Tracking classical monsters in popular culture / Liz Gloyn.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gloyn, Liz, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Monsters in mass media.

Mythology, Classical, in literature.

Popular culture.

Physical Description:

x, 228 pages : illustrations (black and white) ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

London, UK ; New York, NY : Bloomsbury Academic, 2020.

Summary:

"What is it about ancient monsters that popular culture still finds so enthralling? Why do the monsters of antiquity continue to stride across the modern world? In this book, the first in-depth study of how post-classical societies use the creatures from ancient myth, Liz Gloyn reveals the trends behind how we have used monsters since the 1950s to the present day, and considers why they have remained such a powerful presence in our shared cultural imagination. She presents a new model for interpreting the extraordinary vitality that classical monsters have shown, and their enormous adaptability in finding places to dwell in popular culture without sacrificing their connection to the ancient world. Her argument takes her readers through a comprehensive tour of monsters on film and television, from the much-loved creations of Ray Harryhausen in Clash of the Titans to the monster of the week in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, before looking in detail at the afterlives of the Medusa and the Minotaur. She develops a broad theory of the ancient monster and its life after antiquity, investigating its relation to gender, genre and space to offer a bold and novel exploration of what keeps drawing us back to these mythical beasts. From the siren to the centaur, all monster lovers will find something to enjoy in this stimulating and accessible book"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

What makes a monster?

Classical monsters and where to find them

Monsters on film in the Harryhausen era

Muscles and imagination : the modern Peplum and beyond

Monsters and mythologies in Hercules : the legendary journeys

Tripping the telefantastic in Xena: warrior princess and Doctor Who

Thoroughly modern Medusa

Lost In the Minotaur's maze

Epilogue : the Sirens still sing.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 213-221), filmography (pages 211-212), and index.

ISBN:

9781784539344

1784539341

9781350109612

1350109614

OCLC:

1081388471