Monsterland

Monsters, in all their terrifying glory, have preoccupied humans since we began telling stories. But where did these stories come from?

In Monsterland, award-winning author Nicholas Jubber goes on a journey to discover more about the monsters we've invented, lurking in the dark and the wild places of the earth - giants, dragons, ogres, zombies, ghosts, demons - all with one thing in common: their ability to terrify.

His far-ranging adventure takes him across the world. He sits on the thrones of giants in Cornwall, visits the shrine of a beheaded ogre near Kyoto, travels to an eighteenth-century Balkan vampire's forest dwelling, and paddles among the shapeshifters of the Louisiana bayous. On his travels, he discovers that the stories of the people and places that birthed them are just as fascinating as the creatures themselves.

Artfully written, Monsterland is a fascinating interrogation into why we need these monsters and what they can tell us about ourselves - how they bind communities together as much as they cruelly cast away outsiders.

'In this enchanting and fascinating exploration of monster stories around the globe, Jubber discovers not just the beasts themselves but people and places, history and imagination, fears and obsessions. He blends child-like joy with the wisdom of generations as he tackles giants, ghosts, zombies, and robots to reveal deep insights about past conflicts, collective trauma, and our changing relationship with the natural world. A magical yet deeply human journey that will haunt you long after the final page.'
-Jo Marchant, author of The Human Cosmos

'As a collection of wonderfully creepy travels, Monsterland is both chillingly delicious and uncannily joyous.'
-John Gimlette, author of Elephant Complex

'An exquisite, carefully assembled tapestry of otherworldly beasts, mega-ghouls, and fiendish demigods. There's so much here - not just on a whole pantheon of monsters but about our universal need for them. I loved every page. A treasure trove of fascinating lore, gossip, and cautionary tales of the fantastic, telling of our human capacity to conjure vampires, zombies, ogres, and dragons not just from the darkest corners of our imagination, but wherever and whenever we may. Absorbing stuff.'
-Benedict Allen