Read On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears Online
Authors: Stephen T. Asma
embellishment of monster tales,
22
–23
and hedonism,
52
–54
and heroics,
23
–25
liminal beings,
39
–42
origin theories,
45
–49
and perception theories,
49
–50
races of monsters,
36
–38
See also specific monsters
Andrews, Roy Chapman,
28
androgyny,
42
angst,
185
–186,
194
.
See also
fear
animal sacrifices,
39
animation,
151
–153
Annas, Julia,
59
anomalous structures,
164
–165,
166
Anthony, of Egypt, Saint,
79
,
103
–107,
105
Anthropophagi,
88
Antipodes,
78
anti-Semitism
and Freud,
209
and medieval Christianity,
90
portrayed in film,
235
apes,
150
Apocalypse, biblical,
67
–71,
124
apocalyptic groups,
70
appetites,
52
–54
Appolonius,
28
Arendt, Hannah,
244
Arimaspea
(Aristeas),
28
Aristotle
on Bolinthus,
32
–33
on mimesis,
34
–35
naturalist approach of,
156
on origins of monsters,
45
–49
on souls,
80
arrested development,
169
arrogance,
73
artificial intelligence,
258
,
267
–269
Artificial Life
(Levy),
259
–260
artificial selection,
168
,
187
,
272
–273
Ashley (“pillow angel”),
269
Asimov, Isaac,
258
Aslan, Reza,
248
Asma, David,
10
–11
atavisms,
169
Athanasius,
106
–107
Athenian Mercury
,
83
atomists,
49
–50
attraction to monsters,
5
–7
Augustine, Saint, Archbishop of Canterbury
on Cyclopes,
77
on Ham and Noah,
85
on monsters as God’s will,
76
on Pliny the Elder,
33
on reproduction with spirits,
112
Augustus, Emperor of Rome,
30
–31,
39
Azmeh, Aziz,
92
Babylon,
69
Baer, Karl Ernst von,
45
Banks, Sir Joseph,
132
Barker, Clive,
185
Barnum’s Grand Scientific and Musical
Theatre,
136
Barton, Carlin,
40
Barton, Otis,
2
–3
Bates, Norman,
195
Baudelaire, Charles,
xv
Baudolino
(Eco),
77
–78
Bearded Lady,
137
Beast from Book of Revelation,
69
,
70
Beatie, Thomas,
270
Beebe, William,
2
–3
Being and Time
(Heidegger),
185
belief,
36
Benedict XVI, Pope,
250
Bengali Boy,
155
Beowulf
(literature),
23
,
94
–102,
252
,
281
Beowulf and Grendel
(film),
100
bestiality,
145
Beyond Good and Evil
(Nietzsche),
101
Bhagavad Gita
,
66
Bible,
63
–73
and accomplices of God,
63
–67
giants in (nephilim),
72
–73,
74
–75,
76
humility-emphasis of,
99
and science,
148
–149
and unicorns,
129
See also specific individuals
Bin Laden, Osama,
248
,
250
,
250
,
283
biometrics,
222
biotechnology,
269
–274
The Birth of a Nation,
233
births, monstrous,
142
–146
bison,
33
black-skinned people,
232
–234,
236
–237
Blackwell, Brian,
211
Blade Runner,
221
Blemmyae (race of headless men)
Augustine on,
77
and Christianity,
88
depiction of,
78
and rise of science,
129
blob monsters,
184
Blood Rites
(Ehrenreich),
24
Blue Velvet
,
193
Bolinthus,
32
–33
Bolton, Terrell,
204
bones, monstrous,
30
–32
Book of Imaginary Beings
(Borges),
44
–45
Book of Revelation,
66
–71,
70
,
124
brainless fetuses,
160
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
,
195
Branch Davidians,
70
Brisson, Luc,
42
Brodsky, David P.,
226
–227
The Brood
,
201
Browning, Tod,
140
Bruno, Giordano,
107
–108
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
,
195
Bullock, Dave,
259
Bundy, Ted,
245
Bunker, Chang,
137
Bunker, Eng,
137
Burton, Tim,
193
Byron, George Gordon, Baron,
152
The Cabinet of Jan Svankmajer
,
194
caimans,
132
Cain (biblical),
88
–90,
95
,
96
,
98
,
101
California,
228
“The Call of Cthulhu” (Lovecraft),
184
–185
Cameron, James,
257
Camoudi snakes (anacondas),
132
Canon Episcopi
,
115
capitalism,
243
Carr, Robert,
232
–233
Carrol, Sean B.,
178
Caspian Mountains,
90
castration anxiety,
190
category jamming,
184
Catholic Church.
See
Roman Catholic
Church cats, predatory,
24
Caverly, John,
208
centaurs
CGI characters,
191
Chambers, Raymond Wilson,
98
chance,
165
Chase, Anthony,
216
Chicago, Illinois,
246
–247
children,
209
–210,
269
–270,
273
–274
chimeras,
40
chimpanzees,
239
–240
Chinguo, Stanislaus,
278
Cho, Seung-Hui,
205
Chomsky, Noam,
236
Christianity
and
Beowulf
,
97
–98
and cross symbol,
105
demons and devils of,
13
,
64
,
68
,
106
and desire,
117
and genealogy of monsters,
84
–86
and hell,
71
and heresy,
107
–108
humility-emphasis of,
99
–100
and Jews,
90
–91
and Judgement Day,
100
and monster killers,
99
–100
and monstrous human races,
37
and Muslims,
241
persecution of Christians,
67
–68
and Resurrection,
83
on souls of monsters,
79
–83
and xenophobia,
86
–87
See also
Bible
Christopher, Saint,
81
The City of God
(Augustine),
77
,
86
civilizations, monstrous,
240
–244
Clark, William,
32
clash of civilizations,
240
,
248
classicism,
51
Cleaver, Eldridge,
246
Clinton, Hillary,
281
cloning,
189
–190
cockroaches,
263
coelacanth,
2
Collins, Francis,
274
Colossus: The Forbin Project,
267
Columbus, Christopher,
91
communism,
243
compassion,
224
Confessions
(Augustine),
79
Alberch on,
173
Chang and Eng Bunker,
137
as expression of God’s will,
76
souls of,
83
contingency,
165
Cope, Edward Drinker,
237
cosmetic procedures,
262
,
265
–266,
276
–277
cosmic fear,
185
,
186
,
191
,
192
,
193
,
194
Council of Constance,
107
Crane, Stephen,
231
–233
Craven, Wes,
183
credulity,
32
–36
Bacon on,
127
of Barnum’s audience,
136
and paleontology,
279
Crimes and Misdemeanors
,
281
criminal monsters,
203
–228
aggression and rage,
208
–212
and causes of psychopathology,
223
–226