The Science of Monsters, By Matt Kaplan

From the Minotaur to Alien, our need for monsters is part of being human.

This scientific exploration not only probes the reason – it's about gaining mental mastery through thrills that don't kill like spicy foods and white-knuckle rides – but also the origin of monsters.

The bellowing Minotaur derived from earthquakes, dragons from snakes, vampires from "natural processes" after death.

While rubbishing "the Loch Ness monster charade", Kaplan scares up another: "Something with razor-sharp teeth is going to hatch from a bird egg in the next 100 years."