Anthropogenic Monsters: A CAS and Liberating Perspective on the Contemporary Production of Human and Nonhuman Monsters.

Human imagination has always been haunted by monsters. In the past, monsters, like angels, used to be messengers of the extraordinary, often a divine warrant. Can contemporary monsters still transmit a message? And can the category of monstrosity be relevant for Critical Animal Studies? This essay explores, through a CAS perspective, the contemporary production of monsters, both human and nonhuman, and the possible liberating message of monsters. In this context, contemporary monsters are referred as “anthropogenic” because they are materially produced by human activities or ideologically created by human discourses. First, the chapter looks at the serial production of monstrous animal bodies, through genetic modification, intensive animal farming and environmental degradation. Then, it considers the proliferation of human monsters in the cultural imaginary, through the discrimination and animalization of non-conforming human bodies, such as disable, black and trans* bodies. Finally, it proposes a liberating perspective starting from the work of some writers and activists – such as Susan Stryker and Filo Sottile – who decided to claim back the concept of monstrosity as empowering. By embracing and accepting monstrosity, they dismantle the separation and hierarchy between human and nonhuman beings. Therefore, monsters can show unexpected pathways and turns to follow in order to overcome anthropocentrism and speciesism.