I mentioned on Monday that the internet killed movie monster books like those we’re looking at this week, and that’s true, but also maybe movie monster books like these invented parts of the internet. Because Thomas G. Aylesworth’s Movie Monsters (1975, part of the Eerie Series) is basically a listicle in book form.

Each chapter is about the greatest monster in a given (and amusingly narrow) category. Thus, King Kong is the Greatest Ape Monster and Godzilla the Greatest Reptile Monster. Greatest Man-Made Monster? Frankenstein. Greatest Moon-Made Monster (ugh, that pained me to type out)? The Wolf Man. Aylesworth isn’t even trying with the Greatest Mummy Monster. And so on. He does finally take an admirable stand, awarding The Bride of Frankenstein the Greatest Monster Sequel, deservedly so.

A pretty OK kid’s book. I dimly recall the cover, but don’t think I ever read it. I wouldn’t complain if I found it in the school library though, for sure.

Aside: my wife Daisy finds the covers of the Eerie Series mostly lamentable. “Why the outlines? Why the stars?” I think this and the others this week are wonderful, the kind of nightmare that comes from the boredom of a skilled graphic designer, chaotic, visually violent, and yet somehow pleasing still. Frankenstein looks like he’s eating really sour candy, which is a bonus.