A review by ladyeremite
Monsters of the Market: Zombies, Vampires and Global Capitalism by David McNally

5.0

Although occasionally a bit repetitive, this book provides a brilliant interpretation of our modern, global obsession with monsters in terms of Marx's theories of commodity fetishism and the exploitation of labor. McNally's central insight is that horror reflects the capitalist process of commodification, with its emphasis on repetition, reversals in agency (objects that should have no agency being bestowed agency while those that should have it are denied agency),the insistence on homogeneity and interchangeability, and the separation of the parts from the whole. To illustrate this point, he looks at such diverse topics as body snatching in eighteenth-century England, contemporary zombie stories in Western Africa and Enron's "occult economy." Highly recommended for both those interested in the cultural world of capitalism and in understanding the prevalence of horror. If you're someone like me, who is fascinated by both, this is the book you've dreamed of.