Integrates the insights of philosophers, academics, crime writers and police officer
Trade Review
"I found this book enlightening in many ways and on some things I'm not going to make too many mistakes if I use such people in any of my stories. I should also point out that none of the material is too graphic and centres mostly on what makes serial killers tick even if there is no precise pattern." (SFCrowsnest.co.uk, 1 April 2011)
"If you're a Dexter fan looking for someplace to start in learning about real-life serial killers, this is a solid and fairly complete volume to start with. At a slim 248 pages, it's also ideal for those who don't have the time to invest in a larger volume. As the title of the series implies, this really is a book that's accessible to everyone." (Digital Air Waves, November 2010)
"There is very little to complain about here. The language used is simple and it certainly leaves the reader with plenty of food for thought." (Curious Book Fan, November 2010)
"One thing I can say about this book, is it stays in your head, at least parts of it. Weeks after reading Serial Killers, Philosophy for Everyone, I still can't help but come back to the section concerning Dexter and how peoples outlook on a serial killer changes based on what they know of a serial killers background and family life. The book is definitely a conversation starter, having many since adding it to my coffee table books. You can always tell whose interested and who tries to pretend they don't see it." (Gatekeeper Chronicles blog, November 2010)
Table of Contents
Foreword viii
John M. Doris
Acknowledgments xi
S. Waller
Introduction: Meditations on Murder, or What is so Philosophical about Serial Killers? 1
S. Waller and William E. Deal
Part I I THINK THEREFORE I KILL: The Philosophical Musings of Serial Killers 15
1 Man is the Most Dangerous Animal of All: A Philosophical Gaze into the Writings of the Zodiac Killer 17
Andrew M. Winters
2 A Philosophy of Serial Killing: Sade, Nietzsche, and Brady at the Gates of Janus 29
David Schmid
3 The Situation of the Jury: Attribution Bias in the Trials of Accused Serial Killers 41
Mark Alfano
Part II Can You Blame Them? Ethics, Evil, And Serial Killing 51
4 Serial Killers as Practical Moral Skeptics: A Historical Survey with Interviews 53
Amanda Howard
5 Are Psychopathic Serial Killers Evil? Are They Blameworthy for What They Do? 66
Manuel Vargas
6 Sympathy for the Devil: Can a Serial Killer Ever Be Good? 78
Matthew Brophy
Part III DANGEROUS INFATUATIONS: The Public Fascination with Serial Killers 91
7 The Allure of the Serial Killer 93
Eric Dietrich and Tara Fox Hall
8 Dexter’s Dark World: The Serial Killer as Superhero 103
Susan Amper
Part IV A EULOGY FOR EMOTION: The Lack of Empathy and the Urge to Kill 115
9 Killing with Kindness: Nature, Nurture, and the Female Serial Killer 117
Elizabeth Schechter and Harold Schechter
10 It Puts the Lotion in the Basket: The Language of Psychopathy 129
Chris Keegan
11 Are Serial Killers Cold-Blooded Killers? 141
Andrew Terjesen
Part V Creepy Cognition: Talking and Thinking About Serial Killers 153
12 The Serial Killer was (Cognitively) Framed 155
William E. Deal
13 Wolves and Widows: Naming, Metaphor, and the Language of Serial Murder 166
Wendy M. Zirngibl
14 An Arresting Conversation: Police Philosophize about the Armed and Dangerous 178
S. Waller (with Diane Amarillas and Karen Kos)
Part VI Psycho-ology: Killer Mindsets and Meditations on Murder 189
15 Psychopathy and Will to Power: Ted Bundy and Dennis Rader 191
Richard M. Gray
16 The Thread of Death, or the Compulsion to Kill 206
J. S. Piven
A Solemn Afterword: A Message from the Victim’s Network 218
Mary Miller
A Timeline of Serial Killers 222
Amanda Howard
Notes on Contributors 226
