Enchanted Creatures

'A history of humanity without a history of our imaginations is only a partial one . . . 'We have always made and destroyed monsters. They reveal our fears and anxieties. They give form to what we don't know or don't understand, our inner demons and irrational terrors. Monsters are created as we try to deal with a world that is beyond our full control and comprehension. They help us to manage the complexity of our minds. This is what this book will explore as it delves into the incredible variety of monstrous creatures we have created over 15,000 years of history: from creatures carved in Paleolithic caves to devil-worshipping witches to science-fiction cyborgs. Understanding our monsters allows us to understand ourselves, perhaps the most important quest there is.