FX conjures up anthology series described as feminist 'Black Mirror'

We're talking 'The Handmaid's Tale' but scarier and more bleak.
 By 
Alison Foreman
 on 

What's that? The Handmaid's Tale isn't dark enough for you?

After negotiating through what Deadline is calling a "competitive situation," FX has won the rights to adapt Carmen Maria Machado's Her Body and Other Parties into a televised anthology series.

And that's great news for people seeking out their next bout of nightmares.

The feminist short story collection has been described by its publishing house Gray Wolf Press as a collection of "narratives that map the realities of women’s lives and the violence visited upon their bodies."

From horrific re-imaginings of Law & Order: SVU to the disturbing observations of a woman who can hear porn actors' thoughts, Machado's tellings have gained a reputation for their unnerving depictions of femininity and fairy tales.

The source material comes so highly praised that the fledgling FX series—still in pre-production—has been described as "the feminist Black Mirror." (Notably, Charlie Brooker's Emmy-winning science fiction series released its most female centric season to critical acclaim just late last year.)

Machado will produce the project under the direction of industry veteran Gina Welch, who is slated as the series' EP. Welch previously collaborated on FX's Bette and Joan with creator Ryan Murphy, who has helmed FX's mainstay horror anthology, American Horror Story, since its premiere in 2011. (Murphy is not currently expected to contribute to the Her Body adaptation.)

FX has yet to commit to a production timeline for the adaptation. However, if the fall horror premiere pattern continues, then we can likely expect Machado's nightmarish tales to hit screens in time for a future Halloween binge.

Topics Books

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Alison Foreman

Alison Foreman is one heck of a gal. She's also a writer in Los Angeles, who used to cover movies, TV, video games, and the internet for Mashable. @alfaforeman

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