Monstrumologist

The Monstrumologist is a trilogy of novels by Rick Yancey. It chronicles the adventures of a scientist who researches and studies monsters in the 1800s, and his young assistant.

The books include:

  • The Monstrumologist (2009)
  • The Curse of The Wendigo (2010)
  • The Isle of Blood (2011)


Tropes used in Monstrumologist include:
  • As You Wish: Whenever Pellinore tells Will Henry that he is "indispensable" could count as this.
  • And I Must Scream: A man on bedrest rots away while he is still alive.
  • Arbitrary Skepticism: Pellinore. Anthropophagi? Fine. Weird worms that grant nigh-upon immortality? Boring. But the wendigo? Never in a million years!
    • It gets worse when Pellinore describes the magnificarum and it comes off sounding like a campfire story. No one knows what it looks like or how it behaves, yet he unquestionably accepts its existence as fact. Mind, that this is a creature whose saliva will drastically and horrifically alter the body and mind of anyone it comes into contact with, while one book earlier, he declares that the idea of a creature that can produce symptoms similar to wendigo possession in its victims spits in the face of everything be believes in.
  • Auto Cannibalism: The magnificum found in the third book resorted to this when it could no longer find food.
  • Beethoven Was an Alien Spy: Jack the Ripper was a monster hunter named Dr. Kearns.
  • Bishonen: Dr. Kearns is described as having long blonde hair, a cherubic face, and "sensuous lips" by Will Henry.
  • Bungled Suicide: Dr. Warthrop
  • Cloudcuckoolander: Dr. Pellinore
  • Deadpan Snarker: Is especially noticeable in the third book.

Dr. Warthrop: "... tipota is the Greek word for nothing."
Will Henry: "It is?"
Dr. Warthrop: "No I am lying to you. It is actually the Greek word for 'stupid child.'"

  • Death Seeker: While all monstrumologists get into a fair amount of trouble, considering Pellinore's history of suicidal tendancies, this may account for some of the messes he gets into.
    • Dr. Chanler
  • Did Not Do the Bloody Research: Averted, the only time Dr. Kearns uses the words bloody and bugger are when he is insulting Malachi.
  • Exactly What It Says on the Tin: Anthropophagi = Man-eaters
  • Have You Tried Not Being a Monster??: Pellinore is convinced that Chanler just thinks he's a Wendigo and will get better.
  • Have a Gay Old Time: See the Ho Yay quotes below.
  • He Who Fights Monsters: Dr. Kearns is arguably even more disturbing than the Anthropophagi. Pellinore has hints of this, as he doesn't seem to care if people die so long as he can study monsters.
    • Chanler literally becomes this after a Wendigo encounter.

Will (Narrating): Gently he pulled my hands into his. His warm lips touched my knuckles. He blew onto my dead flesh. He vigorously rubbed my naked hand between his. Feeling began to return, and with it a measure of pain, the proof of life. He crossed my hands over my chest and pushed his body against mine, wrapping his long arms around me. I felt the delicious warmth of his breath against my neck."

Will Henry (after being given a handkerchief soaked with ambergris): "Despite the gift of regurgitated whale shit, I could smell Kendall's decay."

I reached across the space that seperated us - no further than a foot and wider than the universe - and gathered the monstrumologist's hand into mine.

  • Stages of Monster Grief: Chanler goes through a few of them, as he initially refused to eat (since he could only eat people as a Wendigo), but later embraced it.
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech: John Kearns gives one of these to Malachi in The Monstrumologist.

John Kearns: Go on. Pull the bloody trigger, you insufferably melodramatic, semi-suicidal, blubbering bugger. Do you honestly think I care if I live or die? But you may wish to include in your calculations the fact that our work is not finished. She is still out there somewhere in the dark, and not very far, I would guess. That said sir, I would not presume to pass judgement upon the passage of your judgement. Fire at will,sir, and I shall die as I lived, with no regret.

    • Pellinore gives one of these to Will during The Curse Of The Wendigo.

Pellinore: You disgust me! Only the intelligent can afford to be so judgemental. Who are you to question my decisions? You thickheaded sycophantic piece of snot. I've dissected worms with larger brains than yours! You've been nothing but a burden to me, an albatross around my neck... God damn your parents for dying and foisting your despicable carcass upon me. 'It's all right sir! I'll make the fire now, sir'. You make me sick. Everything about you is repulsive, you nauseating, worthless mealymouthed half-wit."

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