You probably already know a little about Frankenstein: a wacky scientist steals body parts from local graves and cobbles them together to create a monster with a gigantic forehead and no eyebrows. He then brings the creature to life with a few electric jolts, and—voilà—a monster is born.
You never want to anger authors, or they might put you in their next book as a bloodsucking vampire. The story of Dracula may be a fictional tale, but it was inspired by some very real people.
The first zombies were not the classic walking dead, flesh‑eating variety but humans who were raised from the dead and put under mind control. Zombie stories originated in the seventeenth century in Haiti and were part of a collection of spirit-based beliefs known as vodou (or voodoo). The word zombie originated from the word nzambi, which is the name of the Bakongo people’s supreme god.
Interview with Author Carlyn Beccia
What was your inspiration for this book? Fear. I was that kid who was scared of everything. Snakes, sharks, spiders, heights, enclosed spaces, the dark…. the dark WITH spiders, snakes, and encloses spaces. My father became determined to cure me of my fears through his own form of exposure therapy – he told me the scariest, most blood curdling bedtime stories ever. It began with Goga – the “friendly monster” and then escalated to tales that would have made Tartarus’ dragging chains and Gilgamesh’s Humbaba seem G-rated.
Oddly, I loved my father’s scary tales. It was a confined and safe way to confront what scared me. Within the arena of his narration, I was the brave gladiator slaying lions and I was always the victor. I even started to throw in my own gory details to terrify my younger sister, passing along my Olympic torch lesson of fear to her – monsters can be tamed.
You begin the book with the “Science of Fear.” That’s a somewhat philosophical place to start when examining monsters and more playful subjects like – How to Catch a Kraken. Why did you chose to start there? I began the book with “The Science of Fear” because I want readers to first understand what is going on in our brains when we are scared and why we respond to fear the way we do. Fear is fascinating because it is such a primal emotion that its neuroscience has not changed from our oldest ancestors.
I believe monsters not only help us confront our fears but also help us channel our empathy. Sadly, some of our worst historical events, have one thing in common – when fear runs amuck people act out in horrible ways.
So instead of just absorbing what is portrayed in the media, I want readers to cogitate on why they feel anxious. Why do we fear the things we fear? Because fear is important. Fear keeps us out of danger. As I break down in the book, sure, zombies are not real but pandemics are. I want readers to confront their “monsters” and use logic to determine what is a threat and what is not. Critical thinking can slay any monster.
In the book, you use science to show which monster traits are impossible and which ones are very possible. What was the scariest chapter to research?
Well, anything deep in the water is terrifying to me because I am a horrible swimmer, but Godzilla’s nuclear breath scared me the most (as a kid and as an adult). I found so many weird survival tips. (Hint: don’t wear black if Godzilla comes to town.)
I think that is why “prepper” television shows are so popular – having a disaster plan makes us feel more in control. So, each chapter ends with a survival guide on how to survive a monster attack. Some tips are just tongue and cheek but others are advice readers should really take. (Example: what to do if a werewolf (or wolf) attacks or how to survive a vampire bloodletting session (or other blood loss.)
All my books tend to be a bit subversive but I do hope readers will feel more empowered with a disaster plan in place.
What do you think the secret is to get kids reading?
I think you should let them read what they want even if a book has a lot of pictures. In Monstrous, I used infographics to relay big chunks of data in a more visually impactful way. For example, Monstrous has several timelines (how Bigfoot got his name), maps (vacation spots to avoid if you don’t want to be eaten by a monster), anatomical drawings locating major veins and arteries (where a vampire should bite) etc.
On the surface, these graphics may seem fatuous but they are teaching some very complex and important foundational science to readers who might not normally gravitate toward them. For example, there is physics; ie. Why King Kong’s size makes him impossible due to the square-cube law. Biology; What kind of dinosaur is Godzilla based on his anatomy. Neuroscience; Which parts of the brain still work after zombification, and even some nutritional science; Which parts of the body are the most calorie dense (in case you become a zombie and need to eat people.) I am not above using King Kong to trick readers into learning about complicated subjects that might normally bore them.
What do you think the secret is to KEEP kids reading? I see all of my books as teasers into other books which is why I always end with encouraging readers to delve deeper into a subject through the bibliography and source notes. I also believe books need to have interactive content (ie. quizzes, maps, activities, infographics), not to compete with video games and television, but instead to complement them.
What was the hardest part in making this book? Well, 152 pages of full illustrations was definitely time consuming (thus why it took 5 years) but the most challenging part was the research. I joke that this book turned me into a reluctant polymath and the worst dinner party guest. I have got a lot of weird trivia in my head now. I hope to spread that zombie contagion to my readers….