Includes bibliographical references (p. [285]-333) and index.

Extraordinary beings -- Ancient monsters. Alexander fights monsters in India ; Monsters are nature's playthings ; Hermaphrodites and man-headed oxen ; Monstrous desire -- Medieval monsters : messages from God. Biblical monsters ; Do monsters have souls? ; The monster killer ; Possessing demons and witches -- Scientific monsters : the book of nature is riddled with typos. Natural history, freaks, and nondescripts ; The medicalization of monsters ; Darwin's mutants -- Inner monsters : the psychological aspects. The art of human vulnerability : angst and horror ; Criminal monsters : psychopathology, aggression, and the malignant heart ; Torturers, terrorists, and zombies : the products of monstrous societies ; Future monsters : robots, mutants, and posthuman cyborgs.