Monsterland

A Journey Around the World's Dark Imagination

By: Nicholas Jubber

Narrated by: Charles Armstrong

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.

©2025 Nicholas Jubber (P)2025 Tantor Media

Really interesting!

I thought this book was very interesting! So many great historical stories that have shaped our collective culture as humans. Narration was great! I occasionally got lost during certain stories when there wasn’t a clear pivot to the tangent or when the author returned from said tangent but I’m sure a second listen would clear that up.