When Words Collide 2026

Monsters have given fear a face since humans could tell stories around campfires. As a prey species, we've had millions of years of terror baked into our bones. We've been stalked, hunted and devoured by terrifying meat-eaters. And we've always lived in a world that we have a deep drive to understand.

Fictional monsters pull on our primal fears of predation. We also fear the unknown, and monsters are something we can mold out of the ether of our anxiety. They turn the unknown into something with form. Something explainable.

Come explore what makes monsters scary and how writers craft creatures that stick with us long after we've stopped reading.