Where to Start Reading Carmen Maria Machado
Carmen Maria Machado is celebrated for her unique ability to blend gothic horror, magical realism, science fiction, and memoir. Because her works are standalone projects rather than sequential volumes in a single narrative universe, there is no strict chronological order you must follow. Instead, your starting point should depend on your preferred format and reading style.
Path 1: The Short Fiction Route (Recommended)
If you want to experience the haunting prose and genre-blending stories that first made Machado a literary sensation, begin with her debut collection, Her Body and Other Parties (2017). This collection contains eight stories—including the widely anthologized "The Husband Stitch"—and acts as the perfect introduction to her themes of queer identity, bodily autonomy, and surreal dread.
Path 2: The Non-Fiction Route
If you prefer memoir and experimental non-fiction, start with In the Dream House (2019). This groundbreaking memoir chronicles Machado's personal experiences with intimate partner violence in a same-sex relationship, using different literary tropes and genres (such as the haunted house, the choose-your-own-adventure, and the detective story) to unpack trauma. It is widely considered one of the most innovative memoirs of the 21st century.
Path 3: The Graphic Novel Route
For fans of visual storytelling and eerie gothic horror, The Low, Low Woods (2020) is the ideal entry point. Released under Joe Hill’s Hill House Comics imprint at DC Comics, this graphic novel explores the mysterious, memory-stealing afflictions of a Pennsylvania mining town through a dark, feminist lens.
The Core Works of Carmen Maria Machado
Her Body and Other Parties (2017)
Machado's debut short story collection is a tour de force that was a finalist for the National Book Award. Each of the eight stories explores the physical and psychological realities of women's lives. Notable entries include "Especially Heinous," which reimagines 12 seasons of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as a surreal ghost story, and "The Husband Stitch," a modern retelling of the classic scary tale about a girl with a green ribbon around her neck.
In the Dream House (2019)
This memoir explores a topic historically underrepresented in literature: domestic abuse within queer relationships. Rather than writing a straightforward linear narrative, Machado structures each short chapter around a specific storytelling convention, such as "Dream House as Gothic Romance" or "Dream House as Time Travel." This structure highlights the difficulty of processing trauma when the cultural vocabulary for such experiences is lacking.
The Low, Low Woods (2020)
Set in Shudder-to-Think, Pennsylvania—a fictional town where coal mines have been burning underground for decades—this graphic horror novel follows two teenage girls, El and Octavia. When they wake up in a movie theater with no memory of the last few hours, they embark on a search for the truth behind the town's history of gendered violence and memory loss. Illustrated by Dani, this comic blends body horror with folklore.
Collaborative Projects and Edited Collections
March Sisters: On Life, Death, and Little Women (2019)
In this collaborative book of essays, Machado joins authors Jane Smiley, Kate Bolick, and Jenny Zhang to re-examine Louisa May Alcott's classic novel Little Women. Each author writes a dedicated essay focusing on one of the March sisters. Machado wrote the chapter on Beth March ("A dear and nothing else"), reflecting on illness, mortality, and the tragic real-life inspiration behind the character, Lizzie Alcott.
Bloody Summer: Big Cats in the Children's Hand-Games of Never-Again, Pennsylvania (2022)
Released as a standalone digital and audio novella through the Amazon Original Stories imprint, this piece of speculative fiction is presented as an academic report investigating a series of bizarre occurrences in a fictional Pennsylvania town. It combines elements of folk horror, child play lore, and cryptids.
Best American Experimental Writing (BAX) Series
Machado has been a strong advocate for experimental literature. She served as a guest editor for BAX 2020, the final installment of the annual anthology showcasing avant-garde and boundary-pushing prose, poetry, and hybrid writing. The local database also tracks her association with the volumes for 2015, 2016, and 2018.
Forthcoming Releases
Readers should look forward to Machado's next major work, A Brief and Fearful Star. Scheduled for publication in March 2027 by Serpent's Tail (Profile Books) in the UK and Ireland, this anticipated title is a linked short story collection that expands on the themes of memory, environment, and the uncanny that define her bibliography.
Complete Publication Order of Major Works
For readers who wish to follow Machado's literary trajectory as it unfolded, here is the publication sequence of her primary solo books and collaborative projects:
- Her Body and Other Parties: Stories (2017) — Debut short story collection.
- March Sisters: On Life, Death, and Little Women (2019) — Collaborative essay collection.
- In the Dream House: A Memoir (2019) — Non-fiction memoir.
- The Low, Low Woods (2020) — Standalone graphic novel (Hill House Comics).
- Bloody Summer: Big Cats in the Children's Hand-Games of Never-Again, Pennsylvania (2022) — Standalone novella.
- A Brief and Fearful Star (Expected March 2027) — Upcoming short story collection.
What to Know Before You Start
Machado's work is celebrated for its sensory, visceral, and often graphic exploration of the human body. Because she frequently uses elements of horror, new readers should be prepared for themes of body transformation, bodily fluids, and psychological trauma. Furthermore, In the Dream House deals directly and intensely with emotional, psychological, and physical abuse. Readers sensitive to these topics should approach the memoir with care, though its highly experimental structure helps frame the narrative in a analytical, literary context.