The Monster Inside Back to Blog
Update: Annette randomly selected a winner and that lucky commenter is…Angela! Congrats, Angela!
I love monsters. A great monster can lift a story from okay to fabulous, as Frankenstein delightfully proved. There are so many terrific monsters in books and movies that I’m not sure you could possibly create a satisfying list, but I will say that I think the best monsters are the ones with a touch of humanity in them. Either poignant like Frank, or seductive like Dracula.
It’s such great fun to wonder which side of the monster will ultimately win out—the horrific, slobbering, blood-sucking, evil side or the tiny slice of human being. Even if the monstrous side wins, if I catch a glimpse of that tiny human part at the end, just before the evil side swallows it up for good, I’m a happy camper.
I will always have a soft spot for those good souls who are trapped as monsters. Talk about your epitome of the tortured hero. Angel. Beauty and the Beast. Terminator 2.
The scariest monsters? For me, hands down, it’s the monsters capable of masquerading as regular people. The ones that look like your next door neighbor or that nice motel owner or the woman you hired to look after your kids, but are really wicked to the core.
The monster in my book DRAWN INTO DARKNESS is masquerading as a regular guy. A rather handsome fellow with blond curls. His humanity isn’t happening, though, and when he’s feeling particularly nasty, he calls up friends from the deep, dank earth. Good thing my hero Lachlan can summon a few eeries of his own…
***
Fireballs weren’t the only weapons at the demon’s disposal.
No sooner had Lachlan repaired the gouge in his shield than the demon raised a flurry of dead bats from somewhere in the caves. They flew at Lachlan’s shield, unable to penetrate it, but blinding him with the sheer volume of their fluttering, ghoulish wings. His shield took another heavy pounding of fire from Drusus, and sightless, Lachlan dove desperately to the right.
He struck the wood-framed divan with his shoulder and grunted as he rolled back to his feet. Grateful for the freedom his plaid provided and temporarily free of the phantom bats, he parried yet another of the demon’s masterful blade strokes and flung a summons into the shadows.
The eerie howl that immediately rose into the air gave him gooseflesh.
The shadows stirred, and a grisly chill descended like heavy dew. Long, inky fingers reached out from every darkened crevice in the cavern. Screeching loudly, the bats swerved up and over his shoulder in a desperate attempt to flee. The bone sappers he’d summoned slithered over the walls in rapid pursuit, eager to dine upon their spirit forms.
***
To celebrate the monster-filled month of October, I’m giving away a copy of DRAWN INTO DARKNESS to one random commenter today. Just share your favorite ‘good soul trapped as a monster’ character and you could win. Good luck!
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www.AnnetteMccleave.com
DRAWN INTO DARKNESS, Signet Eclipse, Available now!
BOUND BY DARKNESS, Signet Eclipse, May 2010
Great interview. Your book sounds intriguing. The first one that comes to my mind is Wolverine. He is such a tortured soul. And it makes you want to like him even more. Thanks for the contest.
Hey Annette,
It was wonderful to read your interview. For me there are a couple of favourite “good soul trapped as a monster” characters…I adore Hell Boy and how he struggles with his exterior appearance even though he’s a wonderful soul at heart. I love Spike from Buffy, The Vampire Slayer, he absolutely won my heart over everytime he tried to do the right thing. I adore The Punisher and his absolute agony and anger with the world over all the injustices committed against him and his family…There are so many examples…but I’ll stick with the ones I mentioned above for now…
Happy Reading!!!
Anna Shah Hoque
s7anna@yahoo.ca
I’m not going to go into great detail about ‘Drawn Into Darkness’ because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, but hello! Great book! I so sympathized with the heroine; Lachlan was hawt!
I’m with you though monsters masquerading as regular people is scary as all get out. Constantine had a lot of examples of that and don’t get me started on all the serial killer movies *mumble*. Tortured souls are the best though, there’s nothing quite like trying to rescue a man from his tragic/dark past. Le sigh.
Great post!
Blade with Wesley Snipes was good. I did love Hell Boy also!
This book sounds awesome!
Some awesome examples, ladies! Love Wolverine, Spike and Blade. I hadn’t thought of Hellboy, but he’s a terrific poster boy for trapped monster. I haven’t seen the Punisher (or read the comic)–I know he’s a torutred soul, though.
Thanks so much for the shout out about Drawn into Darkness, Danica!
Good soul trapped as a monster vote would go to Angel from Buffy plus he’s hunky too!
Or going back to the classics, Frankenstein would be a good choice, too. However, he’s not hunky, but more chunky.
I instantly thought about Angel, oh and yes Spike, I do love Spike and he sure behaved better after some time
Not sure that I can add any to the “monsters” already listed above. I think my favorite would be Hell Boy though! (I can think of a few real-life “monsters” who I am sure are harboring a good soul but I have yet to see it! haha)
Hi Annette! Thanks for stopping by and giving us a glimpse of DRAWN INTO DARKNESS! I do not know how I missed this book.
For me my monster would have to be Dracula 😀 I think he is just misunderstood 🙂
Totally intrigued by DRAWN INTO DARKNESS 🙂
Igor for me is a monster that has a good soul, just isn’t sure how to let it out. Too much of a follower…
Thanks for stopping by Annette!
LOL, Susan!
Spike remains in conflict with his inner monster to this day, I think. 🙂
Oh Kristi — I make a point of never looking too deep at reality. 😉
Igor’s another one I wouldn’t have thought of, but he’s definitely trapped in a a number of ways, including inside a monster.
Frank and Drac are two of my all-time favorites.
I think Frankenstein’s monster (Frankenstein was the Doctor) was a tortured soul made monstrous against his will. After all, he didn’t ask the doc to create him, and he woke up to all this stuff and it just overwhelmed him. (Sorry, I do go on at times)
I immediately thought of Gena Showalter’s series, The Lords of the Underworld where each immortal warrior is the keeper of an awful curse that they must live with, such as vilence, pain, doubt, misery, etc. Each curse resides in a warrior and they must learn to coinside with these terrible fates. Hmmm, I guess mine are backwards…an evil soul in a good body.
My favorite is Angel.
Nancy – I’m still in awe that Mary Shelley could write such a wonderfully nuanced book at such a young age.
Shari – Gena’s Underworld heroes are basically good guys struggling with an inner monster, so they definitely qualify! I won’t hold a great body against any monster. 🙂
Blade is at the top of my list!
I want DRAWN INTO DARKNESS! It sounds SO good.
And okay, I’m going to have to go w/ Rhage on the man trapped inside of the monster here. I loved the was JR Ward made us see the man IN the monster, and that he could be loved, too.
Great excerpt. Sounds like creepy fun!
I love that cover! Nothing like a bare-chested man with a sword. Makes me curious how he got that way, LOL
Hm…good guys trapped in a monster skin. The first one who comes to mind is the were hero from Kresley Cole’s A HUNGER LIKE NO OTHER. I know he’s not exactly “a monster” but after years and years of torment, he would do horrible things in his sleep. Like tear apart his hotel room. Nearly strangle the heroine. I say him because he’s stuck with me more than any other paranormal hero.
Great excerpt, Annette. Sounds like a winner.
Loved Angel and especially Spike. But I agree. There are so many monsters disguised as humans. It always seems like when there are horrific crimes discovered that the neighbors are like … “But he was so quiet and friendly. You’d never guess.”
Great interview and ssssoooo wanting to read your book since I’ve heard lotsa great things about it!
And to answer this question, I think Spike is a great example. For so many seasons he was thought of as the bad guy, but then love changed him. He became heroic and sacrificed himself for others.
I have this book in my to be read pile. It’s part of the grouping that I bought for my birthday last month (well belated). Hubs took me to Borders and set me loose. I was a good girl and picked four, and this was one of them!
Hmm, I’d have to say Frankensteins Monster as one of those who is trapped in the body of a monster unwillingly. He was a construct of a Doctor who forgot the boundaries between right and wrong. I like the movies that have portrayed the Monster as, if not gentle, then oddly charming and quite intelligent while working toward the goal of bringing his maker to justice.
Also, I think the Ghost Rider character relates well to this as well. He made a pact unknowingly and then tried to do the right thing in the end. Not to mention the whole flaming skull is kinda cool. *G*
Minna — Angel’s monster was truly horrific, and having glimpsed it, I bought into his struggle all the more.
Tamara – Comic book version or movie?
Melissa – Who didn’t love Rhage from the moment he stepped on stage? 🙂
Thanks Edie!
Amber – If you ask me, Lachlain (mmmm, love that name) was perfectly justified in his behavior after enduring what he endured. Vengeance was his monster.
Liz & Jody – Thanks! Spike endured a different struggle than Angel, and in many ways, he had the more difficult task–he had no soul to help him beat back the monster (at least in the beginning).
Raonaid – Happy belated birthday! I hope you enjoy the read.
Brandy – Ghost Rider. Another excellent choice. He made the pact for all the best reasons in the world and he got ‘burned’ by the devil. There was clearly a fight going on inside him, because his flaming skull side somehow managed to keep from sliding completely into darkness. As for cool, I vote for the bike. 🙂
You are so right about the scariest monsters being those wearing human faces, Annette. A monster that can blend in is so much scarier because it’s almost impossible to recognize them for what they are until it’s too late.
Two names came immediately to mind after reading your question about good souls trapped in monsters: Frankenstein’s monster and Hell Boy. Like Nancy said Brandy said, Frankenstein’s monster never asked to be created. In fact, his first misdeed occurred because he didn’t know his own strength and those following happened out of fear and a desire for an equal mate.
I do have to agree with Shari about the Lords of the Underworld as well. Each of the Lords is tortured by the demon they’re cursed to house and they struggle to control the demon and maintain their humanity.
Some great examples listed. I would choose Angel as my favorite.
I think the two souls that come to mind first because it was the best show ever are Angel and Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I love both of them.
For me I would say Herman Munster 🙂
Love the excerpt for DRAWN INTO DARKNESS, can you give me more details about the storyline?
Hi there,
this looks to be a fabulous month of Monster celebrations. I am really enjoying it and am adding lots of new books to my wishlist!!!!
Two ‘monster with a soul’ I like are, Hellboy and Spawn!!!
Valerie
in Germany
I’ve got the entire DVD sets of both Buffy and Angel and regularly re-watch episodes. I’m guessing by the answers here today, that I’m not the only die-hard fan. 🙂
Amy – Go Herman! The Soul Gatherer series is about a group of immortal warriors tasked with collecting the souls of the dead and beating back the demons who want to steal them. In Drawn into Darkness, Soul Gatherer Lachlan MacGregor gets caught between a rock and hard place when he discovers his next gathering task may involve the 14 year old daughter of the woman he’s falling in love with.
Valerie – I’m going to have to check out Spawn. I only vaguely know the story. Sounds like it should be my cup of tea, though. 🙂
Sherrilyn Kenyon’s character Zarek is very tortured. He considers himself a monster and so does everyone else, including his Dark-Hunter brethren. He’s one of the most popular characters though. Ladies love the bad boys, you know. lol
Deidre
The Hunchback of Notre Dame aka Quasimodo
I pick Spike.
Great excerpt!! Really enjoyed it..
I would have to go with Frankenstein, he was so misunderstood!!
I always like Frankenstein’s Monster he always seemed a sad monster to me.
sasluvbooks@yahoo.com
Deidre – Yes, Zarek is a great character.
Mel – I actually thought of Quasidmodo when Angela mentioned Igor earlier. 🙂
Judy – thanks!
Spike and Frankenstein’s monster are both popular choices. They both tug on our heart strings.
I have to go with Angel as well. He was so tortured by things he had done in his past – and wanted to atone for them. But he was still a bad ass vampire when he needed to be.
Hi Annette! I really hate to be redundant here, but Angel is one of the most tortured souls I can think of. I also have to add, WHAT A HUNK! The book sounds fantastic. Thanks for posting today.
Umm….My minds not working well today….How about the beast from ‘Beauty and the Beast.’? LOL! I don’t know!
Mel Brook’s Young Frankenstein’s Monster really a creature that could melt the heart of the MOST hard hearted. The monster and the little girl and the blind man lighting his fingers instead of the cigar. But after all this accidental mishaps he gets his reward the girl in the end which proved there is someone for everyone.
Thomas from Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files.
Sounds like a great book. Thanks for posting. So many people above have already named some great characters that I would have to agree with – Frankstein’s Monster, Hellboy, Angel, Wolverine.
Hi Annette 🙂
Thank you for the great post!
DON’T ENTER ME IN CONTEST.
Just commenting because your post was awesome.
All the best,
RKCharron
xoxo
I have this book on my TBR pile so I have plans to read it. I loved Beast from Beauty and the Beast which we would watch in French in grade school.
Barb & Barbara – The Angel episodes that detailed his early life were awesome.
Chelsea – Yup, the Beast qualifies.
Susan – Never saw that movie. Guess I’ll have to pick it up. 🙂
Jacqueline – Thomas. Vampires. Sigh. 🙂
Donna – I’m loving all the monsters listed, too!
Hi RK! Thanks!
Lindsey – Was that the movie or the TV series with Ron Perlman as the Beast? Anyone remember that show? I thought he rocked.
I would say the Beast in the Beauty and the Beast definitely qualifies. Dracula is also someone I would count into the group
Hi Annette!
thanks for the post… don’t forget Rio (Midnight Breed Series by Lara Adrian) – he’s one of my favorite characters!
Greetings,
Ina
love the old beauty and the beast on tv. Also loved Sherrilyn Kenyon Zarek. He was fanastic.