In this fascinating book, Brian J. Frost presents the first full-scale survey of werewolf literature covering both fiction and nonfiction works. He identifies principal elements in the werewolf myth, considers various theories of the phenomenon of shapeshifting, surveys nonfiction books, and traces the myth from its origins in ancient superstitions to its modern representations in fantasy and horror fiction. Frost's analysis encompasses fanciful medieval beliefs, popular works by Victorian authors, scholarly treatises and medical papers, and short stories from pulp magazines of the 1930s and 1940s. Revealing the complex nature of the werewolf phenomenon and its tremendous and continuing influence, The Essential Guide to Werewolf Literature is destined to become a standard reference on the subject.

Most of us are familiar with the idea of a werewolf—that someone can change, either deliberately or unwillingly, into a ravenous creature—but is there some justification for such a belief? And if so, how is it achieved—through magical potions or ointments or simply by the light of the full moon? Or is the whole thing simply a form of delusion, the product of a disturbed mind? In Werewolves, author Dr. Bob Curran examines the deep psychological perceptions about the linkage of man with the natural, bestial world. Do the roots of such a belief lie in the supernatural world, or are there other explanations? How has the discovery of feral children, living in the wild, shaped our ideas of human-beasts? And what is the future of such beliefs? The book considers genetically-based speculations regarding the possible fusion of human and animal genes in order to alleviate some human diseases and suffering. Is the idea of man into beast really so far fetched? Werewolves is an essential reference book which looks, in depth, at a fascinating subject. One word of warning though: it must never be read under the baleful rays of a full moon. You have been warned!

Throughout history, from at least as far back as the Epic of Gilgamesh, mankind has shown a fascination with physical transformation--especially that of humans into animals. Tales of such transformations appear in every culture across the course of history. They have been featured in the Western world in the work of such authors as Ovid, Petronius, Marie de France, Saint Augustine, Jack Williamson, Charles de Lint, Charaline Harris, Terry Pratchett, and J. K. Rowling. This book approaches werewolves as representations of a proposed shape-shifter archetype, examining, with reference to earlier sources, how and why the archetype has been employed in modern literature. Although the archetype is in a state of flux by its very definition, many common threads are linked throughout the literary landscape even as modern authors add, modify, and reinvent characteristics and meanings. This is especially true in the work of such authors examined in this book, many of whom have struck a chord with a wide range of readers and non-readers around the world. They seem to have tapped into something that affects their audiences on a subconscious level.

"This is the story of boarding school student Raul, who waits for sunset--and the mysterious, marvelous phenomenon that allows him to go home."--

She-wolf explores the cultural history of the female werewolf, from her first appearance in medieval literature to recent incarnations in film, television and popular literature. The book includes contributors from various disciplines, and offers a cross-period, interdisciplinary exploration of a perennially popular cultural production. The book covers material from the Middle Ages to the present day with chapters on folklore, history, witch trials, Victorian literature, young adult literature, film and gaming. Considering issues such as religious and social contexts, colonialism, constructions of racial and gendered identities, corporeality and subjectivity – as well as female body hair, sexuality and violence – She-wolf reveals the varied ways in which the female werewolf is a manifestation of complex cultural anxieties, as well as a site of continued fascination.

*Benjamin Percy's brand new speculative thriller, The Ninth Metal, is available to pre-order now* Every teenage girl thinks she's different. When government agents kick down Claire Forrester's front door and murder her parents, Claire realises just how different she is. Patrick Gamble was nothing special until the day he got on a plane and, hours later, stepped off it, the only passenger left alive. A hero. President Chase Williams has vowed to eradicate the menace. Unknown to the electorate, however, he is becoming the very thing he has sworn to destroy. Each of them is caught up in a war that so far has been controlled with laws and violence and drugs. But an uprising is about to leave them damaged, lost, and tied to one another for ever. The night of the red moon is coming, when an unrecognizable world will emerge, and the battle for humanity will begin.

Few historical relics have exerted such a hold on our imaginations as the mummy. In 1834, Thomas J. Pettigrew's A History of Egyptian Mummies was the first scholarly work wholly devoted to the subject, providing, for its time, a remarkable analysis of the different mummification techniques used by the ancient embalmers. Such volumes of serious nonfiction have been supplemented over the years by additional works, both scholarly and otherwise, as well as works of fiction that incorporate and expand upon mummy lore. Indeed, the popular concept of the mummy as a malevolent monster dates back to the nineteenth century, when stories about mummies rising from the dead to terrify the living first captured the imagination of the reading public and set the revivified corpse on the path to becoming a major horror icon. In The Essential Guide to Mummy Literature, Brian J. Frost provides the first in-depth survey and bibliography of works of fiction featuring mummies. In this comprehensive volume, Frost traces the development of the mummy story, paying particular attention to works by Victorian authors and pulp fiction writers, as well as stories from the American pulp magazines. The annotated bibliography provides synopses of all the key works of fiction in the mummy canon, as well as others not so well known. Full publication details for each entry, with plot summaries of more than 500 works of fiction and abridged descriptions of 250 nonfiction books, are provided. Additionally, a filmography is included, along with listings of young adult novels, children's storybooks, and reference works for both adults and children. Well-organized and comprehensive, The Essential Guide to Mummy Literature will appeal to devotees of the horror genre and students of popular literature, as well as researchers and librarians.