Is there a shark movie that is scarier than Jaws? What is the sneaky secret hidden in the Loch Ness monster’s name? How did the Gill-man in Creature from the Black Lagoon become a romantic hero? Do mermaids count as sea monsters? What terrifying sea creature was discovered to really exist, and just what on earth is a globster? From Kraken to kaiju, Open Water to The Shallows, monsters of the deep have fascinated and horrified us for centuries. There’s even a name for the fear of deep bodies of water: thalassophobia. Humans have a natural fear of predators in the water, and yet we just can’t stop thinking about them! There are a lot of deep water monster movies out there; good, bad, strange and ‘so bad it’s good’. This book has collected some of the best, worst and most interesting out there to tell you about. If you ever wanted to know your crocodile from your Cthulhu and find out how they make the monsters come alive, whether you like your monsters in the ocean or in lakes, based on real animals or totally made up, with fins or tentacles, one head or five, if you love your movie monsters of the deep then this book was written for you.

“Science fiction at its best, a realistic tale of exploration and danger, written by a man who knows the details of deep-sea exploration firsthand.” —Ben Bova, Hugo Award-wining author With a crew of seven, the Challenger sea lab submerges three miles below the waves for a one-year mission to study the hidden world of the deep black sea. How is it that sea animals can live and reproduce in water that should boil them on the thermal vents known as “black smokers?” Superheated water that is full of toxins and heavy metals and contains almost no oxygen should be void of life on planet Earth—and yet it is teeming with it. The answer to the puzzle lies in the bacteria. Researcher Ted Bell is a NASA scientist with his own agenda: getting humans to Mars. When he purposefully infects a member of the crew in an attempt to harness the power of the Deinococcus radiodurans bacteria, he quickly loses control and unleashes a terrifying new creature. His botched experiment quickly becomes a battle for survival—three miles below the surface. With the research vessel nearing catastrophic failure, and terrifying alien life forms running wild through the ship, the crew must figure out a way to battle something that is no longer human while trying desperately to reach the surface alive. “Crichton at his best is the main author who comes to mind as a comparable influence when reading Deep Black Sea . . . The informative and fascinating science that fills each page really elevates this book to a higher grade.” —Horror Novel Reviews

A companion volume to the 3-D "Sea Monsters" film reveals the terrifying predators that lurked in the underwater Cretaceous world, in a volume that also profiles the scientists who study these ancient monsters and the technology that made the film possible.

Dr. Michael Cayle wants the best for his wife and young daughter. That's why he moves the family from Manhattan to accept a private practice in the small New England town of Ashborough. Everything there seems so quaint and peaceful at first. But Ashborough is a town with secrets. Unimaginable secrets. Many of the townspeople are strangely nervous, and some speak quietly of legends that no sane person could believe. But what Michael discovers in the woods, drenched in blood, makes him wonder. Soon he will be forced to believe, when he learns the terrifying identity of the golden eyes that peer at him balefully from deep in the darkness.

Is there a shark movie that is scarier than Jaws? What is the sneaky secret hidden in the Loch Ness monster's name? How did the Gill-man in Creature from the Black Lagoon become a romantic hero? Do mermaids count as sea monsters? What terrifying sea creature was discovered to really exist, and just what on earth is a globster? From Kraken to kaiju, Open Water to The Shallows, monsters of the deep have fascinated and horrified us for centuries. There's even a name for the fear of deep bodies of water: thalassophobia. Humans have a natural fear of predators in the water, and yet we just can't stop thinking about them! There are a lot of deep water monster movies out there; good, bad, strange and 'so bad it's good'. This book has collected some of the best, worst and most interesting out there to tell you about. If you ever wanted to know your crocodile from your Cthulhu and find out how they make the monsters come alive, whether you like your monsters in the ocean or in lakes, based on real animals or totally made up, with fins or tentacles, one head or five, if you love your movie monsters of the deep then this book was written for you.

From cinema's earliest days, being scared out of your wits has always been one of the best reasons for going to the movies. From B-movie bogeymen and outer space oddities to big-budget terrors, Monsters in the Movies by horror film maestro John Landis celebrates the greatest monsters ever to creep, fly, slither, stalk or rampage across the Silver Screen. Landis also surveys the historical origins of archetypal monsters, such as vampires, zombies and werewolves, and takes you behind the scenes to discover the secrets of the special-effects wizards who created such legendary frighteners as King Kong, Dracula, the Alien, and Freddy Krueger. Monsters in the Movies by John Landis is filled with the author's own fascinating and entertaining insights into the world of movie-making, and includes memorable contributions from leading directors, actors and monster-makers. The book is also stunningly illustrated with 1000 movie stills and posters drawn from the unrivaled archives of the Kobal Collection. Contents Introduction by John Landis... Explore a timeless world of fears and nightmares as John Landis investigates what makes a legendary movie monster • Monsters, chapter by chapter... Feast your eyes upon a petrifying parade of voracious Vampires, flesh-eating Zombies, slavering Werewolves, gigantic Apes and Supernatural Terrors • Spectacular double-page features... Thrill to the strangest, scariest, weirdest, and craziest movie monsters ever seen • The ingenious tricks of movie-making... Marvel as the special-effects wizards reveal how they create movie magic • A monster-movie timeline... Discover John Landis's personal selection of landmark horror films

"A strange plague called the 'Gets is decimating humanity on a global scale. It causes people to forget--small things at first, like where they left their keys, then the not-so-small things like how to drive or the letters of the alphabet. Then their bodies forget how to function involuntarily. There is no cure. But far below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, a universal healer hailed as 'ambrosia' has been discovered. In order to study this phenomenon, a special research lab has been built eight miles under the sea's surface. When the station goes incommunicado, a brave few descend through the lightless fathoms in hopes of unraveling the mysteries lurking at those crushing depths...and perhaps to encounter an evil blacker than anything one could possibly imagine"--Page [4] of cover.

Beasts of the Deep: Sea Creatures and Popular Culture offers its readers an in-depth and interdisciplinary engagement with the sea and its monstrous inhabitants; through critical readings of folklore, weird fiction, film, music, radio and digital games. Within the text there are a multitude of convergent critical perspectives used to engage and explore fictional and real monsters of the sea in media and folklore. The collection features chapters from a variety of academic perspectives; post- modernism, psychoanalysis, industrial-organisational analysis, fandom studies, sociology and philosophy are featured. Under examination are a wide range of narratives and media forms that represent, reimagine and create the Kraken, mermaids, giant sharks, sea draugrs and even the weird creatures of H.P. Lovecraft. Beasts of the Deep offers an expansive study of our sea-born fears and anxieties, that are crystallised in a variety of monstrous forms. Repeatedly the chapters in the collection encounter the contemporary relevance of our fears of the sea and its inhabitants – through the dehumanising media depictions of refugees in the Mediterranean to the encroaching ecological disasters of global warming, pollution and the threat of mass marine extinction.

This book showcases stunningly realistic and wonderfully posed models and dioramas depicting various characters and scenes from science fiction and horror cinema. The models and dioramas are presented in chronological order starting with the silent films from 1910 to 1927, then the classic films from the 1930s and 1940s, including Universal Studios' Dracula, Frankenstein, and Wolf Man franchises. Next are the many radiation induced mutants and invaders from outer space of the 1950s, followed by offerings from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Hammer Films are included as well as the Mummy movies and Universal's Gillman series. A detailed explanation of the nitty-gritty of model and diorama building is presented and particular details unique to each piece are shown in close-ups and discussed. The figures are of unprecedented artistry.

Examines some of the more unusual or dangerous creatures that inhabit the ocean, including the great white shark, orca, and giant tube worms.