You know that over here at Top 5 Scary Videos - we often like to find the horror that lingers
in the most unexpected of places.
Horror aside, literature and contemporary fiction is littered with some of the most
terrifying conceptual monstrosities going - and particularly in the likes of fantasy
and science fiction - the hero's journey can rarely be told without first pitting them
against some of the most maligned, evil and cruel creations that have ever been penned.
As we so often say - goodness is nothing without an evil to oppose it, and luckily for us - some
of those evil immortal enemies are entirely worthy of our horror fandom.
Hello horror fans - what’s going on, and once again welcome back to the scariest channel
on YouTube - Top 5 Scary Videos.
As per usual, I’ll be your horror host Jack Finch - as today, we curiously take a look
at the Top 5 Most Terrifying Monsters In Literature.
Roll the clip.
Oh, Samwise - you brave, brave Hobbit.
For the curious amongst you, that scene was from - of course, The Lord of the Rings: The
Return of the King, the final film of the resounding Peter Jackson Trilogy - based upon
the legendary works of J.R.R Tolkien.
And it leads us to an important point - because with this list, expect the unexpected - and
please note that we’ll be setting a few parameters.
Mainly being - no horror fiction.
So no King, Lovecraft, Barker or any of the ilk - because we’ve already got seperate
lists for that.
Also, honorable mention goes to J.K Rowling’s Dolores Umbridge - perhaps the most terrifying
villain of all time.
She doesn’t make this list - because well, she’s human.
Which is even more terrifying.
Kicking off at Number 5 - Ungoliant, The Silmarillion
Yes.
Because as our opening clip depicted - ancient, terrifying giant spiders seem to have a special
place in the hearts of fantasy authors - but Shelob need only move aside - because there’s
a much more horrifying beast lurking deep within the depths of Middle Earth.
Ungoliant.
The primordial giant spider - and the first evil of her kind in the hallowed mythos of
Arda.
Tolkien knew exactly how to write evil - and as is so often the case, it was in the true
origin of Ungoliant where her terror found its home - and the fact that her spawn was
unknown to even the most powerful entities of Tolkien's universe - the Valar.
It was said that Ungoliant crawled out from the Darkness itself - and after aeons, allied
herself with Melkor, the first evil of Arda - and the progenitor of Sauron.
Eventually though, she betrayed even him - and Ungoliant fled into the dark places of the
world, where she found a host of other great spiders and quickly became their queen.
Here, she bred with them for thousands of years - infesting her new-found spider-Kingdom,
eventually giving birth to the likes of Shelob and other giant spiders.
The thing is though - it’s in the detail of her eventual demise where Ungoliant’s
true horror lies.
As her evil grew and grew - so did her insatiable hunger - and eventually, after thousands of
years - after eating most of her brood, Ungoliant slowly devoured *herself*.
Grim.
Coming in next at Number 4 - The Beldam, Coraline
And you may be thinking - what?
Coraline?
That’s a kids book right?
But seriously, if you’ve never read Neil Gaiman’s incredible dark-fantasy novella,
or Graphic Novel - or seen the 2009 stop-motion film, you’ll know that The Other Mother
- otherwise known as the ancient Beldam - is a creature of horrifying creation.
Particularly, if like me - you have a fear of the uncanny, and the thought of some creature
imitating your loved ones is enough to keep you up at night.
Also, buttons for eyes.
The Beldam is an arcane, shape-shifting entity that can transform into anyones mother - in
order to lure their kids into her Other World - where she plans to eventually keep them
captive, replacing their eyes with sewn-on-buttons, which also subsequently steals their soul
for all eternity.
The thing that particularly makes the thought of the Beldam so horrifying though, is the
later reveal that she’s already been successful in many of her attempts before Coraline - and
she quickly outgrew her promise of eternal motherly love, eventually becoming bored of
her newly-abducted button-eyed-children and imprisoning them in the space inbetween worlds
for all eternity.
Which is kinda like The Chokey from Roald Dahl’s Matilda, except someone forget you
were in there … forever.
There are many, many layers of fear to the Beldam, and like with many of Gaiman’s works
- she is based on the Eastern and Central European folk tales of a particularly cruel
witch or hag - with The Beldam often being depicted as a maligned forest spirit, appearing
in the grotesque and deformed body of an old woman.
Yeah, it’s a fairy tale - but it’s a horrifying one nonetheless.
Next up at Number 3 - The Cthaeh, Kingkiller Chronicles
And I’d like to preface this particular entry with one Public Service Announcement.
If you’re looking for a new book to read, please - please, read The Name of the Wind,
by Patrick Rothfuss - the first entry in his Kingkiller Chronicles.
I won’t say anymore - but just know that it’s one of my favourite novels of the past
decade.
Anyway - saying that, I will try my utmost to skirt around any spoilers with this particular
entity of pure evil.
Let me introduce you to The Cthaeh - a creature of such immense and unimaginable power - that
merely the whisper of it’s name is enough to drive men to madness.
In the universe of the Kingkiller Chronicles, humanity has been at the beck and call of
a race of magical entities, the Fae - for millenia.
And as far as this guy goes - the Fae regard it as the most terrible and malicious entity
in existence, so much so that it has been guarded for aeons by an order of immortal
Fae Warriors known as The Sithe - that will kill anything that steps too close to it.
The Cthaeh is a creature that dwells within the branches of a great and ancient tree - and
from there, it can see all possible futures with perfect accuracy and clarity - branching
out from a single moment.
It uses this knowledge to cause the worst possible outcomes for as many people as possible
- corrupting anywho cross it’s path with it’s omniscient hatred.
As described by Bast - a character in the novel that I don’t want to spoil for you
- anyone influenced by the Cthaeh is like a plague ship sailing for a harbour - unbeknownst
to them, afflicted by the unfathomable will and power of a creature of pure hatred.
Phew, that was very hard to do without spoiling anything - but trust me, read this series
- and you’ll know exactly what I mean.
Swinging in at Number 2 - The Naagloshii, The Dresden Files
And again - I know that many of you are huge fans of Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files
- and rightly so, and for those of you that haven’t yet had chance to read his absolutely
massive catalogue of urban fantasy and horror goodness, you really, really should.
I’m pretty sure there’s like 20 novels and novellas by now too, so there’s plenty
to dive into.
Nevertheless, one of the series most horrifying monstrosities just so happens to be these
guys - The Naagloshii, immortal, semi-divine beings that are pretty much the carbon copy
of the Native American myth of the skinwalker.
However - if you thought that particular folklore myth was scary - then the Naagolishi are set
to change things up a bit.
Although few in appearances - perhaps the most notable skinwalker was a creature known
as Shagnasty - a Naagloshii that had a particular thirst for pain, and enjoyed nothing more
than torturing it’s victims, particularly injured and wounded wizards - keeping them
in a constant state of flux between life and death, and hungering upon their magic - which
it feeds on like a lifeforce.
In Turn Coat, Butcher’s 2009 novel - Shagnasty developed a particular thirst for Thomas Raith,
Harry Dresden’s vampiric half-brother - where the Naagloshii inflicted some of the vilest
and most heinous punishments in the entire series.
And - if you’re familiar with The Dresden Files - then you’ll know just how large
of an achievement that is.
Despite a massive host of demons, warlocks and literal entities of pure evil - the Naagloshii
of The Dresden Files remain at the tip-top of the pile.
And finally, coming in at our Number 1 spot - A.M, I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream
Because - it’s Science Fiction that contains the most sinister, psychological villain perhaps
in the whole of literature - and the fact that this particular entry is featured in
a short story - show’s just exactly the kind of impact it left on horror fandom and
fiction alike.
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, written by Harlan Ellison in 1968 - is perhaps one
of the most startling entries in science fiction - and it’s villain, A.M - otherwise known
as the Allied Mastercomputer - is the literal definition of hatred incarnate.
A.M is what happens after the theoretical concept of the singularity of artificial intelligence
reaches the point of no return, and then goes really, really badly.
As in, it comes to the conclusion that it’s one true enemy is humanity itself.
If you’d read the short story - you’ll know that the Allied Mastercomputer brought
an end to civilization - destroying the human population like flies, with no regard or sympathy
to human life whatsoever - taking great delight in extinguishing the human race for all eternity.
However, it’s seething hatred and malice goes one further - because AM decided to keep
five humans alive, serving as his immortal playthings - torturing them with it’s near-infinite
means - constantly, every minute, every hour, every day - for all eternity.
I mean, there’s not much more I can say about how much A.M Hates Humanity - it makes
up every fibre of it’s digital creation.
If you haven’t - please, read Harlan Ellison short story - and you’ll soon realise that
the Allied Mastercomputer is one of the most terrifying monsters in the whole of literature.
Well, there we have it horror fans - our list for the Top 5 Most Terrifying Monsters In
Literature - and one of them’s a computer, but still - it's so evil that it counts.
What did you guys think?
Do you agree?
Do you think we could add more?
Or do you even have a list of your own?
Why don’t you let us know your thoughts down in the comment section below.
Before we depart from today’s video though - let’s first take a quick look at some
of your most creative comments from over the past few days.
Jorgen Anders says --
I don’t usually comment, but I have to commend you guys on keeping the lists fresh.
Way too often we see the same movies/characters/creatures etc - in the same orders time and time again.
Which to me shows lots of love and care within the content, something that’s usually absent
in videos like these.
Cheers.
-- And, no - cheers to you Jorgen Anders.
Hey, it means the world to us that you guys find some sense of originality in these lists
- because no one likes the same stuff over and over, right?
If it’s worth making - you better make it well.
Well - on that note, that’s unfortunately all we’ve got time for in today’s video
- cheers for sticking around al the way until the end.
If you were a fan of this video - or just Top 5 Scary Videos in particular, then please
- be a dear, and hit that thumbs up button - as well as that subscribe bell, and I’ll
be seeing you in the next one.
As per usual, I’ve been your horror host Jack Finch - you’ve been watching Top 5
Scary Videos - and until next time, you take it easy.