Nightmare Creatures

     Fear is a powerful human emotion which reaches into the darkest depths of our souls. It creates monsters where there are none, and turns real and mythical monsters into ever more frightening versions. Tonight, I discuss monsters of our nightmares.


     I'll start by making a confession: I like reading *about* Lovecraft's groundbreaking stories. However, I quickly grow bored when I read them. I love Edgar Allen Poe, to mention someone in a similar genre. And I have enjoyed Charles Dickens, to point out one classic author that does not write horror.


     With that confession made, I would like to say that I admire the complexity of Lovecraft's mythos. He invented fantastically frightening immortal creatures. Knowledge of the creatures or the magic associated with them was enough to drive people mad; truly the stuff of nightmares. For what could a person fear more than losing their minds? What greater nightmare could there be? Death? Death is just the ultimate loss of mind; the ultimate loss of self.


     Often, his horrific creatures had tentacles, perhaps in keeping the feel of the ocean under which some of his creatures slumbered, waiting to be awakened. Water and its depths are a great source of fear. People have lived near water since ancient days. The fear of water makes sense - a real and ever present danger for those most vulnerable to its destructive essence. A fear made even greater as sailors described great monsters of the deep-which Lovecraft’s creatures could sometimes resemble.


     Lovecraft was not the only person to create nightmare creatures. Before vampires became romantic, there was Bram Stoker. (Quick Question - How is kissing a cold body romantic? Or, for that matter, how is kissing someone who exists solely off of blood desirable?) He gave the greatest description of the powerful and immortal hunter of the night. Any modern vampire writer must pay homage to Dracula, if only in mentioning weaknesses and strengths, or the reader will feel cheated and confused.


     Interestingly, though he seems to be a manifestation of our fear of the dark, Count Dracula appeared in daylight several times in the novel. It wasn’t until movies that the vampire’s aversion to sunlight came to be. Perhaps, then, we adapted this monster to our existing fears, to give form to our fear of the night?


     The werewolf is also said to stalk the night. More specifically, though, it is associated with the moon. This seems to refer to the madness traditionally associated with a full moon. It speaks to our fear of the violently primal aspects of our human nature. Here, again, the association of werewolf and moon did not arise until film. Still it fits so well; the werewolf has no control over when they turn or what happens when they do.


     There are countless monsters I could discuss. But we’ve made a nice circle here; from immortal creatures of madness and water, to immortal creature of darkness, and ending with an uncontrollable mortal monster.


     Pleasant dreams, dear reader.