Things that Go Bump in the Night

While I eagerly await new episodes of DOCTOR WHO, the BBCA channel has graciously been airing commentary-heavy replay shows reminding us of why we love the Doctor so much. Last episode? All about the monsters of Doctor Who.

It reminded me of all my fave monsters on the show--the Weeping Angels (pictured left) that can only move and attack you when you're not looking (so don't blink!). The Silence, that makes you forget about their presence and uses the power of suggestion to control you. The Cybermen, who can take over our bodies and use us like machines.

But more than those specific monsters, the show also reminded me that the thing that fantastical literature does--be it dystopian or sci fi or fantasy--is to embody our most primal fears. The Weeping Angels tap into the fear of the dark, the Silence makes us worry about the unknown, the Cybermen remind us that the loss of freewill can be the most terrifying thing.

Dystopians (and sci fi and fantasy) have the ability to make up monsters we would otherwise not know, but what this episode of Doctor Who reminded me was that the very best monsters are not necessarily the big, bag, hairy, gross monster rising from the depths. No--the very best monsters are the ones that scare us by using something we already fear. They touch on the basest, more primal parts of our psyche. As sensible adults, we know there's no monster under our bed, or bad guy lurking in the dark--but the best monsters of the sci fi would remind us that there might be.

Speaking of scary--have you seen the trailer for the new Daniel Radcliffe movie? Chills!



So, what do you think? What are the best monsters of the dystopian, sci fi, or fantasy world?