Monsters and the Monstrous Research Papers (original) (raw)

2025, Ars Artium: An International Peer Reviewed-cum-Refereed

Ahmed Saadawi’s Frankenstein in Baghdad, originally published in Arabic in 2013
and translated into English by Jonathan Wright in 2018, is set in the chaotic
socio-political condition of post-invasion Iraq. The Nobel exacerbates the horror of
sectarian violence by introducing a Frankensteinesque atmosphere of magical realism.
However, this paper concentrates on the concept of monstrosity as presented in the
novel. The paper shows how the concept of monstrosity, being a fluid one,
problematizes the notion of identity. By carefully considering the multiple manifestations of ‘monstrous identity’, the paper demonstrates that ‘monstrosity’ is not an
easily identifiable physical attribute found in conventional deformed-body ‘monsters’;
nor is it just a characteristic trait of an evil mind; rather, it is a highly nuanced term
which complexly affects social identities.

2025

“The recently published and positively massive ‘Routledge Handbook of Co-Futurisms’ (2023) showcases the speculative and the fantastic as truly global phenomena that span countries, cultures, and continents. In parallel, the... more

2025, Аспирантский сборник. Выпуск 14. Сборник статей по материалам Международного форума молодых исследователей искусства «Научная Весна-2024»

В статье исследуется иконография онокентавра со змеем в английских бестиариях 1170–1260-х годов. Цель исследования –– выявить истоки этого редкого иконографического подтипа онокентавра. Выдвигаются три гипотезы происхождения модуля в... more

2025

Presented as part of Apocalyptic Arthuriana (A Roundtable) (Virtual), co-sponsored by Alliance for the Promotion of Research on the Matter of Britain and International Arthurian Society, North American Branch (IAS/NAB). 60th International... more

2025, Contracampo

O presente artigo analisa a monstruosidade por meio do sistema representacional que está articulado em torno da construção do personagem fi ccional Monstro do Pântano, protagonista de uma série audiovisual norte-americana homônima que durou uma temporada. A partir de uma metodologia qualitativa conseguimos encontrar diversas representações que compõem o personagem, e, na sua análise, encontramos uma indicação de que o monstro busca ser uma resposta aos três sujeitos propostos por Stuart Hall

2025

2025, Urania n° 1257-58

The Monster is one of the more widely known feature of sf, but of course has a vast ancestry and progeny (from classical mythology, to medieval imagery, to Kafka). In this paper we try to disentangle some of this connections, pointing to a a typical sf portrayal of the monster: the BEM (Bug Eyed Monster), and its connection to insects and very small creatures:

2025, Geographia antiqua, 30, 2021, p.133-148

inventaire des mappemondes et diagrammes dans les manuscrits latins avant l200 préparé par P. Gautier Dalché, j'ai eu recours à C 2006, où le lecteur trouvera de nombreuses reproductions de cartes. En complément, je renverrai sur les sites internet où certaines mappemondes sont visibles. 3 Les diagrammes dits en TO figurent l'espace habité divisé en trois parties. Ils sont plus ou moins détaillés. Il est en revanche impropre de voir ce schéma en TO sur les mappemondes détaillées. 4 G D (2003, p. 135) rappelle que le diagramme en TO n'a rien de spécifiquement médiéval. Pour une mise au point récente de l'historiographie au sujet de ces diagrammes, voir M 2021. Je ne partage pas entièrement les vues de l'auteur sur l'interprétation religieuse de ces diagrammes par les savants médiévaux. 5 Ces diagrammes, à la différence des figures en TO, représentent l'ensemble de la sphère terrestre et servent à exposer des questions scientifiques. Outre les articles de P. Gautier Dalché, voir à leur sujet, H 2007. L'Asie sur les diagrammes et les mappemondes détaillées (avant 1200) A -How did maps depict Asia before 1200? From the study of some diagrams and maps, three aspects are developed: the situation of Asia in the orbis terrarum and its limits; its structure and internal divisions; Asia as a space of salvation. The cartography of Asia is the heir of antique cartography, whose structures it has preserved. It serves primarily as a means of gaining objective knowledge of history. The representations of Asia, however, were adapted to the intellectual and spiritual expectations of medieval scholars. The phenomenon of Christianisation was most developed in Asia, where holy history took place.

2025, Summary of Thesis Study

This master's thesis focuses on the examination of dark motifs within Osamu Ishiyama's architecture, with a particular focus on their relationship with Chthonic powers. By providing a comprehensive overview of Ishiyama's architectural style, this study analyzes how the dark motifs present in Ishiyama's work link to the concept of Chthonic powers. Furthermore, the thesis explores the impact of Chthonic powers on art and architecture, as well as their broader social implications on culture. By incorporating dark motifs from Japanese culture and 19th Century European Romanticism, the thesis aims to shed light on the substance and influence of these powers in shaping Osamu Ishiyama`s motifs and motivations. During this examination, the thesis critically questions the dynamics and discourses of the era, guiding the inquiry of the reasons behind the evident influence of Chthonic powers on Ishiyama. As a result of this research, the thesis deepens our understanding of Ishiyama's architectural philosophy, as well as places his architecture with dark motifs in a broader context.

2025, Ahmadreza Khairollahi

In a world where light no longer means justice, a teenage boy finds himself abandoned, broken, and lost in darkness after a devastating tragedy. But when he's offered a path to power—one soaked in blood and shadow—he must choose between... more

2025, Punishment & Society

The contemporary normative climate regarding sexual violence affects how perpetrators of such violence relate to their harmful acts. In this article, we analyze how men convicted of sex offences are affected by how perpetrators of such offences are often represented as monsters and ask what this tells us about what characterizes the Monster as a figure. While people convicted of sexual offences are likened to monsters in many contexts, there is little research that unpacks the characteristics of this figure and how it is contingent on ideas about and the regulation of sex offending. By analyzing data from qualitative interviews with 17 men convicted of sexual offences in Norway, we found that, although they presented themselves and the acts they were convicted of committing differently, they had a common fear of being identified as a monster. In these narratives, a monster was characterized by (1) intentionality-having intentionally harmed others, (2) preference-having a sexual preference for harmful, nonconsensual sex, and (3) authenticity-being authentically violent. We conceive of the narrative processes that the participants engage in as forms of social abjection and discuss the consequences that abjection may have for accountability, rehabilitation, and justice.

2025

L'esortazione di Papa Urbano: «Vogliamo però che insegnino e governino nello studio stesso, docenti che hanno ricevuto l'onore di dottorato o di magistrato in Bologna o Parigi, o in altri celebri studi generali, ed altri che siano esperti e sperimentati nelle novità di questo genere di studio, siano assunti» prosegue indicando che detto studio generale «in perpetuo, e nei tempi futuri prevalga nella Sacra Pagina, nel Diritto Canonico e Civile, e nella Medicina, e in ogni altra facoltà lecita, che i docenti e gli studenti lì possono godere e utilizzare tutti i privilegi, le libertà e le immunità concesse agli insegnanti, ai lettori e agli studiosi che risiedono negli studi generali». Detti privilegi e immunità si ribadiscono negli Statuti civici orvietani del 1581: «Tutti, e i singoli Maestri e Professori, che vengono a Orvieto per studiare o per leggere, siano mantenuti e custoditi nelle persone e nelle cose» a cura del Podestà che dovrà garantire esenzioni dalle gabelle in tutto lo stato orvietano.

2025, Temas Medievales

This article discusses the representation of the Iberian peninsula in the ver
nacular corpus of medieval Iceland, focusing on sagas and learned literature. Fur
thermore, we provide maps that provide spatial referencing to the each instance of
mentions in said corpus. The survey finds that regional variation is significant, in
particular concerning Galicia, which is clearly more represented than the rest of the
areas within Hispania. Moreover, it is here argued that there is significant difference
in the representation in each subgenre. Thus, ecclesiastical and learned literature
providing the most verisimilar and detailed accounts, transitioning (through the
royal sagas) towards a highly fantastic and schematic view in the chivalric material,
where the Iberian peninsula is essentially used as a significant for exoticism.

2025

Title: Maternity, Monstrosity, and Heroic (Im)mortality from Homer to Shakespeare Author: Sara Burdorff Publisher: Amsterdam University Press This work uses an adaptation of monster theory to rethink the foundations of epic-heroic... more

2025, International symposium, organized by Stephan Leder, Stefan R. Hauser, Kurt Franz, and Ingo Breuer, held at the Stiftung Leucorea, Lutherstadt Wittenberg, 30 November – 2 December 2007

2025, História Social

Resumo: A Inglaterra do século XVII pode ser considerada por suas agitações político-religiosas e o desenvolvimento de um expressivo mercado livreiro. Face a esse contexto, verifica-se a profusão de textos sobre a aparição de monstros, o que leva a questionar qual era o significado desses seres. Uma vez que os monstros não eram tratados como meras curiosidades, o presente texto almeja compreender como esses documentos de caráter efêmero representavam o monstro, sendo ele uma expressão das ansiedades sócio-históricas sujeitas à leitura e ao manejo político da época. Pensa-se, portanto, como a Inglaterra de cabeça para baixo pode ser lida a partir dos monstros vociferados por meio de suas produções culturais.
Palavras-chaves: Monstros. Impressos efêmeros. Inglaterra Moderna.

2025, Pride and Prejudice: A Bicentennial Bricolage

This essay reads Pride, Prejudice and Postcolonial Zombies as akin to the project of what postcolonial critics have come to call “writing back”,
meaning texts typically produced by the colonized that take as their subject the revision of a colonial canonical text. This essay examines
how Pride and Prejudice and Zombies brings into reconsideration Austen’s portrayal of women’s situations in Regency England and also how it brings to light what is left out of Pride and Prejudice about the colonial world surrounding the novel’s isolated country setting. The voices and situations of both women and the colonized, the disempowered in Austen’s world, are thus brought into the foreground in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

2025, Broteria, Janeiro

Breve ensaio sobre as temáticas que escolhe a literatura distópica portuguesa atual

2025, Revista Leitura

This article explores the sociocultural and psychological dimensions of Socorro Acioli's A cabeça do santo (2014) through the lens of fantastic literature, focusing on the protagonist Samuel's journey and its broader implications. By analyzing the narrative's construction of uncanny spaces and its juxtaposition of modernity and tradition, the study investigates how Acioli employs spatial ambiguity and polyphonic voices to reflect social tensions, existential conflicts, and rural marginalization. Through a theoretical-critical approach grounded in concepts of magical realism, polyphony, and spatial theory, the analysis reveals how the novel bridges the real and the imaginary, intertwining cultural identity, individual subjectivity, and societal violence. The findings highlight Acioli's innovative narrative strategies in representing the interplay between faith, folklore, and technological change, ultimately emphasizing the resilience and invisibility of marginalized communities. This study contributes to discussions on contemporary Brazilian literature, particularly its engagement with regional traditions and universal themes of power, displacement, and transformation.

2025, Le Temps

Les chimères ont le droit de cité: balade sur les traces des chimères genevoises

2025, Le Courrier

Dans le cadre du Festival Histoire & Cité, une balade genevoise sur les traces des chimères

2025, Journal of Interdisciplinary Science Topics

This paper looks to find the energy expenditure of the Slug monster comically depicted in the film Monster’s University as running incredibly slowly to his lesson. As the Slug is seemingly unaware of time passing by, it is assumed that either due to hypoglycaemia or susceptibility to cold temperatures, the slug occasionally blacks out, meaning he is only running for 6 hours a day for 32 weeks - though to him this seems like one long day. Likening the Slug to the American banana slug, and making suitable assumptions for the Slug’s physical parameters allowed its total energy expenditure to be calculated. It was found he exerts 5.22 x 10 9 J of energy in total, which can be attributed to the rapid motion of his arms.

2025, Filosofia e Teologia

Il saggio confronta la dottrina di Kant sul «male radicale» (e la relativa interpretazione kantiana di Gen 3) con la dottrina e l’interpretazione dello stesso tema di Paul Ricoeur. Il suo scopo è quello di mostrare fino a che punto... more

2025

This exploration investigates the conceptualization of the human
body as a time machine, where physiological processes intertwine
with temporal dynamics. Starting from the analogy of blood flow in
arteries and veins as temporal flow within a complex tubular
topology, the discussion delves into the implications of heart rate,
blood pressure, and heart anomalies on temporal velocity. Controlled
heartbeat is examined as a means of influencing time travel, where
voluntary modulation of heart rate alters the perceived flow of time.
Blood transfusions are reimagined as mechanisms for sharing
timelines, enabling temporal intermingling between donor and
recipient. Heart transplants symbolize timeline bifurcation, creating
dual temporal paths shared between donor and recipient through the
transplanted heart. The concept of vampires drinking blood to acquire
timelines is expanded, suggesting a transfer of temporal essence and
experiences. Similarly, mosquitoes are depicted as temporal thieves,
subtly stealing fragments of timelines through blood consumption.
The idea of 'time-trickle-eating' through meat consumption
introduces the notion of temporal sustenance, where the blood of
consumed animals provides fragments of their temporal essence,
contrasting with the temporal interactions of vegetarians, who derive
temporal energy from plant sources. Recent unidentified aerial
phenomena (UAP) sightings near Gilbert, AZ, are hypothesized to be
biological entities utilizing temporal vortices and wormholes for
silent and rapid travel, implying advanced temporal navigation
capabilities. To enable similar temporal perception and navigation in
humans, we propose anatomical evolutions such as chronoreceptors,
temporal antennae, chronomagnetic appendages, and temporal
resonance organs, alongside a dedicated chrono-cortex for processing
temporal information. These adaptations would allow humans to
perceive and interact with multi-dimensional temporal flows,
providing enhanced temporal awareness and navigation capabilities.
Training to enhance human ability to traverse the complex topology
of time is also explored, which involves a multi-faceted approach that
combines cognitive, sensory, and physical methodologies. This
comprehensive training aims to expand human temporal perception
and navigation, enabling interaction with time as a multi-dimensional
construct. This synthesis offers a speculative yet comprehensive
perspective on the interplay between physiology and time, proposing
a framework for understanding and potentially enhancing temporal
interaction in biological entities within a mathematical framework.

2025, Liberty Publishing House

Medieval maps and manuscripts are renowned for their bizarre and imaginative drawings, including fantastical creatures like knightly rabbits riding snail-men and headless Blemmyes with faces on their chests. These beings, originating from ancient stories and often associated with Alexander the Great's travels, represent a unique type of semi-human monster found in medieval art. The belief in these monsters, which began in ancient Greece and Rome, where they were believed to inhabit the world's edges and symbolize corruption, was reignited during the Renaissance with the rediscovery and printing of many ancient texts. These texts, such as Pliny the Elder's Historia Naturalis, written in the first century CE, and Cicero's De Divinatione, played a significant role in shaping modern interpretations of these creatures. The word "monster" comes from the same Latin root as "demonstrate," which means to warn. This reflects the idea that monsters symbolize danger, sin, and divine anger. As more ancient writings became available, people continued to believe that grotesque creatures still lived at the world's edges. Historian Massimo Perrone points out that manuscript illustrators used marginalia, or side illustrations, to make their work more enjoyable, adding humour and engaging stories. This use of marginalia entertained the audience and encouraged modern interpretations and creative expressions, making the study of medieval monsters fascinating.

2025, Casas Tomadas: Monsters and Metaphors on the Periphery of Latin American Literature and Media, Ed. Carlos A. González (Harvard University)

Through the lens of monstrosity, this study analyzes Guadalupe Dueñas’ short story “Historia de Mariquita” (1958), exploring the interplay between societal norms, spatial relationships, and gender dynamics, and their implications for the... more

2025, XXXV Congreso Internacional de Literatura y Estudios Hispánicos

¿Puede lobizón acudir a tratamientos psiquiátricos? ¿Qué ocurre cuando una sirena, en vez de representar el lugar común de belleza y juventud, muestra un aspecto grotesco? ¿Cómo cambia la visión del mundo si Dafne se transformara en cactus y no en un árbol de laurel? Estas son algunas de las preguntas que se exploran en los relatos fantásticos “Vida de perros”, “Sirena de río” y “La chica cactus”, de Ana María Shua. A través de los cuentos mencionados se examinará cómo la reinterpretación de los mitos y sus monstruos, además de desafiar las bases epistemológicas y ontológicas de la mentalidad occidental, desvela modos de discriminación y violencia contra los seres marginados. Se basará el análisis textual en las teorías del monstruo, de los estudios animales y del posthumanismo para interpretar al lobizón, la sirena y la chica cactus como vehículos que revelan situaciones desconcertantes e incómodas sobre la vida y el mundo contemporáneos.
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Can a werewolf go to psychiatric treatment? What happens when a mermaid, instead of representing the commonplace of beauty and youth, shows a grotesque appearance? How would the worldview change if Daphne was transformed into a cactus instead of a laurel tree? These are some of the questions explored in the fantastic short stories “Life of Dogs,” “River Mermaid” and “The Cactus Girl,” by Ana María Shua. Through these stories, I will examine how the reinterpretation of myths and their monsters, in addition to challenging the epistemological and ontological bases of the Western thought, reveals ways of discrimination and violence against marginalized beings. The textual analysis will be based on the theories of the monster, animal studies and posthumanism to interpret the werewolf, the mermaid and the cactus girl as vehicles that reveal disconcerting and uncomfortable situations about contemporary life and the world.

2025, XXXVIII Congreso Internacional de Literatura y Estudios Hispánicos

Desde Crónica de un iniciado, de Abelardo Castillo, pasando por “Las peras del mal”, de Liliana Heker, hasta Nuestra parte de noche, de Mariana Enriquez, la figura del Demonio—Diablo, Lucifer—, a pesar del tiempo, persiste como imagen aterradora e inquietante dentro de la narrativa argentina actual. María Beville lo ha llamado el monstruo de monstruos, por su identidad lábil, su figura transhistórica y por el hecho de representar la endeblez humana. Ahora bien, ¿a través de qué mecanismos literarios los autores logran que el Demonio se mantenga como imagen hórrida aun dentro de la mentalidad lógico-racional de Occidente? ¿Acaso se emplea en la literatura actual como un reflejo de los problemas sociales de la llamada realidad? La obra de Luciano Lamberti permite entrever algunas respuestas a las interrogantes expuestas, pues en su obra se percibe la presencia de entes luciferinos cuyo análisis desvela que la monstruosidad humana resulta ilimitada al compararse con lo ontológicamente monstruoso. Partiendo de esta premisa examinaré el cuento “La casa de los eucaliptus” (2017), contenido en la colección homónima y la novela Para hechizar a un Cazador (2024) para demostrar que las figuras demoniales se convierten en espacios de la memoria histórica a la vez que interpelan a los lectores al desvelar al humano como el verdadero monstruo social.
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From Abelardo Castillo’s Crónica de un iniciado, through Liliana Heker’s “Las peras del mal”, to Mariana Enriquez’s Nuestra parte de noche, the figure of the Demon—Devil, Lucifer—persists, despite the passage of time, as a terrifying and disturbing image within contemporary Argentine narrative. María Beville has called it the ‘monster of monsters’, due to its unstable identity, its transhistorical figure, and the fact that it represents human frailty. Now, through what literary mechanisms do authors manage to maintain the Demon as a horrid image even within the logical-rational mentality of the West? Is it perhaps used in current literature as a reflection of the social problems of so-called reality? The work of Luciano Lamberti allows us to glimpse some answers to the questions posed, since in his work readers perceive the presence of Luciferian entities whose analysis reveals that human monstrosity is unlimited when compared to the ontologically monstrous. Based on this premise, I will examine the short story “La casa de los eucaliptus” (2017) and the novel Para hechizar a un Cazador (2024) to demonstrate that the demonic figures become spaces of historical memory while also challenging readers by revealing the human as the true social monster.

2025, SCIEDU PRESS

Comics is a sequential art that appeals to a diversified audience, a medium of reflection on culture, society, and history. Graphic literature is a discourse of dynamic interaction of graphics in literature, including literary comics, graphic novels, sequential art, juxtaposed images, and other dimensions of visual and printed images. A Graphic novel is the collaborative medium of the interaction of word and image, visual and verbal imagery to create numerous meanings and multiple interpretations. The term Graphic medicine was coined by Ian Williams who is a doctor, comic artist, and writer; He defined Graphic Medicine as the intersection of the medium of comics and the discourse of healthcare. Graphic medicine analyzes and interprets the medium of comics which serves as an innovative platform for disturbing, risky, and taboo ideas of illness. Ian Williams's graphic novel The Bad Doctor (2014) is a verbal and visual illustration of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The protagonist Ian a general practitioner tries to cope with his OCD, his obsessions are comically and satirically represented through the artistic medium of graphic narrative and iconography of illness. Graphic Narrative of psychological illness like OCD by the sufferer of the illness gives a whole new perspective on the experience of psychological illness. Graphic narrative and iconographic representation of illness break down the traditional stereotypes of illness and give voice to the muted patient whose stories are unheard.

2025, Across Disciplinary Boundaries: Humanities, Social Sciences and Anglophone Literature. Dakar, ITECOM Academy Press,

Cet article démontre que Frankenstein Unbound est un roman postmoderne qui, en plus de revisiter le Frankenstein de Mary Shelley, dénote clairement l’engagement écologique de Brian Aldiss. À travers l’ingénierie génétique humaine, considérée comme source de dégradation du milieu naturel par l’introduction dans celui-ci de deux créatures monstrueuses produites par des manipulations scientifiques, il traite de la pollution de l’environnement. La description d’un dérèglement climatique causé par les armes utilisées lors de la bataille de Waterloo, dans la réalité de 1816 que le personnage principal, Bodenland, investi à travers un voyage dans le passé, inscrit résolument le roman dans une dynamique écologique. Aussi, l’uranium, considéré dans Frankenstein Unbound, comme la principale source d’énergie en 2020, cause la catastrophe environnementale à l’origine de l’instabilité spatio-temporelle qui permet à Bodenland de remonter le temps pour se retrouver à la Villa Diodiati en 1816.

2025, Leitura: circulação, diálogos e linguagens - Livro 2

A figura do monstro é parte significativa do imaginário infantil e frequentemente representam os desafios que as crianças podem enfrentar na vida real. Eles são responsáveis por provocar medo, e por vezes funcionam como guia para ilustrar as diferenças entre certo e errado no contexto da história narrada, como se pode constatar no mundo ficcional de Amizade com o monstro, do escritor moçambicano Miguel Ouana. Por tradição o monstro é a parte mal, que deve ser superada, vencida, e em geral, é na infância que se descobre o medo, seja ele provocado ou adquirido, oriundo de uma fonte real, como medo da violência, ou imaginária, como medo do bicho papão. Esses temores vêm sendo atribuídos a monstros imaginários que atuam como personagens na literatura, no cinema e demais mídias que distribuem a produção ficcional. Na atualidade, é através desses canais que temos nosso primeiro contato com criaturas horrendas, apavorantes que têm como principal função nos causar pavor. Contudo, numa inversão dos valores tradicionais, o monstrengo que deveria oprimir e machucar torna-se aquilo que conforta e salva, pratica recorrente no universo das animações e da literatura infantojuvenil, que de tempos em tempos representa o monstro não como a figura do mal, causador de dano, mas como amigo e companheiro de aventuras. Assim, o presente trabalho visa discutir a construção desse monstro no texto de Ouana, que ao invés de causar medo e angústia, causa alegria e conforto, e mesmo assim não perde seu posto de monstruoso.

2025

Presented as part of Edgar Allan Poe @ 215: An Online Conference. Online. 5 October 2024.

2025

Presented at The Sixth Biennial Dr. Henry Armitage Memorial Scholarship Symposium of New Weird Fiction and Lovecraft-Related Research, part of NecronomiCon Providence 2024. Omni Hotel (Providence, RI). 15 August 2024.

2025

Presented at Fantasies of the Middle Lands: Mythcon 53 with Diversicon 31. Double Tree by Hilton – Park Place (Minneapolis, Minnesota) and online. 5 August 2024. Video available at SWOSHU Digital Commons,... more

2025, Folklore

This article explores cultural aspects regarding marital dynamics within the context of a Jewish tale published in Basel in 1602. In dissecting the intricate themes of guilt, shame, and cultural gender distrust portrayed within the narrative, the article offers a nuanced perspective on these socio-cultural constructs. The story focuses on the heroic exploits of a respected rabbi whose malevolent wife turns him into a werewolf. However, the representation of the relationship between men and women in the story is largely onesided. Consequently, this study argues that this metamorphic story can be perceived as an intentional form of literary expression that depicts typical patterns of a male-centric society and highlights the direct relationship between women's voices being suppressed and patriarchal control systems that silence them. This article presents a fresh and original examination of the complexities inherent in cultural perceptions of marital dynamics.

2025

Ephemeral Resistance is one of the streams at the 2025 London Conference in Critical Thought, which will be hosted and supported by Birkbeck, University of London on 20 th-21 st June, 2025. If you would like to participate in one of the streams, please send an abstract for a proposed presentation with the relevant stream title indicated in the subject line to hello@londoncritical.co.uk. Abstracts should be submitted as Word documents of no more than 250 words and must be received by Friday 4th April 2025.

2025, MAIA

This paper argues that the labyrinth imagery recurring throughout Seneca’s "Phaedra" provides a narrative framework fashioning what happens on stage as a tragic revival of Theseus’ adventure in the labyrinth. Within the new, abstract labyrinth created by Phaedra’s and the Nurse’s circumlocutory words (see, especially, 639 "ambigua uoce uerba perplexa iacis" and 858 "perplexa magnum uerba nescioquid tegunt"), Theseus and Hippolytus are forced into different roles from those of father and son and end up sharing the ambiguity intrinsic to the inhabitant of the labyrinth, the Minotaur.

2025

Against the backdrop of readings of Adalbert Stifter's 1844 Studienfassung of "Die Narrenburg" as an expression either of orientalist fantasy or of Austrian inner colonialism, this article traces the text's confusing geographies through its intertwined figurations of native and exotic plants. Often thought of (due to the etymology of vegetare) as idle, passive, inert, and mute, flora in this text suggests the tracks of colonial exploration and horticulture, as well as of orientalizing literature, and is implicated in the literary framings and formats that promote a nineteenth-century canon of "Germanness." KEYWORDS Adalbert Stifter; "Die Narrenburg," colonialism; plants; India Adalbert Stifter had a foreign thing, surprising perhaps, considering that, provincial and plumply sedentary, he traveled rarely outside Austria, the Bohemian forest, Vienna, and Linz, and only saw the sea once, as a middle-aged man. Adorno viewed that forest of Stifter, specifically the "gr€ une Fichtau" that was the setting for the stories "Die Narrenburg" and "Prokopus," as reminiscent of a ghastly kitsch souvenir (Hausgreuel), the glass paperweight, an oneiric object that reached peak production in the mid-nineteenth century: Kunstfigur.-Den Unvorbereiteten erschrecken angeh€ aufte Hausgreuel durch ihre Verwandtschaft mit den Kunstwerken. Noch der halbkugelf€ ormige Briefbeschwerer, der unter Glas eine Fichtenlandschaft mit der Unterschrift Gruß aus Bad Wildungen tr€ agt, mahnt in etwas an Stifters gr€ une Fichtau … 1

2025, Figures de l'art. Revue d'études esthétiques, "Moi, Nous, Elles. Les Nouvelles Chimères"

Femmes et bêtes, de l'animalisation à la chimère trans En Occident, selon la conception moderne du monde, « femmes » et « animaux » renvoient à des catégories bien précises. L'histoire de l'art abonde d'exemples illustrant la remise en question de tels préjugés, de même que l'assimilation des femmes aux bêtes. En outre, d'innombrables oeuvres évoquent les liens humanimaux, la « frontière » et le mélange des genres. Il semble même qu'un vaste élan de chimérisation, dans le sens de « devenir composite », se soit affirmé durant les dernières décennies via les pratiques artistiques féministes. Quelles formes prennent les nouvelles chimères, entre autres (éco)féministes, (afro)futuristes et autochtones ? Cet article part des premiers temps de la performance et de l'art corporel, des années 1970, durant lesquelles le sang des autres animaux a beaucoup coulé pour signifier les diverses oppressions que subissent les femmes. D'autres artistes ont joué avec les clichés, cherchant à refonder la culture, voire à retourner le stigmate. Plus récemment, certaines artistes se sont complètement réapproprié l'animalité, lui donnant corps et esthétique, une « identité » hybride, post-postmoderne, humaine, race ou genre (genus et gender) et même éco-relationnelle. Du carnage féministe à l'incarnation animiste, l'essai examine les histoires narrées ainsi que les nouveaux rapports interspécifiques.

2025, G| A| M| E Games as Art, Media, Entertainment

With the spread of the internet and the availability of computing resources, the use of digital games technologies has grown considerably in areas other than pure pastime (Hainey et al., 2011). Serious games in particular are games designed for primary purposes other than pure entertainment (Susi et al., 2007). In this paper, we focus on the potential as well as the limitations of serious digital games as a medium for communication in the area of public health.

2025

Table of contents and abstracts for volume 10, issue 1 (Fall 2024).

2025

Desde tiempos inmemoriales, el mar ha sido percibido como una fuente de riesgos, peligros y amenazas, algunos reales, otros imaginarios. En todo este mundo de mitos y leyendas, los monstruos marinos han jugado un papel esencial, por... more

2025

En la literatura, encontramos narraciones y reflexiones que profundizan en las complejidades de la naturaleza humana y sus sombras más oscuras. En Frankenstein, la obra maestra de Mary Shelley, se relata la historia de un hombre que, con una sed insaciable de conocimiento y una arrogancia desmedida, desafía las leyes de la naturaleza al dar vida a una criatura. Esta creación, al igual que su cuerpo formado por partes humanas diversas y poco compatibles, posee una complejidad existencial grotesca que lo convierte en una quimera, carente de rasgos que lo hagan verdaderamente humano. Rechazada por su creador debido a su apariencia y al temor de perder el control sobre ella, la criatura queda abandonada a su suerte, condenada al aislamiento y la incomprensión. En otro orden de cosas, la filosofía también tiene mucho que decir sobre quimeras como la de Víctor Frankenstein. La filosofa Hannah Arendt, en su libro Eichmann en Jerusalén: Un informe sobre la banalidad del mal (1963), plantea que el mal no siempre es una manifestación de maldad consciente, sino más bien un producto complejo de la desconexión emocional y la incapacidad de comprender las consecuencias de nuestras acciones. Este ensayo busca explorar cómo ambos relatos, aunque muy distintos, comparten una misma raíz: el mal como resultado de la desconexión, la ignorancia y la incapacidad de reconocer la humanidad del otro.} y como este no esta tan lejos como creemos si no a la vuelta de la esquina en nuestra actualidad política mundial. Victor Frankenstein, el protagonista de la obra de Shelley, es un científico ambicioso que, en su arrogancia, se cree capaz de crear vida. Su objetivo no es solo

2025

O ensaio analisa como narrativas da cultura pop reforçam estereótipos sobre "quem faz ciência"frequentemente limitados a homens brancos e heterossexuais. Ao discutir a invisibilidade das contribuições de intelectuais negros, o texto reflete sobre o apagamento histórico e o racismo estrutural que exclui cientistas negros da representação popular. Referências como Martin Luther King e Stuart Hall sustentam a crítica à permanência de um arquétipo fixo de cientista, questionando sua imutabilidade. Exemplos contemporâneos de personagens negros, como Adam Brashear e Lucius Fox, são apresentados para desafiar esses estereótipos. O ensaio conclui que as histórias em quadrinhos e a cultura pop, por meio de representações como Lunella Lafayette e Riri Williams, oferecem novas perspectivas que ampliam o imaginário sobre cientistas negros, evidenciando uma desconstrução dos estereótipos tradicionais e a importância de narrativas mais inclusivas.

2025, Perspective. Corps extrêmes

This study deals with the place of teratological iconography in satirical images from the 19th century on, when human monsters manifested themselves in both fairground entertainment and medical culture

2025, Journal of English Studies in India

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings (1954) is a foundational fantasy text that transcends genre, offering profound reflections on power, morality, and identity. This paper explores the complex interplay between monstrosity and the everyday in Middle-earth, revealing how the monstrous serves as a lens to examine cultural anxieties, social hierarchies, and ethical ambiguities. Through a postcolonial lens, it critiques the Orientalist framing of Mordor as the “Other,” exposing colonialist ideologies embedded in the narrative. The study also interrogates the figures of Sauron, the Orcs, and Gollum, demonstrating how they embody corruption, fractured identity, and the struggle between self and other. Engaging with Freudian psychoanalysis, Lacanian mirror theory, and Kristeva’s concept of the abject, the analysis situates Tolkien’s work within broader discussions on empire, monstrosity, and the human condition. Ultimately, this paper argues that The Lord of the Rings is not just an epic of heroism but also a meditation on totalitarianism, imperialism, and moral complexity.

2025, Analele Universităţii Ovidius din Constanţa. Seria Filologie

This study explores the discursive construction of negative identity through the monstrous antagonist, the yrr-a collective intelligence of deep-sea organismsin Frank Schätzing's novel The Swarm and the intricate implications stemming from humanity's interaction with this creature. The yrr represents characteristics fundamentally alien to human nature, such as collective intelligence and ecological harmony, while simultaneously exposing humanity's exceptionalist and destructive tendencies. In doing so, the novel compels readers to confront human responsibility for climate change and environmental degradation. This study contends that the yrr functions as a metaphor for humanity's failure to address pressing environmental issues and serves as a critique of anthropocentric discourse. Additionally, Schätzing's portrayal of the ocean as a space of both mystery and fear reinforces these thematic concerns. By situating the Yrr in the ocean's depths, Schätzing underscores the concept of a vengeful nature, responding to humanity's environmental degradation, colonial ambitions, and ecological ignorance.