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MONSTERS

Program 10-07-25-A

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It's a post-apocalyptic novel that's been compared to Stephen King's "The Stand" and Cormac McCarthy's "The Road." It covers a vast time span and features a different kind of vampire, known as "virals." It's called "The Passage" and it's one of this summer's hottest books. Next time on To the Best of Our Knowledge, we'll meet the author, Justin Cronin, as we explore monsters. Also...Cartoonist and author Lynda Barry reminisces about her favorite monsters.

SEGMENT 1:

Here there by monsters is what it used to say on the edges of maps, and it describes the show pretty well. We start cartoonist Lynda Barry, who reminisces about her favorite monsters. Then we continue with Justin Cronin, whose novel "The Passage" has been described as "an engrossingly horrirfic account of a post-apocalyptic America." He tells Jim Fleming the idea came out of a discussion with his nine-year-old daughter.

SEGMENT 2:

Stephen Asma teaches philosophy at Columbia College in Chicago. He talks to Anne Strainchamps about his book "On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears." Joshua Blu Buhs is an independent scholar and the author of "Bigfoot: The Life and Times of a Legend." But he tells Steve Paulson he doesn't really think the creature exists.

SEGMENT 3:

Richard Holmes is fascinated by what he calls "The Age of Wonder." The subtitle of his book is "how the romantic generation discovered the beauty and the terror of science," and he tells Steve Paulson about how Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" came directly out of the scientific climate of the time.

CD copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 10-07-25-A.

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Books & CDs:

Justin Cronin, The Passage (Ballantine Books)
Stephen T. Asma, On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears (Oxford University Press)
Joshua Blu Buhs, Bigfoot: The Life and Times of a Legend (The University of Chicago Press)
Richard Holmes, The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science (Vintage Books)
Lynda Barry, What It Is (Drawn and Quarterly)

Websites:

• -- Lynda Barry
  http://www.lyndabarry.net/
  
• -- Justin Cronin/"The Passage"
  http://enterthepassage.com/
  
• -- Stephen Asma
  http://www.stephenasma.com/
  
• -- Joshua Blu Buhs
  http://www.joshuablubuhs.com/
  
• -- Richard Holmes/"The Age of Wonder"
  http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl/9780375422225.html

Websites:

• -- Clip from "Frankenstein" used in Monster Mashup from the DVD, "Frankenstein (Universal Studios Classic Monster Collection)" (Universal Studios)

Music:

• -- Music used in "Monster Mashup" Mix:
  -- "Monster Mash"/Bobby "Boris" Pickett
  from the CD, "Original Monster Mash" (Polygram Records)
  -- ""Werewolves of London"/Warren Zevon
  from the CD, "Excitable Boy" (Rhino/WEA)
  -- "Abominable Snowman in the Market"/Jonathan Richman from the CD, "23 Great Recordings by Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers" (Beserkley/Castle Communications)
  -- "Godzilla"/Blue Oyster Cult"
  from the CD, "Don't Fear The Reaper: Best of Blue Oyster Cult" (Sony)
  -- "Creature From The Black Lagoon"/Dave Edmunds from the CD, "Repeat When Necessary" (Swan Song/Atlantic)
  -- "Frankenstein"/Edgar Winter
  from the CD, "Rock Instrumental Classics, Vol. 3: The Seventies" (Rhino)
  
• -- Music heard after Justin Cronin interview:
  -- "Shining Title Music" from "The Shining"/Wendy Carlos from the CD, "Rediscovering Lost Scores -- Volume Two" (East Side Digital) http://www.wendycarlos.com/discs.htm
  
• -- Music heard after Stephen Asma interview:
  -- "The Overlook" from "The Shining"/Wendy Carlos from the CD, "Rediscovering Lost Scores -- Volume Two" (East Side Digital) http://www.wendycarlos.com/discs.htm
  
• -- Music heard after Joshua Blu Buhs interview:
  -- "Sasquatch"/Los Straitjackets
  from the CD, "The Further Adventures of Los Straitjackets" (Yep Roc Records)
  http://www.yeproc.com/artist_info.php?artistId=44
  
• -- Music heard after Richard Holmes interview:
  -- "What's Out There?"/Patrick Doyle
  from the CD, "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (TriStar Pictures)

Distribution dates: week of 07/25/2010 - hour 1 click HERE for timings and cues

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