‘Graze Culture’ and Serial Murder: Brushing Up Against ‘Familiar Monsters’ in the Wake of 9/11

Abstract

This chapter provides a fresh theoretical perspective on society’s perpetual fascination with and consumption of serial murder fiction in cinema and television. Films and television series centred on serial killing have resulted in a multimillion-pound entertainment industry, suggesting an interest in the topic that far exceeds the reality of such offending. So, too, the topic has generated many academic articles and “true crime” books that promise the reader a deep dive into the mind of individuals capable of extreme acts of violence and cruelty.