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Author InfoReviewsBibliographic Info
Vampires and werewolves; phantoms and phantasms: looming out of the fog leaps the menacing spectre of the lycanthrope, ghoul or blood-crazed zombie. Intrigued by some of the most sinister, yet at the same time most compelling, legends of western civilization, Gregory L Reece dusts down his stake and crucifix, loads his silver bullets and takes off into the wilds in search of answers and fresh adventures. Rummaging around in crumbling tombs and cobwebbed sarcophagi, his latest quest leads him into the haunted realm of the dead and the undead: of those carnivorous, nocturnal hunters that might perhaps better be left undisturbed. Why, he asks, is our culture obsessed by the eerie and the macabre? Why, despite its horrors, does the 'dark side' of the supernatural - its seances and ghost-hunting, demonic possession and the occult - call to us with such dangerous allure? Whether tracking night-stalking werewolves, chanting black magic mantras with Satanists, or interviewing a funereal modern-day Count Dracula, Reece is determined to uncover the truth.
A wry exploration of a secret and secretive subculture, "Creatures of the Night" is at the same time a bold and startling journey into a wraithlike world that has so often seemed to lie beyond the limits of rational comprehension - until now.
Gregory L Reece is an independent Alabama-based writer and scholar with special interests in new religious movements and cult beliefs. His previous books include Elvis Religion: The Cult of the King (2006), UFO Religion: Inside Flying Saucer Cults and Cultures (2007) and Weird Science and Bizarre Beliefs (2008), all published by I.B.Tauris.
‘In Creatures of the Night Gregory Reece takes us on a fascinating journey: into the dark forests of our imaginations and through the haunted castles of our deepest fears. Searching for the things that have terrified us for centuries, he peels back the pop culture skin of fantasy to reveal the flesh and bones of myth and history. Vampires, demons, and werewolves are just some of the creatures we encounter in his very entertaining book. More than them, though, he reveals how we meet ourselves, albeit in the oft-warped mirror of literature, film, and the everyday stage.’
– Douglas E Cowan, Professor of Religious Studies, Renison University College/University of Waterloo; author of Sacred Terror: Religion and Horror on the Silver Screen and Sacred Space: The Quest for Transcendence in Science Fiction Film and Television
‘Dr Gregory L Reece’s fascinating book, Creatures of the Night, is an enjoyably macabre stroll through the misty swamps of folklore where myth and religion are intertwined… what makes this book enjoyable is Reece’s personal involvement with the material… the author’s evident passion for the subject matter is an ideal illustration of our fascination for stories that are as ancient as they are unlikely…’
– Spectator
‘Gregory Reece’s book is a wonderful companion to the land of the culturally undead. Examining pop culture, cinema, and literary history, he illuminates our undying attraction to the denizens of the night.’
– Catholic Herald
Imprint: I.B.Tauris
Publisher: I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd
Paperback
ISBN: 9781848853850
Publication Date: 28 Feb 2012
Number of Pages: 256
Height: 216
Width: 138
Vampires and werewolves; phantoms and phantasms: looming out of the fog leaps the menacing spectre of the lycanthrope, ghoul or blood-crazed zombie. Intrigued by some of the most sinister, yet at the same time most compelling, legends of western civilization, Gregory L Reece dusts down his stake and crucifix, loads his silver bullets and takes off into the wilds in search of answers and fresh adventures. Rummaging around in crumbling tombs and cobwebbed sarcophagi, his latest quest leads him into the haunted realm of the dead and the undead: of those carnivorous, nocturnal hunters that might perhaps better be left undisturbed. Why, he asks, is our culture obsessed by the eerie and the macabre? Why, despite its horrors, does the 'dark side' of the supernatural - its seances and ghost-hunting, demonic possession and the occult - call to us with such dangerous allure? Whether tracking night-stalking werewolves, chanting black magic mantras with Satanists, or interviewing a funereal modern-day Count Dracula, Reece is determined to uncover the truth.
A wry exploration of a secret and secretive subculture, "Creatures of the Night" is at the same time a bold and startling journey into a wraithlike world that has so often seemed to lie beyond the limits of rational comprehension - until now.
Gregory L Reece is an independent Alabama-based writer and scholar with special interests in new religious movements and cult beliefs. His previous books include Elvis Religion: The Cult of the King (2006), UFO Religion: Inside Flying Saucer Cults and Cultures (2007) and Weird Science and Bizarre Beliefs (2008), all published by I.B.Tauris.
‘In Creatures of the Night Gregory Reece takes us on a fascinating journey: into the dark forests of our imaginations and through the haunted castles of our deepest fears. Searching for the things that have terrified us for centuries, he peels back the pop culture skin of fantasy to reveal the flesh and bones of myth and history. Vampires, demons, and werewolves are just some of the creatures we encounter in his very entertaining book. More than them, though, he reveals how we meet ourselves, albeit in the oft-warped mirror of literature, film, and the everyday stage.’
– Douglas E Cowan, Professor of Religious Studies, Renison University College/University of Waterloo; author of Sacred Terror: Religion and Horror on the Silver Screen and Sacred Space: The Quest for Transcendence in Science Fiction Film and Television
‘Dr Gregory L Reece’s fascinating book, Creatures of the Night, is an enjoyably macabre stroll through the misty swamps of folklore where myth and religion are intertwined… what makes this book enjoyable is Reece’s personal involvement with the material… the author’s evident passion for the subject matter is an ideal illustration of our fascination for stories that are as ancient as they are unlikely…’
– Spectator
‘Gregory Reece’s book is a wonderful companion to the land of the culturally undead. Examining pop culture, cinema, and literary history, he illuminates our undying attraction to the denizens of the night.’
– Catholic Herald
Imprint: I.B.Tauris
Publisher: I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd
PaperbackISBN: 9781848853850
Publication Date: 28 Feb 2012
Number of Pages: 256
Height: 216
Width: 138