The Ashgate research companion to monsters and the monstrous /

This thought-provoking volume provides a fascinating overview of monsters in a variety of social and academic contexts. The breadth of contributions points to the many disciplines and geographic specialties that concern themselves with "monsters" as a legitimate field of research. The book is divided into two sections: history and current schools of thought on monsters. The range of topics underlines the importance of monsters throughout world cultures; the book's organization allows for a coherent and compelling analysis of things that go bump in the night. Examples include water gods in Africa, Islamic visual culture, Chinese animal perversions to race and gender, and the geography of monsters in historical and postcolonial thought. Significantly, the variety of stories demonstrates that "monstrosity" transgresses national and scholarly boundaries. The volume expands on previous research in literary studies, gender, art history, cultural-area studies, race, geography, and oral history (e.g., Stephen T. Asma, On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears, CH, Apr'10, 47-4330; Luise White, Speaking with Vampires: Rumor and History in Colonial Africa, 2000) while offering exciting new findings from throughout the world of monsters. Useful for undergraduate and graduate seminars and as a resource for advanced scholars. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All academic levels/libraries. B. Blessing University of Vienna