Writing monsters : how to craft believably terrifying creatures to enhance your horror, fantasy, and science fiction / Philip Athans ; foreword by the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society.
Includes bibliographical references and index. New Book -- June -- 2015
Contents:
Foreword / H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society -- Introduction: Realism vs. plausibility -- Part one: What they are (1. What is a monster? ; 2. What makes a monster scary? ; 3. Transformation ; 4. Where do they come from? ; 5. Monster or villain?) -- Part two: Why they're here (6. How "monster-rich" is your world? ; 7. Monsters vs. metaphor ; 8. Monsters as obstacles ; 9. Monsters as agents ; 10. Monsters as sources of play ; 11. Monsters as sources of magic or technology ; 12. Bringing out the good and evil in people) Part three: How to write them (13. Setting the rules ; 14. Size ; 15. Powers and abilities ; 16. Weaknesses ; 17. Description ; 18. The five senses ; 19. Staging the reveal ; 20. Isolation ; 21. Originality: cliché vs. archetype) -- Conclusion: Monsters forever -- The unnamable / H. P. Lovecraft -- Appendixes (A: A monstrous style guide ; B: Suggested reading ; C: Sources cited)
Summary:
[Here], Philip Athans uses classic examples from books, films and the world around us to explore what makes monsters memorable - and terrifying. You'll learn what monsters can (and should) represent in your story and how to create monsters from the ground up." -- Back cover.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.