. I know some of the more famous stories, but despite my interest in horror and the macabre, I never was one to listen for hours to podcasts about real life boogeyman(woman) who preyed on people. Knowing that these people lived or are still alive creep me out deeper than Freddy Kruger. Horror is my escape and a cathartic experience, and I am going in fully aware that I am in a safe space to feel scared. But when all barriers of reality and fiction are broken, I am truly shaken to my core. However, when I see my girl Lizzie Borden’s name on the cover, and their incredibly captivating track record, I knew it was going beyond your run of the mill true crime story.
What these women do so well is using the science as a catalyst to highlight the story behind the tragedy. Because unfortunately all to often in true crime these monsters will become romanticized, and the victims and their families are left to deal with the fall out or fame. Kelly and Meg from the outset state that in these stories they want the “brave ones and the heroes” to outlive these beasts. Let the monsters be forgotten as we rise, was a beautiful way to end their introduction. You can feel the respect and compassion they have for the victims and their families within each story that is being told.
The serial killer stories span the gambit of killers from history who have become mythos (i.e. Lizzie), women, foreign tragedies, those who have never been caught, and those who are right in our backyards. They were able to speak to FBI agents, story tellers, and historians to offer a unique perspective into these cases and how they are carried forth into the popular culture. What I enjoyed the most were those bit sized dives into the scientific that was tailored for each case. I learned a lot on the bases of DNA technology and compiling evidence. The passion is there for these women, and it comes through in the thoroughness of each story. Even though each killer is only receiving a ten-page chapter they allow you to digest the information and walk away completely informed, but still allow you to ask your own questions into further research if you’re curious enough.
If you’re fascinated by human behavior, like myself, and you’re not necessarily into true crime I highly recommend this book. I don’t know if this will be my gateway into True Crime, but it has left me with questions I do want to explore (about killers who are very well dead and cannot hurt me now.) I invite you to explore the killers who inspired your favorite films, and the science behind the world of investigation. Meg and Kelly have done it again and continue to live up to their namesake as “Goth Media Moguls!”. Blending STEM and arts together this book is perfect for anyone, and with the holiday’s coming up this book makes a unique gift!
