Interdisciplinary Essays on Monsters and the Monstrous - Imagining Monsters to Understand our Socio-Political and Psycho-Emotional Realities

Oct 6, 2026

Interdisciplinary Essays on Monsters and the Monstrous explores how imaginings of monsters illuminate socio-political realities and psycho-emotional conditions. Edited by M. Susanne Schotanus, the volume advances interdisciplinary dialogue across chapters, connecting visual aesthetics, media studies, gender analysis, and domestic and transnational contexts. Through case studies ranging from Lovecraft and Lovecraft Country to Guillermo del Toro and X-Men, the book examines terror, freedom struggles, queerness, and femicide, concluding with reflective synthesis and scholarly indexing.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

About the Editor

About the Contributors

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Monsters and the Monstrous

Imagining Monsters

Gendered Monsters

Chapter 1 Malign by Design: Imaginatively Visualising Lovecraft and the Aesthetics of Monstrosity

Chapter 2 Racial Terror and the Struggle for Freedom in the HBO Series Lovecraft Country

Chapter 3 Media Makes the Monster: Battered and Abused to Monstrous Killer

Chapter 4 Talking Monsters

Chapter 5 Femicide on the Frontier: Analysing Motives Behind the Femicide Crisis in Ciudad Jurez

Chapter 6 Dragula and the Expansive Queerness of the Drag Supermonster

Chapter 7 X-Men: The Normative System Disguised as Mutant

Chapter 8 The Making of Monstrosity: Exploring the Monster Figure Through the Lens of Gender

Domestic Monsters

Chapter 9 Mothers, Monsters & Media: Examining the Parallel Between Motherhood and the Monster

Chapter 10 Extra-Diegesis, Domesticity and the Uncanny in the Transnational Films of Guillermo del Toro

Concluding Thoughts on Monsters and the Monstrous

Index

Interdisciplinary Essays on Monsters and the Monstrous Emerald Interdisciplinary Connexions Published in partnership with Progressive Connexions: [https://www.progressiveconnexions.net/](https://www.progressiveconnexions.net/) Series Editors Robert Fisher, Founder & Director, Progressive Connexions M. Susanne Schotanus, Director of Publications, Progressive Connexions Editorial Board Ann-Marie Cook, Principal Policy and Legislation Ofﬁcer, Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney General, Australia Teresa Cutler-Broyles, Director of Programmes, Progressive Connexions John Parry, Edward Brunet Professor of Law, Lewis and Clark Law School, USA Lorraine Rumson, Network Director, Progressive Connexions Karl Spracklen, Professor of Music, Leisure and Culture, Leeds Beckett University, UK About the Series Emerald Interdisciplinary Connexions promotes innovative research and encourages exemplary interdisciplinary practice, thinking and living. Books in the series focus on developing dialogues between disciplines and among disciplines, professions, practices and vocations in which the interaction of chapters and authors is of paramount importance. They bring cognate topics and ideas into orbit with each other whilst simultaneously alerting readers to new questions, issues and problems. The series encourages interdisciplinary interaction and knowledge sharing and, to this end, promotes imaginative collaborative projects which foster inclusive pathways to global understandings. Interdisciplinary Essays on Monsters and the Monstrous: Imagining Monsters to Understand our Socio-Political and Psycho-Emotional Realities EDITED BY M. SUSANNE SCHOTANUS Progressive Connexions, Netherlands United Kingdom – North America – Japan – India – Malaysia – China Emerald Publishing Limited Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley BD16 1WA, UK First edition 2022 Editorial matter and selection © 2022 M. Susanne Schotanus. Individual chapters © 2022 The authors. Published under exclusive licence by Emerald Publishing Limited. Reprints and permissions service Contact: [permissions@emeraldinsight.com](permissions@emeraldinsight.com) No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without either the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying issued in the UK by The Copyright Licensing Agency and in the USA by The Copyright Clearance Center. Any opinions expressed in the chapters are those of the authors. Whilst Emerald makes every effort to ensure the quality and accuracy of its content, Emerald makes no representation implied or otherwise, as to the chapters’ suitability and application and disclaims any warranties, express or implied, to their use. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN: 978-1-80117-028-4 (Print) ISBN: 978-1-80117-027-7 (Online) ISBN: 978-1-80117-029-1 (Epub) Table of Contents About the Editor About the Contributors Acknowledgments Introduction: Monsters and the Monstrous M. Susanne Schotanus Imagining Monsters Chapter 1 Malign by Design: Imaginatively Visualising Lovecraft and the Aesthetics of Monstrosity Gerard Gibson Chapter 2 Racial Terror and the Struggle for Freedom in the HBO Series Lovecraft Country Elena Apostolaki Chapter 3 Media Makes the Monster: Battered and Abused to Monstrous Killer Melissa Blackie Chapter 4 Talking Monsters Gerard Gibson, Elena Apostolaki and Melissa Blackie vii ix xiii 1 11 31 49 67 vi Table of Contents Gendered Monsters Chapter 5 Femicide on the Frontier: Analysing Motives Behind the Femicide Crisis in Ciudad Jurez Chlo Isabel Olivo Chapter 6 Dragula and the Expansive Queerness of the Drag Supermonster Russ Martin Chapter 7 X-Men: The Normat

FAQs

Who edited the volume Interdisciplinary Essays on Monsters and the Monstrous?

The volume is edited by M. Susanne Schotanus, affiliated with Progressive Connexions.

What interdisciplinary perspective does the book emphasize?

It emphasizes developing dialogues between disciplines and using interdisciplinary practice to connect chapters and authors around socio-political and psycho-emotional realities.

Which kinds of topics do the chapters cover?

The chapters address imagining monsters through aesthetics and media, including racial terror and freedom, gendered monstrosity, queerness, femicide analysis, and domestic uncanny themes in transnational film contexts.

Oct 6, 2026

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