Here be monsters!
Wait.
I’m pretty sure that I’ve used that introductory slogan before--but still, you know how the
old saying goes.
If it ain’t broke--don’t fix it.
And do you know what certainly doesn’t need fixing?
The trajectory that this current list series is taking--because holy moly, I love nothing
more that traversing the plains of fantasy, sci-fi and horror literature--and picking
a fight with some of the most terrifying monsters that have ever been inked on the page.
Now, whilst we’ve covered some pretty downright horrifying creations so far--I’ve been saving
a few entries on this list for something special.
So, choose your weapon--and let’s get adventuring.
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--Part 4.
Roll the clip.
For the curious amongst you, that clip was from the fantastic 2017 horror--The Ritual--and
yeah, whilst that may be spoilers, it certainly depicts one of the most terrifying monsters
in mythological literature--the Jotun of Norse Legend--and really, if you’ve got the bollocks
to square up to a Jotun with just an axe in your hand--you’ve earnt my eternal respect,
and you’ve probably learnt a lesson or two on the way.
Either or--it’s a pretty apt setting for this list, so without further delay--let’s
take a look.
Kicking off at Number 5 - The Brain Bug, Starship Troopers
The only good bug is a dead bug--and whilst we’re certainly including the literary merit
of this particular grubbity bug of pure horror--it is also worth noting that the cinematic depiction
of this creature is also reason why it’s making its way onto our list.
Because it’s far, far better--and the 1997 movie is just downright awesome.
You see, the thing is, the novel in question here--1959’s Starship Troopers--is a pretty
crappy read.
It’s mainly droll in parts--and it’s overwhelmingly sensationalist--and that’s even without
discussing the connotations of fascism throughout--but *still*--the point is, it delivered to us
one of the vilest and most skin-crawling concepts in speculative science fiction.
The Brain Bug, which you may or may not be familiar with--hopefully not a cerebral level.
For those of you that don’t know, Robert Heinlein’s 1969 novel depicts a future society,
known as the Terran Federation--who are locked in an ongoing interstellar war between a race
of Pseudo-Arachnids--or BUGS--a spider like extraterrestrial race of highly intelligent
aliens that won’t nothing more than to eat the universe whole.
Now, whilst this Arachnid species has a highly complex caste system--workers, warriors, queens--chariot
bugs, giant artillery bombardiers--the most powerful, most influential and also most downright
disgusting of them all--is The Brain Bug.
And again, the vast crux of these creatures is down to what we *don’t* know about them.
But I mean, just imagine seeing one of these things.
You see, Brain Bugs depend entirely upon their workers and warriors to survive.
They’re giant, bulbous, amorphous blobs of nerve tissue--on tiny little barely functional
legs, propped up by a vile, bloated body.
Yeah--the fact that if any one of these bizarre creatures are destroyed, it pretty much ceases
the Arachnids operations--still, the fact that they even exist in the novel is unnerving
enough.
No thank you.
Swinging in at Number 4--The Corelings, The Demon Cycle
And I for one--am so damn happy that we can finally talk about this series--and whilst
I still haven’t gotten around to reading the 5th book in this series, The Core--believe
me, these things are terrifying enough to make our list.
They’re also awesome!
And also--the fact that they only make it to the fourth spot on this list is pretty
telling--because we’ve really got some doozies here.
Well Jack, spit it out man--what the hell are you talking about?
The Demon Cycle--Peter V. Brett’s incredibly entertaining if not slightly cliche fantasy
series.
You see, I say that with love--because what Brett captures in this series evokes that
same feeling of *classic* fantasy--Golden Axe fantasy, no nonsense--a hero, and a whole
host of demons.
Let me explain.
In Brett’s First Novel--The Painted Man--it tells the tale of a world known as Thesa,
a place under constant threat of The Corelings--a hive of demonic creatures that emerge from
the bowels of the Earth every night to reap chaos and devour anything in their path.
The thing is though--the only defense against these creatures--are wards--magical ancient
runes that can be drawn, painted or inscribed on objects to form protective barriers around
human settlements.
And because of that, for time untold--the survivors of this plagued planet have lived
in eternal fear behind their painted walls.
Now, that’s all you really need to know--because please read this series if you haven’t--but
The Corelings involved throughout the series quickly evolve until something else entirely.
You see, although varied in type--from wood demons, to sand demons--to fire demons and
water demons--this series takes a terrifying and equally brilliant turn when the more advanced
creatures of the Core begin to emerge.
I’ll say nothing--but if you’ve ever wondered what a demonic, insectoid hive of Hell would
look like--just read The Demon Cycle, because these things are certainly not the demons
that we think we know.
Also, allegedly their making a cinematic version of this series--so… fingers crossed!
Next up at Number 3--The Steel Inquisitors, Mistborn
Now, listen guys--I’m not going to even attempt to articulate the inner workings of
Brandon Sanderson’s remarkable fantasy series, Mistborn--other than skirt around the edges
to give you an idea as to how utterly bleak and bizarre the Steel Inquisitors of legend
actually are, whenever they rear their terrifying heads throughout the series that is.
You see, I saw this suggestion quite a few times for our previous lists--and I thought
long and hard about them fitting under the parameters of *most terrifying*--but on reflection,
these guys are pretty much Pinhead in a fantasy series--so yeah, maybe that will give you
an inkling as to what we’re getting at.
Now, whilst the Mistborn series, both the original trilogy and the second era--are literally
an unrivaled demonstration in world-building--the gist of it depicts a planet named Scadrial,
a place devoid of life and colour, under the tyrannical, vice-like group of the evil Lord
Ruler.
You see, the Lord Ruler has reigned over the planet for a thousand years as an immortal
tyrant god--thanks to his mastery of a magical discipline known as Allomancy--the supernatural
ability to essentially harness the properties of all metal.
To enact his tyrannical will though, the Lord Ruler created 16 horrifying constructs to
embody his metallic dictatorship--The Steel Inquisitors, creations that were once human
and powerful Allomancers, who’s eyes have been carved out and replaced with large steel
spikes.
You see where I’m aiming with the Pinhead thing?
The thing is though, each Steel Inquisitor has eleven spikes in all--two through the
eye sockets, one in the middle of the spine--and eight, one for each known Allomantic Power--installed
in their torso.
You see, whilst this sounds terrible and painful for the Steel Inquisitors--it’s not just
for them, because through the power of Allomancy--each spike is inserted by sacrificing the life
of a Misting--hammering metals through their hearts just to create these abominations of
magic.
Coming in at Number 2--The Skaven, Warhammer
Uhhhhh.
The Skaven.
Now, we’re really plumbing the depths--and I’m pretty certain we should turn back,
because this particular Under-Empire is...well, it’s pretty damn nasty.
Now, I’ve seen a lot of you guys calling for some of the terrifying creations that
linger in the Grim Darkness of the extended Warhammer 40K Universe--but, I’m pretty
certain we don’t need to plunder the depths of the far future to look for horror--because
plain old regular Warhammer already harbors perhaps the most vile, disgusting empire of
filth, plague and pestilence in any fantasy setting ever.
You see, I remember back in the day as a wee lad picking up an issue of White Dwarf that
had fully fleshed out The Skaven on it’s front cover--and thinking, of course--how
do you create the most disgusting swarm race in fantasy?
You make them all gross anthropomorphic rats.
Uh.
Why did it have to be rats?
You see, for those of you that don’t know--the Skaven--otherwise known as the Ratmen, the
Ratkin or in more formal terms--the Children of the Horned Rat--are perhaps the most malevolent
and pure evil race in the whole of Warhammer Fantasy.
It is not exactly known when and where the Skaven first occurred--and it’s still up
for debate as to whether they descended from a strange offshoot of mankind--or if they
were evolved from a corrupted and mutated version of the regular old rat.
Either way, I dread to think.
One thing is certain though, out of all the violent and power-hungry empires in the known
world--orcs and goblins included--none of them can compare to the pure relentless pursuit
of destruction and power than that of the Skaven.
You see, their unwavering belief stems from the promises made by their horrific and twisted
deity--the Horned Rat--the Harbinger of Corruption and Disease--who promised his vile rat children
that one day, in the Great Ascendancy--they will rise up from the underbelly of the world
and consume it entirely--living eternally as one giant, rat planet.
No.
Thank you.
And finally, coming in at our Number 1 spot--The Dark One, The Wheel Of Time
I for one am quite surprised that we’ve made it this far without mentioning Robert
Jordan’s legendary fantasy series, The Wheel Of Time--but hey, when time is of a cyclical
nature--I guess that there’s no time like the present.
Yeah, sorry about that guys--you see, the thing is--Robert Jordan’s incredible series
covers such a monolithic scope that it’s almost impossible not to feature a terrifying
monster of literature somewhere between it’s many ages of civilization--but perhaps we
can go one better here.
Because condense down all of the terrifying monsters in literature ever created--and you
have the very essence of them all--exactly what we have here.
The Dark One.
The Shay-ih-Tan--the primordial, sapient, cosmic force of evil incarnate that has lingered
in the universe since time forgotten.
You see, it’s difficult to describe such an overwhelming force--but perhaps that will
give you an idea as to the impetus of why The Dark One *has* to take the top spot in
our list.
I mean--it is kind of cheating--but still, whichever name it goes by, Evil is still Evil.
You see, the series itself covers incredibly large and weighted themes--mainly being the
origin of creation, and you know… the meaning of life?
But, the thing is--here’s the rub, and here’s where things will get a little bit closer
to the bone.
You see, throughout the events of the series--it dawns on several characters that the havoc
and utter chaos that the Dark One was able to wreak on the world was ultimately--all
facilitated, enabled and carried out….
By human beings.
Yes.
The Dark One is indeed the cosmic embodiment of all of these things--but ultimately--the
consequences of humanity's collective suffering is always entirely down to the decisions of
individual humans.
Woah.
Well, thanks Mr. Jordan--or should I say Mr. Rigney Jr!
You see, The Dark One is indeed the embodiment of evil--and it’s entire goal is to break
free from it’s cosmic prison and remake creation in his own image--but it’s the
vessel of we humans that it is bound to enact that nefarious will.
And it’s in our choices--that givesThe Dark One that opportunity.
The Wheel of Time guys, it’s more than just fantasy.
Well, there we have it folks--our list for the Top 5 Most Terrifying Monsters In Literature--Part
4.
What do you guys think?
Do you agree?
Disagree?
Have any more to add to this list?
Then let us know your thoughts down in the comment section below, as well as any choice
picks of your own--and who the hell knows, maybe we can even take a stab at Part Five.
First up, Dean Krol says--
Errrmm, am I missing something, Jack?
Joe Cornish went on to directed Ant Man and Star Wars?
I think Peyton Reed and J.J Abrams might have something to say about that one.
--- Dean.
My bad dude--I’ll hold my hands up.
I meant to script--went on to be involved with--but I guess I’m so used to talking
about directors the muscle memory in my fingers typed directed.
I apologise for the misinformation.
I’m sorry.
And finally--stugod5000 says--
Jack, love the list.
Just curious, have you read any of the works of Brom--Child Thief, The Devil’s Rose etc)--really
interesting horror fantasy and retelling with beautiful imagery.
--And hello Stugod5000, thank you very much.
And also, double thank you--because I haven't read them, or even heard of them--but consider
me intrigued, I’ll take a look.
Cheers for the recommendation.
Well, on that note--that’s unfortunately all we’ve got time for in todays video,
cheers for sticking around all the way until the end.
If you were a fan of this video, or just Top 5 Scary Videos in general, 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.