Countdowns

Our 10 Favorite Monsters

Mankind has always had a fascination with monsters. Mythologies from around the world include stories of strange and terrifying creatures, including the half-bull, half-human Minotaur of Greek myths, the living clay Golem of Jewish traditions, British elves and Chinese dragons. Though these monsters are obviously fiction, only a century or two ago belief in the beasts was common. Modern monsters aren't quite so fantastic, and while most people doubt their existence, some are certain that unknown monsters inhabit our pale blue dot. It seems that every few months, monsters of one kind or another make the news. Sometimes it's a new fuzzy home video of something in the water at Loch Ness; other times it's a hunter's photo of something that could be a Bigfoot--or a mangy bear. Whether these monsters exist or not, the mysteries will always be with us. -- Benjamin Radford