They are the fearful images that have stalked humanity’s nightmares for centuries, supernatural creatures that feast on flesh and haunt the soul, macabre and uncanny beings that frighten and fascinate the imagination. Vampires, Zombies, Werewolves, and Ghosts collects classic stories from literary masters inspired by folklore and mythology who dared to explore the darker side of human nature and crafted tales that defied convention, stirred up controversy, and gave life to a storytelling genre that has endured for generations. With stories by Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling, Henry James, Anne Sexton, Oscar Wilde, Yvonne Navarro, Fritz Leiber, Ramsey Campbell, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Angela Carter, and others…

Vampires and werewolves; phantoms and phantasms: looming out of the fog leaps the menacing spectre of the lycanthrope, ghoul or blood-crazed zombie. Intrigued by some of the most sinister, yet at the same time most compelling, legends of western civilization, Gregory L Reece dusts down his stake and crucifix, loads his silver bullets and takes off into the wilds in search of answers and fresh adventures. Rummaging around in crumbling tombs and cobwebbed sarcophagi, his latest quest leads him into the haunted realm of the dead and the undead: of those carnivorous, nocturnal hunters that might perhaps better be left undisturbed. Why, he asks, is our culture obsessed by the eerie and the macabre? Why, despite its horrors, does the 'dark side' of the supernatural - its seances and ghost-hunting, demonic possession and the occult - call to us with such dangerous allure? Whether tracking night-stalking werewolves, chanting black magic mantras with Satanists, or interviewing a funereal modern-day Count Dracula, Reece is determined to uncover the truth. A wry exploration of a secret and secretive subculture, "Creatures of the Night" is at the same time a bold and startling journey into a wraithlike world that has so often seemed to lie beyond the limits of rational comprehension - until now.

Cover -- Half-title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Preface -- 1 Shaping Fear -- 2 Between Hope and Fear: Horror and Religion -- 3 Terror, Horror, and the Cult of Nature -- 4 Frankenstein, Robots, and Androids: Horror and the Manufactured Monster -- 5 The Detective's Reason -- 6 Jekyll and Hyde: The Monster from Within -- 7 Dracula and the Haunted Present -- 8 Horror in the Age of Visual Reproduction -- Notes -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- X -- Y -- Z -- Illustrations

Monsters and shape-shifters have always held a special fascination in mythologies, legends, and folklore the world over. From ancient customs to famous cases of beasts and vampires and their reflections in popular culture, 600 entries provide definitions, explanations, and lists of suggested further reading.

From movies to comics to graphic novels, monsters and their ilk tap into the terror that lurks in the darkest regions of the human collective unconscious. Enduringly popular characters, from vampires to zombies, provide an exciting challenge and appeal to comics and animation artists. How to Draw Chiller Monsters, Werewolves, Vampires and Zombies features the artwork of comic-book artist and Hollywood monster designer Kerry Gammill, Gene Colan as well as Neal Adams, Jim Steranko, Jack Davis, David Hartman, Frank Frazetta, Basil Gogos, and Wally Wood.

"Monsters of the Market" investigates modern capitalism through the prism of the body panics it arouses. Examining "Frankenstein," Marx s "Capital" and zombie fables from sub-Saharan Africa, it offers a novel account of the cultural and corporeal economy of global capitalism.

The gross and gory art of monster making! Within these pages lurk all manner of fiends, monsters and vile, vicious creatures. These are the beasts that have haunted mankind's dreams for generations—the products of mad scientists, cursed family blood lines and the twisted imaginations of artists like you. Scream is your guide to drawing nasty, blood-sucking, brain-eating creeps. Award-winning artist Steve Ellis will arm you with the dark secrets to bringing your most disturbed visions to wretched life. Inside you'll find: 23 complete step-by-step demonstrations for drawing vampires, werewolves, witches, zombies, mummies, ghosts and other classic horror characters and settings A variety of illustration styles, techniques and materials Expert advice on selecting supplies, using color, drawing freakish yet believable anatomy, creating heart-stopping drama with dynamic gestures, eerie lighting effects, and more Eyes falling out of sockets, razor sharp claws, rotting flesh, it's all here—everything you need to achieve new levels of foulness in your own fun fantasy style. Open these pages if you dare, and unleash your worst nightmares!