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)

"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.'""
 * 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, 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 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
 * Bishonen: Dr. Kearns is described as having long blonde hair, a cherubic face, and "sensuous lips" by Will Henry.
 * Bungled Suicide:
 * Cloudcuckoolander: Dr. Pellinore
 * Deadpan Snarker: Is especially noticeable in the third book.

"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.""
 * Death Seeker: While all monstrumologists get into a fair amount of trouble, considering 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.

"Will Henry (after being given a handkerchief soaked with ambergris): "Despite the gift of regurgitated whale shit, I could smell Kendall's decay.""
 * Humans Are the Real Monsters: The NY police beat up a hallucinating and wounded child to try to make him lie and rat out his only family figure as a murderer.
 * Infant Immortality: Subverted. See My God, What Have I Done?
 * In the Past Everyone Will Be Famous: The second book is full of fleeting references to real and famous people who somehow become involved in the Society.
 * It Sucks to Be the Chosen One: Will Henry is an assistant to a monster hunter, meaning he is in danger all the time, lives with a man who rarely allows him proper human interaction,, and is often a target for monsters. After being told by a shaman that his Life Energy Readings Are Off the Scale and being called by a Wendigo, it seems likely that Will Henry is destined for something.
 * Jerkass Woobie: Concerning his distant father, Dr. Pellinore can fall into this from time to time.
 * Literary Agent Hypothesis: Rick Yancey is only the editor/publisher. The follios were actually written by Will Henry and Yancey is reading them in the hopes of learning the truth about the man who left them behind.
 * Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Despite the fact that monsters are real, Pellinore refuses to believe that supernatural monsters exist. So, Anthropophagi are real but vampires are not. What.
 * My God, What Have I Done?: Will Henry's reaction to seeing
 * Precision F-Strike: Is especially noticeable because the series seems to avoid cursing.

"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."
 * Reflexive Response: Will Henry will (almost) always answer Pellinore's requests with "Yes, sir". Both characters Lampshade it but Will Henry continues with it anyway.
 * Shoo Out the Clowns: Pellinore tries this, but Will Henry will have nothing to do with it.
 * Shout-Out: In the Arthurian tales, King Pellinore endlessly pursued the Questing Beast.

"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."
 * Stages of Monster Grief:
 * "The Reason You Suck" Speech: John Kearns gives one of these to Malachi in The Monstrumologist.

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


 * Through the Eyes of Madness: How Pellinore.
 * X Meets Y: Sherlock Holmes deduction meets Supernatural hunting.