Mythical, legendary and supernatural beings, monsters and creatures Books

Book Synopsis

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMonsters. Real or imagined, literal or metaphorical, they have exerted a dread fascination on the human mind for many centuries. They attract and repel us, intrigue and terrify us, and in the process reveal something deeply important about the darker recesses of our collective psyche. Stephen Asma''s On Monsters is a wide-ranging cultural and conceptual history of monsters--how they have evolved over time, what functions they have served for us, and what shapes they are likely to take in the future. Asma begins with a letter from Alexander the Great in 326 B.C. detailing an encounter in India with an enormous beast--larger than an elephantthree ominous horns on its forehead. From there the monsters come fast and furious--Behemoth and Leviathan, Gog and Magog, the leopard-bear-lion beast of Revelation, Satan and his demons, Grendel and Frankenstein, circus freaks and headless children, right up to the serial killers and terrorists of today and the post-human cyborgs of tomorrow. Monsters embody our deepest anxieties and vulnerabilities, Asma argues, but they also symbolize the mysterious and incoherent territory just beyond the safe enclosures of rational thought. Exploring philosophical treatises, theological tracts, newspapers, pamphlets, films, scientific notebooks, and novels, Asma unpacks traditional monster stories for the clues they offer about the inner logic of an era''s fears and fascinations. In doing so, he illuminates the many ways monsters have become repositories for those human qualities that must be repudiated, externalized, and defeated. Asma suggests that how we handle monsters reflects how we handle uncertainty, ambiguity, insecurity. And in a world that is daily becoming less secure and more ambiguous, he shows how we might learn to better live with monsters--and thereby avoid becoming one.Trade ReviewAsma's wide-ranging study is accessible and the monsters are fascinating. * Alexander Blasdel, Times Literary Supplement *Hugely entertaining book. * Philip Jacobson, Daily Mail *Absorbing, entertaining survey...an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. * Michael Kerrigan, The Scotsman *Eloquently produced, wideranging study. * Christopher Hawtree, The Independent *A terrific read: cogent and witty and thought-provoking fom start to finish. * Daily Telegraph, Toby Clements *His book is irresistable. * John Carey, Sunday Times *A very readable and surprising history of every sort of monster, from the Biblical to the biotechnical. * Audrey Niffenegger, The Guardian *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Extraordinary Beings Part 1 - Ancient Monsters 1 Alexander Fights Monsters in India 2 Monsters Are Nature's Playthings 3 Hermaphrodites and Man-headed Oxen 4 Monstrous Desire Part 2 - Medieval Monsters: Messages from God 5 Biblical Monsters 6 Do Monsters Have Souls? 7 The Monster Killer 8 Possessing Demons and Witches Part 3 - Scientific Monsters: The Book of Nature is Riddled with Typos 9 Natural History, Freaks, and Nondescripts 10 The Medicalization of Monsters 11 Darwin's Mutants Part 4 - Inner Monsters: The Psychological Aspects 12 The Art of Human Vulnerability: Angst and Horror 13 Criminal Monsters: Psychopathology, Aggression, and the Malignant Heart Part 5 - Monsters Today and Tomorrow 14 Torturers, Terrorists, and Zombies: The Products of Monstrous Societies 15 Future Monsters: Robots, Mutants, and Posthuman Cyborgs Epilogue Notes Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisReinhold Messner is known as one of history's greatest Himalayan mountaineers. He was the first person to climb all 14 of the world's 8,000-meter peaks, many of them solo. Climber, writer, photographer and filmmaker, Messner has published more than 30 books. He is currently an MEP, based in Brussels. He lives in Austria.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLight and dark combine as the cards reveal hidden truths in this intoxicating installment in Christine Feehan's #1 New York Times bestselling Carpathian series.   Sandu Berdardi continues to exist only to protect his people. An ancient Carpathian, his entire long life has been dedicated to honor above all else. He knows his time has passed, especially since he has not been able to find his lifemate—the anchor to keep him sane in a world he no longer understands. But just as he truly starts to give up hope, a voice reaches out to him in the night and his world explodes into color.   Adalasia enters Sandu’s mind seamlessly, as if she has been a part of him forever. While she can see the shape of things to come in her deck of cards, her gift is both a blessing and a curse. The true course of Sandu’s quest remains unclear, with danger waiting at every turn. She cannot see everything the future holds, but she does kn

Read more less

Book SynopsisBrian J. Frost presents a full-scale survey of werewolf literature covering both fiction and nonfiction works. He identifies principal elements in the werewolf myth, considers various theories on the phenomenon of shapeshifting, surveys nonfiction books, and traces the myth from its origins.Trade ReviewBoth a superior source of research and a fun read! - Gary Hoppenstand, Michigan State University

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisEnter a mesmerizing skyscape of soaring beauties and boundless mysteryLet creative illusions take flight. Mythographic Color and Discover: Aviary is a gravity-defying adventure through dreamlike art in wondrous detail. Capture the weightless spirit of creatures of flight, the secrets of fluttering feathers in real and imagined realms, and the fascinating metamorphoses of majestic phoenixes, magnificent birds of prey, and fanciful songbirds. In this artistic aviary, creativity abounds and an immersive fantasy awaits you. Bring gorgeous pops of color to more than 40 hand-drawn illustrations. Sail into the serene panorama of stunning winged creatures within Mythographic Color and Discover: Aviary.- Send your imagination aloft with more than 40 majestic illustrations- Color surreal sky views, transformational worlds, and amazing birds- Elevate and enliven these extraordinary works of art with splashes of color

Read more less

Book SynopsisAlexis Luko is Professor of Musicology and the Director of the School of Music at the University of Victoria, Canada. She is the author of Sonatas, Screams, and Silence: Music and Sound in the Films of Ingmar Bergman (2016).James K. Wright is Professor of Music in the School for Studies in Art and Culture and the College of Humanities at Carleton University, Canada. A McGill University Governor General's Gold Medal recipient, his publications include two award-winning books on Arnold Schoenberg, and They Shot, He Scored (2019), a monograph on the life and work of the prolific film composer Eldon Rathburn.Trade ReviewWe hate monsters, but we need them, and that’s what makes them so endlessly fascinating. For those who take monstrosity seriously, this collection of essays—with topics ranging from Frankenstein’s celebrated creature to werewolves and wraiths—offers plenty of food for thought. * James Wierzbicki, author of Film Music: A History *Table of ContentsIntroduction Part I: Frankenstein in Film, Theatre, Music, Comics and Visual Art 1. Frankenstein’s Frontispiece, the Missing Phallus and the Pornographer: The Alchemy of Conceiving Monstrosities Marie Mulvey-Roberts, University of the West of England, UK 2. Monstrous Encounters: The Aesthetic Psychology of Screen Frankensteins Kevin J. Donnelly, University of Southampton, UK 3. Frankenstein and the Media of Serial Figures Shane Denson, Stanford University, USA 4. Musical Directions, Sound and Song in Presumption, or the Fate of Frankenstein (1823) John Higney, Carleton University, Canada 5. Birth of a ‘Miserable Monster’: The Theatricality of Male Self-Procreation in Stage and Screen Adaptations of Frankenstein André Loiselle, St. Thomas University, Canada 6. Excising the Repulsive: Mysticism and Psychology in Edison’s Frankenstein (1910) Ethan Towns, Trent University, Canada 7. Frankenstein’s Organ Transplant: Adaptation in Afro-Futurist and Electronic Dance Musics Mark McCutcheon, Athabaska University, Canada Part II: Monstrosity in Music, Film and Video Games 8. Monstrosity as a Queer Aesthetic Lloyd Whitesell, McGill University, Canada 9. Twelve-tone Terror: Representing Horror and Monstrosity in Dodecaphonic Film Music James K. Wright, Carleton University, Canada 10. The Horror, the Horror! White Women are the True Monsters in Jordan Peele’s Get Out Frederick W. Gooding, Jr., Texas Christian University, USA 11. Indigeneity as Monstrosity in The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake Murray Leeder, University of Manitoba, Canada 12. A 'Distaste for. . . Allegory' or: In the Bowels of Horror Daniel Humphrey, Texas A&M University, USA 13.Tragic Wraiths, Seductive Sirens and Man-Eating Vampires: Female Monstrosity in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Video Game Sarah Stang, Brock University, Canada Acknowledgements Bibliography Filmography Index

Read more less