An indispensable resource for students and researchers of paranormal myth and media, this book explores the undead and unholy in literature, film, television, and popular culture. Following an introduction to frightful manifestations in media, sections address ghosts, vampires, and monsters individually, and each section includes a broad consideration of the ghost, vampire or monster in American culture. The section dedicated to ghosts examines the "spectral turn" of popular culture and the ghost's relation to justice and mourning, with particular attention to Toni Morrison and Herman Melville. In the vampires section, the author considers the undead bloodsucker's relationship to anti-Semitism, suicide, and cinema. The third section discusses monsters in relation to topics such as global pandemics, terrorism, mass shootings, "stranger danger," and social otherness, with attention to a range of popular culture texts including the films IT and It Follows.

A wildly creative Gothic fantasy retelling of Frankenstein, This Monstrous Thing is a wholly new reimagining of the classic novel by Mary Shelley and is perfect for fans of retellings such as Cinder by Marissa Meyer, fantasy by Libba Bray and Cassandra Clare, and alternative history by Scott Westerfeld. In an alternative fantasy world where some men are made from clockwork parts and carriages are steam powered, Alasdair Finch, a young mechanic, does the unthinkable after his brother dies: he uses clockwork pieces to bring Oliver back from the dead. But the resurrection does not go as planned, and Oliver returns more monster than man. Even worse, the novel Frankenstein is published and the townsfolk are determined to find the real-life doctor and his monster. With few places to turn for help, the dangers may ultimately bring the brothers together—or ruin them forever.

WELCOME to THE OLD WORLD SAGA - BOOK ONE! Prepare to embark on an epic adventure! From Australian author Joel Preston comes a story you won't be able to put down. A new take on an age-old genre will keep you turning the pages until the very end. After all, it only takes a single bite to begin an epic adventure. AN ANCIENT CURSE. A STORY FROM MYTH. CAN HE LIVE IN THE SHADOW OF THE MONSTER WITHIN? In Bronze Age Greece a foolish king dared to test the storm-gatherer Zeus. In his arrogance and hubris the king felt the wrath of that God and faded into obscure myth... or so the world thought. The dark corners of the Earth that ancient curse lingered, twisting and mutating, creating rumours of a monster that dwells within a man. Through time and legend it passed, until in whispers it reached modern day Greece... Facing an uncertain future, Joshua Dare has embarked on a modern rite of passage - a European getaway. In Greece, during a wild night out, a mysterious barman tells Josh that he’s going to have a particularly lucky night. Yet, fate sees him walking home alone through the dark woods of Corfu. Under the light of a full moon, destiny comes for Josh in the form of a terrifying monster from myth. A harrowing escape leaves him wondering if it was all just a dream. A vicious bite left no scar and dried blood seems to be all that remains of his encounter. Back home in Australia, the secrets of that night are revealed in lunar light. When the full moon rises in the tropical city of Cairns, death follows. Legend becomes reality as Josh struggles to comprehend the changes he’s undergoing. A local policeman and his friend, Jesse, knows something is connecting Josh to a spate of bloody massacres in Cairns. And he's not the only one. Now, Josh has been thrust into a world of hidden organisations and shady government operatives. His affliction is different. To understand the power he carries, Josh must unravel the truth of an ancient Greek king cursed by a god. Chased by foreign agents and fearing the beast within, Joshua Dare needs to uncover old secrets revealed only in the light of the full moon. Get ready for a supernatural thriller with BITE! Inspired heavily by Greek mythology, In the Shadow of Monstrous Things is an exciting new telling of an age-old monster story, with some unexpected twists along the way. For action, horror, gore and a little romance, look no futher than In the Shadow of Monstrous Things!

Packed with foul facts and disgusting drawings, this book will tell you everything you need to know about avoiding the monstrous menace ... almost!

Beaches are places that give and take, bringing unexpected surprises to society, and pulling essentials away from it. Through monsters, we confront our tiny time between catastrophes and develop a recognition of Otherness by which an ethical understanding of difference becomes possible. Learning to read the monster's environmental signs often helps humans determine the scope of the monster's place in the eco/cosmic timeline and defeat it-until the epic cycle inevitably repeats; monsters live and live and live. Even so; when humans identify and confront monsters we do so at the risk of exposing our own monstrosity. When a massive creature is pushed into human proximity by the ocean's wide shoulders, the waves deposit and erode human assumptions about itself and its environment; words, sounds, breath, water, wind, flesh, blood, and bones wash in and out. Chance encounters reveal us to ourselves anew. When we look into the inky backs of whales, or deep into vortices, what do we see?In October 2014, the BABEL Working Group headed to the beach. The 3rd Biennial Meeting of the BABEL Working Group was held at The University of California, Santa Barbara, where the Pacific Ocean laid her face against the sand and experienced the conference panels exploring, examining, and exalting the margins of sea and shore, of earth and water. This volume of essays represents MEARCSTAPA's panel, entitled, "The Nature of the Beast/Beasts of Nature: Monstrous Environments." These essays explore what the environment reveals via monster theory, what monsters-here, whales and whirlpools-make visible or accessible to humanity and what they draw away from it.

Reminiscent of Frankenstein and tales by the Brothers Grimm, this debut novel stands out as a compelling, original story that has the feel of a classic. The city of Bryre suffers under the magic of an evil wizard. Because of his curse, girls sicken and disappear without a trace, and all live in fear. No one is allowed outside after dark. Night is when Kymera comes to the city, with a cloak disguising her wings, the bolts in her neck, and her spiky tail. Her mission is to rescue the girls of Bryre. Despite Kym's caution in going secretively, a boy named Ren sees and befriends her . . . but what he knows will change her world forever.

Move over King Kong, there are new monsters in town! Giant beetles, towering crustaceans, gargantuan felines and massive underwater beasts, to name just a few. Think you've got what it takes to survive their attacks? Then open this baby up, and join today's hottest authors as they show us the true power of Mother Nature's creatures. With enough fangs, pincers and blood to keep you up all night, we promise you won't look at creepy crawlies the same way again.