They lurk in the dark, but our class will bring them into the light for examination. Far from simple emotional device or a villain to test heroes, monstrosity has real implications for people outside of fiction. Monsters cross cultures and have things to tell us about our values, fears, and preoccupations. We will look at old and new narratives that draw on ancient mythologies about monsters and the sublime. Using understandings of gender, race, class, religion, sexuality, and others, we’ll uncover what is at the heart of the monsters and how they can be used in new ways to transgress oppression and traditional power structures. The course will start with Mary Shelley’s iconic Frankenstein, then look at an adaptation of her monster in modern Iraq. We’ll then look to a speculative African fiction from Akwaeke Emezi, and the fantasy graphic novel Monstress inspired by Chinese mythology.