As Scott Poole shows us, monsters are concoctions of the public imagination, reactions to cultural influences, social change, and historical events. Conflicting anxieties about race, class, gender, sexuality, religious beliefs, science, and politics manifest as haunting beings among the populace. From Victorian-era mad scientists to modern-day serial killers, new monsters appear as American society evolves, paralleling fluctuating challenges to the cultural status quo.
Monsters in America: Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting is the true tale of American history - one fear, one monster at a time.