The Origins of Monsters

The Origins of Monsters
Author: David Wengrow
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 181
Release: 2013-11-24
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1400848865
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It has often been claimed that "monsters"--supernatural creatures with bodies composed from multiple species--play a significant part in the thought and imagery of all people from all times. The Origins of Monsters advances an alternative view. Composite figurations are intriguingly rare and isolated in the art of the prehistoric era. Instead it was with the rise of cities, elites, and cosmopolitan trade networks that "monsters" became widespread features of visual production in the ancient world. Showing how these fantastic images originated and how they were transmitted, David Wengrow identifies patterns in the records of human image-making and embarks on a search for connections between mind and culture. Wengrow asks: Can cognitive science explain the potency of such images? Does evolutionary psychology hold a key to understanding the transmission of symbols? How is our making and perception of images influenced by institutions and technologies? Wengrow considers the work of art in the first age of mechanical reproduction, which he locates in the Middle East, where urban life began. Comparing the development and spread of fantastic imagery across a range of prehistoric and ancient societies, including Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and China, he explores how the visual imagination has been shaped by a complex mixture of historical and universal factors. Examining the reasons behind the dissemination of monstrous imagery in ancient states and empires, The Origins of Monsters sheds light on the relationship between culture and cognition.

The Science of Monsters

The Science of Monsters
Author: Matt Kaplan
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2013-10-08
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 145166799X
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"Previously published as Medusa's gaze and vampire's bite by Scribner"--Title page verso.

The Origins of Monsters

The Origins of Monsters
Author: David Wengrow
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 182
Release: 2020-04-28
Genre: Art
ISBN: 0691202397
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It has often been claimed that "monsters"--supernatural creatures with bodies composed from multiple species--play a significant part in the thought and imagery of all people from all times. The Origins of Monsters advances an alternative view. Composite figurations are intriguingly rare and isolated in the art of the prehistoric era. Instead it was with the rise of cities, elites, and cosmopolitan trade networks that "monsters" became widespread features of visual production in the ancient world. Showing how these fantastic images originated and how they were transmitted, David Wengrow identifies patterns in the records of human image-making and embarks on a search for connections between mind and culture. Wengrow asks: Can cognitive science explain the potency of such images? Does evolutionary psychology hold a key to understanding the transmission of symbols? How is our making and perception of images influenced by institutions and technologies? Wengrow considers the work of art in the first age of mechanical reproduction, which he locates in the Middle East, where urban life began. Comparing the development and spread of fantastic imagery across a range of prehistoric and ancient societies, including Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and China, he explores how the visual imagination has been shaped by a complex mixture of historical and universal factors. Examining the reasons behind the dissemination of monstrous imagery in ancient states and empires, The Origins of Monsters sheds light on the relationship between culture and cognition.

Monsters in America

Monsters in America
Author: W. Scott Poole
Publisher:
Total Pages: 311
Release: 2018-07-15
Genre: Animals, Mythical
ISBN: 9781481308823
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Monsters are here to stay.--Christopher James Blythe "Journal of Religion and Popular Culture"

Monstrous

Monstrous
Author: Carlyn Beccia
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
Total Pages: 156
Release: 2019
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1512449164
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Could Dr. Frankenstein's machine ever animate a body? Why should vampires drink from veins and not arteries? What body parts are best for zombies to eat? (It's not brains.) This fascinating encyclopedia of monsters delves into the history and science behind eight legendary creatures, from Bigfoot and the kraken to zombies and more. Find out each monster's origin story and the real-world history that informed it, and then explore the science of each creature in fun and surprising ways. Tips and infographics--including monster anatomy, how to survive a vampire attack, and real-life giant creatures of the deep sea--make this a highly visual and fun-to-browse book.

Mythical Monsters

Mythical Monsters
Author: Chris McNab
Publisher:
Total Pages: 95
Release: 2006-01-01
Genre: Animals
ISBN: 9780439854795
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This 96-page book presents 44 legendary monsters from around the world that are as different as they are scary. Each section includes cool monster facts, a slice of fiction to set the stage, and detailed illustrations that bring each frightening fiend to life. Whether reading about movie monsters (Godzilla and Dracula), mythical monsters (Cyclops and Kraken), or modern monsters (Bigfoot and the bogeyman), readers will be fully prepared for a monster encounter of any kind!

Pete Von Sholly's History of Monsters

Pete Von Sholly's History of Monsters
Author: Pete Von Sholly
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2021-06-29
Genre: Art
ISBN: 9781951038014
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Pete Von Sholly's History of Monsters is a glorious look at the phenomenon of monsters as they figure in pop culture as well as from the anthropological, psychological and societal angles. This unprecedented illustrated pageant, presented as an accordion folded hardcover book, shows the actual history of monsters from man's earliest fears of the darkness beyond the fire to today's nightmares to see how these terrors found expression in myth, legend, and entertainment. But whatever the time or medium it's always in the unknown where the monsters lurk and fester and wait. Step into Pete Von Sholly's History of Monsters and experience the story as never before. "This astounding work traces the evolution and proliferation of monsters through all human history and many cultures, with over 1,100 different examples intertwined into a colorful, informative and fascinating book on a scale that has never before been attempted. Take a guided tour through the dark side of legend, myth, superstition, fiction, animation, film, television and even cryptozoology, and meet every monster that has haunted your nightmares - and quite a few that haven't (yet) - in this fantastic panorama wrought with the skills of a mature master of the genre." - Richard Milner, former editor of Natural History magazine and author of Charles R. Knight - The Artist Who Saw Through Time and Darwin's UniverseZ

Monsters

Monsters
Author: John Michael Greer
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide
Total Pages: 155
Release: 2011-09-08
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 0738716006
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Of course that monster hiding under your bed when you were little didn't really exist. Vampires, werewolves, zombies, demons—they're simply figments of our imagination, right? After all, their existence has never been scientifically proven. But there is one giant problem with such an easy dismissal of these creepy creatures: people keep encountering them. Join occult scholar John Michael Greer for a harrowing journey into the reality of the impossible. Combining folklore, Western magical philosophy, and actual field experience, Monsters: An Investigator's Guide to Magical Beings is required reading for both active and armchair monster hunters. Between these covers you'll find a chilling collection of fiendish facts and folklore, including: Why true vampires are the least attractive—and most destructive—of all monsters The five different kinds of ghosts Magical origins of the werewolf legends How to survive a chimera encounter (Jersey Devil, chupacabra, Mothman) The hidden connections between faery lore and UFOs Where dragons are found today How to investigate a monster sighting Natural and ritual magic techniques for dealing with hostile monsters This 10th anniversary edition of the quintessential guide to magical beings features a new preface, new chapters on chimeras and zombies, and updates on werewolves, dragons, and the fae.

Turtles as Hopeful Monsters

Turtles as Hopeful Monsters
Author: Olivier Rieppel
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Total Pages: 216
Release: 2017-03-13
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0253025079
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Where do turtles hail from? Why and how did they acquire shells? These questions have spurred heated debate and intense research for more than two hundred years. Brilliantly weaving evidence from the latest paleontological discoveries with an accessible, incisive look at different theories of biological evolution and their proponents, Turtles as Hopeful Monsters tells the fascinating evolutionary story of the shelled reptiles. Paleontologist Olivier Rieppel traces the evolution of turtles from over 220 million years ago, examining closely the relationship of turtles to other reptiles and charting the development of the shell. Turtle issues fuel a debate between proponents of gradual evolutionary change and authors favoring change through bursts and leaps of macromutation. The first book-length popular history of its type, this indispensable resource is an engaging read for all those fascinated by this ubiquitous and uniquely shaped reptile.

Monsters in the Movies

Monsters in the Movies
Author: John Landis
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2011-09-19
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 0756688469
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From cinema's earliest days, being scared out of your wits has always been one of the best reasons for going to the movies. From B-movie bogeymen and outer space oddities to big-budget terrors, Monsters in the Movies by horror film maestro John Landis celebrates the greatest monsters ever to creep, fly, slither, stalk or rampage across the Silver Screen. Landis also surveys the historical origins of archetypal monsters, such as vampires, zombies and werewolves, and takes you behind the scenes to discover the secrets of the special-effects wizards who created such legendary frighteners as King Kong, Dracula, the Alien, and Freddy Krueger. Monsters in the Movies by John Landis is filled with the author's own fascinating and entertaining insights into the world of movie-making, and includes memorable contributions from leading directors, actors and monster-makers. The book is also stunningly illustrated with 1000 movie stills and posters drawn from the unrivaled archives of the Kobal Collection. Contents Introduction by John Landis... Explore a timeless world of fears and nightmares as John Landis investigates what makes a legendary movie monster • Monsters, chapter by chapter... Feast your eyes upon a petrifying parade of voracious Vampires, flesh-eating Zombies, slavering Werewolves, gigantic Apes and Supernatural Terrors • Spectacular double-page features... Thrill to the strangest, scariest, weirdest, and craziest movie monsters ever seen • The ingenious tricks of movie-making... Marvel as the special-effects wizards reveal how they create movie magic • A monster-movie timeline... Discover John Landis's personal selection of landmark horror films