Registration open for the 2026 Festival of Monsters academic conference, Oct. 14-18. Learn more.
We take monsters seriously
“It is true, we shall be monsters, cut off from all the world; but on that account we shall be more attached to one another.”
— Mary Shelley, Frankenstein,
or, the Modern Prometheus
Monsters play a role in the representation of some of the most challenging problems facing our world: matters of race and religion, social justice, and environmental threats. The Center for Monster Studies at UC Santa Cruz aims to explore the role of monsters in culture and humanities.
Festival Public Days Include a Set of Devilish Authors, Games, Film & more
A pair of devilish authors, a classic sci-fi horror film, a comic book writing powerhouse and a series of monster games will make the 2026 Festival of Monsters’ Public Days extra scary October 14 and 17.. A showing of classic sci-fi horror The Quatermass Experiment, authors Kiersten White and Clay McLeod Chapman, comic book writer Iván Brandon and monster games at Game Santa Cruz bring monster fun to Downtown Santa Cruz.
Monster Centre to Open this October in Germany
The Center for Monster Studies is proud to announce the launch of a sister organization in Europe! The Centre for Monster Studies is spearheaded by Dr. Ekaterina Trachsel and her colleagues at the Justus-Liebig-Universität in Gießen, Germany (Image courtesy of Theatre Heilbronn © Tina Gothe).
Documentary Filmed at 2025 Fest, releases 2027
Interviews for Montrose Pictures’ upcoming 2027 film Marvelous Creatures took place at the 2025 Festival of Monsters. Among the luminaries the documentary crew filmed were the Center’s own Renée Fox (left, with director Michael Caplan) and Michael Chemers.