Interest in the monstrous, including academic explorations of this topic, is of course, not limited to America. Some of my recent research found a global group with a strong European component. It is called Monsters and the Monstrous: Myths & Metaphors of Enduring Evil as part of Inter-Disciplinary.Net: A Global Network for Dynamic Research and Publishing. This network has an interesting description and areas of research:

Monsters and the Monstrous was originally launched in May 2003 in Budapest under the title: Vampires: Myths and Metaphors of Enduring Evil.

In light of the success of the inaugural meeting and in light of the development suggestions made by the assembled delegates from all over the world, the Steering Group decided to broaden to remit of the project to a consideration of Monsters specifically and of themes of the monstrous in general.

This inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary project seeks to investigate and explore the enduring influence and imagery of monsters and the monstrous on human culture throughout history. In particular, the project will have a dual focus with the intention of examining specific ‘monsters’ as well as assessing the role, function and consequences of persons, actions or events identified as ‘monstrous’. The history and contemporary cultural influences of monsters and monstrous metaphors will also be examined.

Indicative themes for research and development will include ;

* The “monster” through history
* Civilization, monsters and the monstrous
* Children, childhood, stories and monsters
* Comedy: funny monsters and/or making fun of monsters (e.g. Monsters Inc, the Addams Family)
* Making monsters; monstrous births
* Mutants and mutations
* Technologies of the monstrous
* Horror, fear and scare
* Do monsters kill because they are monstrous or are they monstrous because they kill?
* How critical to the definition of “monster” is death or the threat of death?
* human ‘monsters’ and ‘monstrous’ acts? e.g, perverts, paedophiles and serial killers
* Revolution and monsters
* Enemies (political/social/military) and monsters
* Iconography of the monstrous
* The popularity of the modern monsters; the Mummy, Dracula, Frankenstein, Vampires
* The monster in literature
* The monster in media (television, cinema, radio)
* Religious depictions of the monstrous
* Metaphors and the monstrous

The project will centre around an annual conference held each May in Eastern and Central Europe. The work of the project is to be supported by an email discussion group, ISSN ejournal, ISBN publication series and and evolving research and resource centre.

The network includes a blog, a discussion group, has also published a number of books that arise as a result of their conferences, including Our Monstrous (S)kin; Hosting the Monster; Monsters and the Monstrous; The Monstrous Identity of Humanity; Dark Reflections, Monstrous Reflections; The Role of the Monster; Monsters and the Monstrous (2nd ed.); and another volume on Vampires.

It is indeed a great time for the academic analysis of the monster and the monstrous.