Books by Edward Ingebretsen

The media uses variations of the word "monster" to describe unthinkable acts of violence. This work explores the social construction of monstrousness in public discourse - tabloids, television, magazines, sermons, and poular fiction - arguing that the monster serves as a moralizing function.

From its beginnings in Puritan sermonising to its prominent place in contemporary genre film and fiction, this book traces the use of terror in the American popular imagination. Entering American culture partly by way of religious sanction, it remains an important heart and mind shaping tool.