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 and 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 Ivan Brandon and monster games at Game Santa Cruz bring monster fun to Downtown Santa Cruz.
Monsters and Language Subject of 2026 Academic Conference
The 2026 Festival of Monsters academic conference will explore how monsters and language intertwine with panels on monsters and communication, cursed texts, monster poetry and more. Monster-related games will be played. Comics writer Iván Brandon and bioethicist author Rosemarie Garland Thomson are scheduled to give the keynote talks.
Monster Documentary Films
at 2025 Festival
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.