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For numerous years, there have been sordid tales told of handsome cowboys, rugged mafia types, grumpy old men who just need love… etc.  Naturally, said man has always swept an honorable maiden clean off her feet, which is why the audience adored him so.  The epitome of male perfection was the Hero!  The one who would do anything and everything for their woman, no matter the cost.  His love was absolute, utterly unshakeable in the face of a – insert tragic scenario – that would have broken lesser men…

Right?  It was men, right? 

(Image from:  https://collider.com/scary-cute-horror-movie-couples/)

 

Hello there!  Welcome back to Myths and Mischief!  Thank you for joining a brand new Kaie ramble about today’s topic:  Monster lovers!  Bear with me all, because it’s January and we are starting a year of monster loving.   (Also, the guy in the image above – Gomez Addams – isn’t a man, he’s a beloved monster at heart.)

(Image from:  https://absoluteability.com/dating/why-do-women-love-monsters/)

 

 

To begin, let’s draw the past half of this decade into sharp focus.  

Fictive universes are thriving throughout the literary world, and if we are lucky enough, those words are turned into moving pictures meant to captivate what is left of our sanity.  Over the last few decades, and even before for some of us, numerous love interests in fiction fall into the monster category.  In fact, text mediums and film adaptations have given us such rich love stories centering on Monsters, that we don’t even look for a ‘hero’ anymore.  The monster is the hero. 

(Image from:  screenshot google search monster romance)

 

With all of these new stories, society’s interest is officially piqued.  The moral intrigue about monsters has gone from closeted to out in the open.  Not only does the public love monsters, this infatuation has brought to light exactly what the yearning consumer wants from a partner.  Monsters are at the heart of romance, stability and true love.

In short, our senses have been drawn to the darkness.  To the troubled.  To those who indulge in activity that goes against societal moral codes, yet fit beautifully into the shape of what we ache for in relation to a mate.

Is this a newfound fad?  Or is it just more acceptable to bring out into the light?

Why are “monsters” so desirable and coveted?  

And what is a monster?  

(Image from:  https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/monastery-word-dictionary-concept-1154840344)

 

For the purpose of this series of posts, the term monster will be an amalgamation of definitions from good ol’ Google that revolve around the idea of a (most of the time) inhuman creature that challenges societal norms such as law and order.  A monster is a being that defies the natural order of the world and invites chaos into the lives of those it touches.  That’s a broad definition, no?  

Are you ready to begin?  Let’s get into it!

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(Image from:  https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/horror-movies/best-monster-movies-of-all-time)

 

Are monsters a new age craze that our authors and filmmakers are just discovering?!

Of course not!  The concept of a monster falling into the depths of depraved love that refuses to acknowledge any other master save the one who has tamed said monster’s heart is far from a recent discovery.  In fact, the trope is a misplaced toy one generation forgets until the present one comes along and pulls it out of the corner it was lost in.  In that moment, old and young remember how dangerously dark and delicious the love of a monster truly is.

Society has been intrigued, mystified, and drawn into the depths of alluring love tales centered on a mortal being caught beneath the thrall of a creature that crosses the line of mortality and humanity.  Yet it is that damned soul that provides everything a mortal man or woman never could.  Unending, unyielding, unapologetic adoration in its purest form.

(Image From:  https://screenrant.com/horror-monsters-became-love-interests/)

 

True love that takes root in the soul and sustains its lifeforce on the nutrient-rich heart that will never forsake them.  That very same love can also embody the haunting depression love leaves when it’s unrealized or lost.

In fact, we almost seem to prefer when the being taunts the edges of all rational boundaries that we have deemed just and right, to the point law no longer applies to the bond made.  Anything and everything will be obliterated with prejudice just to maintain the equilibrium of rampant obsession the monster’s love promises.

And we relish it.  We want to tear into it with bare hands the way one would after days of starvation.  Aren’t we starving?!  Do we need utensils and formality for such a meal when it is meant to be ravaged with gluttonous greed?

It’s all so yummy, isn’t it?  To dream of becoming enraptured in the love of that monstrous being, immortal preferably, who loves their precious darling past any and all rational sense.  Who does so with such purpose that it enflames the ire of the Gods themselves, for they have never known the devotion in all the multitudes of souls who worship them, as the creature’s beloved experiences in a blessed second at their side…

 

For those of you reading this that have tiptoed into the naughty waters of Monster loving, welcome… and I hope you enjoy the lists I am going to present that will give you an idea of just how entrenched in story telling our beloved monsters have already been.

For those of you who have your weathered season pass that marks you as a frequent visitor into monster territory, then thank you for taking a trip down memory lane with me!

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As previously stated, monsters are not a shiny new bauble polished for the first time after discovery.  They are relics that deserve time, respect, and care with each new iteration that returns to our awareness.  For the purpose of this post, the timeline I have chosen will span the past 100 years, though be aware that it is far from the start of monster-loving tales.  

 

Our first decade comes in the roaring 20s, where monsters were put on display to express the trauma lived by the men and women who went through World War I (1).  Perhaps the point of making monster movies was not to encourage a love story with the creature, but we can use the prominent horror films of the time as a jump-off point for our current climate and opinion on monsters.

Some of the main films of the time that feature a misunderstood creature in need of love are:

Nosferatu (1922) and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)

 

(Image from:  https://www.watchmojo.com/articles/top-10-horror-movies-1920s-1950s)

 

Nosferatu was written by Henrik Galeen and put together by cinematographer Fritz Arno Wagner and director F.W. Murnau.  There was controversy surrounding the movie because the story was clearly stolen from Bram Stoker’s Dracula, however, that is not the topic of discussion.   

What Nosferatu gave the public was the first vampire tale in cinema and our introduction to monsters who were more than ‘evil’ and unfeeling.  Audiences were introduced to the first image of Count Orlok, who set the tone for future generations of the immortal undead (1). As described beautifully by Horror Film History, there was something curious about Orlok that let the viewer see beyond his grotesque appearance to the awe-struck and alluring creature he was (2).  

 

With this quote directly from Horror Film History (2), and powerful words to boot, we have our first fantastic look into the blossoming of a sinister love story that isn’t meant to be comfortable or appropriate by moral standards.  Orlok, though far from the first famous vampire (*cough* Dracula *cough*),  he does precede our beloved Count in terms of visual representation and gives the audience their first opportunity to question if what they are seeing is worthy of infatuation.  Over 100 years later, and a brand new modern remake, it’s safe to say that Orlok officially opened the doors for monsters to be coveted and desired by the general public.

Because there were so many more to come.  Another marvel of the time, when cinema was beginning to push its limits and create incredible worlds rich with visuals that captivated the eye… was The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  This was the first film adapted from Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel.

(Image From:  https://aiptcomics.com/2017/03/07/the-hunchback-of-notre-dame-1923-review/)

 

1923’s Hunchback with Lon Chaney as Quasimodo, produced a monster in terms of societal standards, that fell in love and sacrificed himself for that love, the way any hero would.  People with physical deformities have been pushed to the fringes of society for centuries, with some cultures going so far as to kill them when they are born because they are not “right”.  What made the Hunchback a ‘monster’ wasn’t his actions, it was the way he looked.  Was he an innocent creature?  No, because no one is.  However, he was not a monster like some of the other characters in the film.  Once more, through a master class of acting prowess that was Lon Chaney portraying the Hunchback, the public received a complex character that still evokes feelings of tenderness and compassion within the viewers (3).

Through scouring the internet for information about this film, I came across this quote on Wikipedia and felt that it captured perfectly how ‘monsters’ not only challenge our perceptions but actively encourage us to humanize them (3).

The twenties were a thrilling time for cinema, and an undeniable, essential foundation for the decades’ worth of stories we are still telling today and will continue to tell for years to come.

Coming up, we will take a look at our monsters of the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s that shaped our interest in dark romance by accepting the creatures as multidimensional beings that can earn our respect and even our love.

(Image From:  https://glitzglamandrebellion.com/blogs/news/it-s-alive-it-s-alive-the-rise-of-horror-movies-in-the-1930s-1950s)

 

Thank you for joining me, and I hope to see everyone back for the upcoming installments of Monster Lovers!  Feel free to drop any comments; they are always appreciated!  Don’t forget to like and subscribe.

Until next time, stay curious and question the world around you!

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Works Cited:

1. “1920s Silent Horror Movies.” Horror Film History, horrorfilmhistory.com, 2024 (or relevant year), horrorfilmhistory.com/1920s-silent-horror-movies/.  

2. “Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922) — Horror Film History.” Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.  https://horrorfilmhistory.com/nosferatu-1922/

3. “The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923 film).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre_Dame_(1923_film).