Monster Like

How To Make A Monster

Charity Urbanski | Medievalists | 23rd October 2023

For most of history, a "monster" was not necessarily an imaginary creature like a vampire or a werewolf. Any deviation in appearance or behaviour (via a birth defect or disability, say) was folded into the concept of monstrosity. By the 12C, a complex visual language had developed that conflated otherness with demons, and this was used to persecute those perceived to be outsiders (2,810 words)

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What Does A Happily Ever After Look Like?

Alice Lang & Jan Diehm | Pudding | 16th October 2023

Analysis of how romance novel covers have changed over time. Comprising almost a quarter of the US adult fiction market, the way these books are marketed reflects the changing status and perceived desires of their women readers. In the 1950s, as more women entered the workforce, "corporate romances" were popular. Later, the classic 1980s Fabio "clinch" reflected "more feminist openness" (2,800 words)