Dead Weight by Hildur Knútsdóttir (translated by Mary Robinette Kowal)
Tor Nightfire (May 26, 2026)
Reviewed by Rowan B. Minor
Hildur Knútsdóttir, born in Reykjavík, Iceland, has lived in Spain, Germany, and Taiwan. She has written fiction, as well as plays and screenplays, for both adults and teenagers. Knútsdóttir has studied literature and creative writing at The University of Iceland and her work has received various awards and nominations including: The World Fantasy Award, The Icelandic Women’s Literary Prize, The Reykjavík Children’s Literature Prize, and The Icelandic Bookseller’s Prize. In 2016, she won the Icelandic Literary Prize for children’s books for her novel Vetrarhörkur. The Night Guest, her first book translated into English, was named one of the best thrillers of 2024 by The New York Times. Knútsdóttir’s most recent book, also translated into English, is a 160 page novella titled Dead Weight that is to be released from Tor Nightfire in May 2026.
Dead Weight is a psychological horror-thriller in which an unexpected friendship occurs when main character Unnur, in her thirties, discovers a strange black cat has broken into her apartment. Shortly after Unnur shares a “lost pet” advertisement, she meets the young Ásta, who claims the cat, named Io, is hers. However, Io has given birth to a kitten, so owner Ásta insists Io and the kitten stay with Unnur to prevent them escaping from her own home again, especially as Io seems skeptical of Ásta’s boyfriend. Unnur reluctantly agrees and Ásta stops by several times a week to help with the cats, leading to mutual bond between the two women. Soon, Unnur is forced into violent extremes after an encounter with Ásta’s abusive boyfriend, thus proving that true friends will go to extraordinary measures to protect each other.
Knútsdóttir puts a unique spin on the sisterhood and feminine rage tropes. Not only does she take this cliché and insert it into the genre of horror-thriller, but she dismantles several Hollywood stereotypes about women. Instead of pitting two women against each other, Knútsdóttir writes these characters in such a way that it was necessary for them to meet because their survival depends on it. Both Unnur and Ásta are inspired to shed the “dead weight” in their own lives, but at what cost? Knútsdóttir’s storytelling is fast-paced and straightforward throughout. The anticipation escalates rather quickly and initiates a continuous sense of dread from beginning to end. It is clear that Knútsdóttir wants readers to be invested in her characters and follow what happens next.
While Dead Weight does have domestic violence, it is not an overtly graphic book. Knútsdóttir easily gets her point across without a lot of gore and does not rely on explicit body horror for an easy scare. The details are almost from a medical perspective and the more extreme scenes are intelligently written. There are some uneasy scenes with the cats, but there is no direct harm done to them. For Knútsdóttir, it is about tension and real-life horror.
Dead Weight is a stimulating and unsettling read that is a great introduction into Icelandic horror and horror-thriller in general. Since this can be read in just a few hours, it is a great read for anyone who finds themselves with less and less time to sit down with a book. Dead Weight is also recommended for those who enjoy stories about best friends, black cat lore, surviving domestic violence, and feminine rage. This book is Fried Green Tomatoes meets May.
