Monsters: A Companion

Description

What are Monsters? Monsters are everywhere, from cyberbullies online to vampires onscreen: the twenty-first century is a monstrous age. The root of the word «monster» means «omen» or «warning», and if monsters frighten us, it’s because they are here to warn us about something amiss in ourselves and in our society. Humanity has given birth to these monsters, and they grow and change with us, carrying the scars of their birth with them. This collection of original and accessible essays looks at a variety of contemporary monsters from literature, film, television, music and the internet within their respective historical and cultural contexts. Beginning with a critical introduction that explores the concept of the monster in the work of Jeffrey Jerome Cohen, Jack Halberstam, Elaine Showalter and more, the book takes a broad approach to the monster, including not only classic slasher films, serial killers (Bates Motel), the living dead (Game of Thrones) and aliens (District 9), but also hyper-contemporary examples like clones (Orphan Black), cyberbullies (Cyberbully), viral outbreaks (The Strain) and celebrities (Lady Gaga). Gender and culture are especially emphasized in the volume, with essays on the role of gender and sexuality in defining the monster (AHS Apocalypse) and global monsters (Cleverman, La Llorona). This compact guide to the monster in contemporary culture will be useful to teachers, students and fans looking to expand their understanding of this important cultural figure. Contents Acknowledgements Sherry C. M. Lindquist • Foreword: Culture’s Monsters: Monster Marks (Lindquist 2018) Simon Bacon • Introduction Part I: Home Angela M. Smith • Madness: The Babadook (Kent, 2014) – Monsters of Mental Illness Simon Bacon • Domestic Abuse: The Invisible Man (Whannell, 2020) – Domestic Monsters Phil Fitzsimmons • Paedophilia: The Nightingale (Kent, 2018) – Monsters of Abuse Agnieszka Kotwasińska • Immigrants: The Lure (Smoczyńska, 2015) – Monstrous Outsiders Part II: Society John Edgar Browning • The Mask: Slasher Cinema (1978–1998) – Teaching the Monster Lauren Rosewarne • The Cyberbully: Cyberbully (Binamé, 2011) – Monsters of Cyberspace Anthony Curtis Adler • Lady Gaga: Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (1986–present) – Monsters of Celebrity Alexandra Heller-Nicholas • The Slit-Mouthed Woman: Carved (Shiraishi, 2007) – Monsters of Urban Legend W. Scott Poole • Melmoth: Melmoth (Perry, 2018) – Monsters of War Part III: Cultural Intersections Benjamin BaumannPhi Krasue: Inhuman Kiss (Mongkolsiri, 2019) – Thai Monsters Inés Ordiz • La habitación del desahogo (2012) – Mexican Monsters Gail de Vos • Baba Yaga: Hellboy (Mignola, 1997–2004) – Russian Monsters Partha Mitter • Deumo: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (Spielberg, 1984) – Monsters of Colonialism Yasmine Musharbash • The Hairies: Cleverman (Griffen, 2016–2017) – Aboriginal Monsters Part IV: Gender Eddie Falvey • Satan: The Witch (Eggers, 2015) – Patriarchal Monsters Emily Brick • Warlocks: AHS Apocalypse (Murphy and Falchuk, 2011–present) – Monsters of Masculinity Craig Ian Mann • She-Wolves: When Animals Dream (Arnby, 2014) – Monsters of Femininity Daniel Sheppard • Serial Killers: Bates Motel (Ehrin, 2013–2017) – The Queer Monster Murray Leeder • The Skeleton: Game of Thrones (Benioff, 2011–2019) – Monsters of Death Part V: Futures Leah Richards • Clones: Orphan Black (Manson and Fawcett, 2013–2017) – Monsters of Reproduction Dahlia Schweitzer • The Master: The Strain (del Toro and Hogan, 2014–2017) – Monsters of Contagion Carl H. Sederholm • The Ecomonster: Megalohydrothalassophobia (Abhorrence, 2018) – Monsters of the Anthropocene Gerry Canavan • Aliens: District 9 (Blomkamp, 2009) – Monsters of Hybridity Elana Gomel • Zombie: The Girl with All the Gifts (Carey, 2014) – Posthuman Monsters Patricia MacCormack • Afterword: Becoming Monstrous and the Monster Becoming: Hannibal (Fuller: 2013–2015) Bibliography Notes on Contributors Index