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Gretchen Felker-Martin
American author and critic From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Gretchen Felker-Martin is an American horror author and film and TV critic. She wrote the novels; Ego Homini Lupus, Manhunt, Cuckoo, Black Flame and Chimera.
Personal life
Gretchen Felker-Martin grew up in rural New Hampshire.[1] She moved to Worcester, Massachusetts, in 2007.[2] She is transgender and uses she/her pronouns.[1]
Career
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Felker-Martin had film and TV criticism published in outlets such as Polygon and Time,[3][4] and self-published several horror novellas starting in 2016.[5] Felker-Martin's science fiction horror novel Manhunt was published on February 22, 2022, in the U.S. by Tor Nightfire.[6] Manhunt appeared on best-of-year lists in multiple publications, including appearing at No. in Vulture's list of "The Best Books of 2022".[7] Roxane Gay selected it as one of the "25 Most Influential Works of Postwar Queer Literature", writing, "This is the kind of book that queer writers have been desperate to write forever and are rarely given the opportunity to".[8] The Los Angeles Review of Books wrote, "Felker-Martin's horror novel cunningly weaves trans determinism, war, and trauma together in an effort to locate joy, empathy, and pleasure in a world on fire."[9] In October 2024, Lilly Wachowski announced that she is adapting Manhunt into a TV series with Felker-Martin.[10][11]
Her novel Cuckoo was published on June 11, 2024.[12] In its first week it entered the USA Today best-seller list,[13] and it was chosen as one of the "Best Horror Books of 2024 (So Far)" by Vulture.[14] Publishers Weekly wrote, "Laying bare grief, terror, and the tenderness that makes it all matter, this is horror at its best."[15] Also in June 2024, she wrote a short story in issue No. 41 of Harley Quinn.[16]
In June 2025, DC Comics announced that Felker-Martin would write a Red Hood ongoing series for mature readers.[17][18] When DC Comics approached Felker-Martin in early 2024, she said she warned editor Arianna Turtorro that "as soon as you hire me, you're going to get between five and a hundred of the craziest people you've ever met in your life, screaming for my head and yours".[19] The announcement of the series was met with criticism from the political right, including figures associated with the alt-right harassment campaign Comicsgate.[19] The criticism spread to larger outlets closer to the release date, with the Algemeiner Journal highlighting Felker-Martin's reaction to the October 7 attacks (when she said "You cannot subject human beings to brutal conditions under which no hope for a meaningful future exists and then blame them for violent action taken to correct this state") and other anti-Zionist comments,[20] which Felker-Martin described as being when DC first raised concerns.[19]
On 10 September 2025, DC announced that canceled the Red Hood series just one day after its debut, following posts made by Felker-Martin on Bluesky regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk including "Hope the bullet’s okay after touching Charlie Kirk" and "Thoughts and prayers you Nazi bitch". DC said that the posts were "inconsistent with DC's standards of conduct".[21][22] DC refunded retailers for every issue of the book that they had reserved for sale, including copies of the first issue that had already sold.[23]
In an interview with The Comics Journal, Felker-Martin stated that when DC called her to inform her that this was "something that DC and Warner Brothers couldn't stand behind or defend", she stated, "I said that I've listened to Charlie Kirk being an overt Nazi for years of my life, and I had no regrets for what I said about him", also saying that "it just didn't strike me as an especially hot flashpoint".[19] Marie Javins, DC Comics editor-in-chief, said "Gretchen's choice to continue her rhetoric despite this feedback was her own. Our decision to cease publication was a result. She is a passionate and talented writer, and DC wishes her the best with her future work."[24] The comments also led to Felker-Martin's Bluesky account being suspended for a week,[24] having previously been suspended for wishing ill of J. K. Rowling.[25] Author Roxane Gay expressed her support of Felker-Martin. Following the suspension of her account, Felker-Martin expressed a desire to keep a lower profile on Bluesky when she returned.[24]
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Bibliography
Novels
- Ego Homini Lupus (2019)
- Manhunt (2022, Tor Nightfire)
- Cuckoo (2024, Tor Nightfire)
- Black Flame (2025, Tor Nightfire)
- Chimera (2026, Tor Nightfire)
Novellas
- No End Will be Found (2017)
- Dreadnought (2020)
- Wyrm (2024)
Short stories
- Sardines (2024), published in Bury Your Gays, by Sofia Ajram, ed.
Comic books
DC Comics
- Harley Quinn (vol. 4) #33 (back-up story: The Door, illustrated by Hayden Sherman, October 2023)
- Titans: Beast World Tour – Gotham #1 (story: Scavengers, illustrated by Ivan Shavrin, December 2023)
- DC Pride 2024 #1 (story: Marasmius, illustrated by Claire Roe, May 2024)
- Harley Quinn (vol. 4) #41 (back-up story: The Cave, illustrated by Dani, June 2024)
- Poison Ivy #25 (back-up story: Boots and Handbags, illustrated by Atagun Ilhan, September 2024)
- Red Hood #1 (illustrated by Jeff Spokes, September 2025)
References
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