How Can a Vegetable Be a Monster? - Plant Horror in Biology and Literature

Explore the fascinating intersection of botanical science and horror in this lecture examining the complex relationship between plant abnormalities and monstrosity. Delve into the historical challenges botanists faced when distinguishing between normal variation and abnormal characteristics in plant life, with particular focus on Maxwell T. Masters's "Vegetable Teratology" from 1869. Learn how botanical teratology influences plant-based horror in literature and film, analyzing classic works like John Wyndham's "The Day of the Triffids" and Christian Nyby's "The Thing from Another World." Investigate the unique aspects that make plants potentially threatening in horror genres and understand the philosophical implications of plant 'self' and 'agency' through the expertise of Professor Stella Sandford from Kingston University London's Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy.