Pop Creatures
Abstract
This thesis is a short story collection revolving around the central theme of pop culture. The first story, "After the Win," follows the character Cecil, whose wife Rhonda has recently won The Great British Bake Off. Trouble ensues in Cecil and Rhonda's family as Rhonda starts to focus on her post-Bake Off fame instead of her relationships with her husband and daughter. "Making Friends with a Monster" is about Rick, a half-human, half-lake monster living on the shores of Bear Lake. Because of his existence in an in-between place between man and monster, Rick struggles to find companionship in life. That is, until Anna (AKA the Loch Ness Monster) arrives in his lake and presents him with an enticing offer: to return with her to Loch Ness. The story culminates in Rick's decision. The next story, "The Fourth Wall," is the story of Max and Abby, who are close to getting engaged. Max confronts Abby about her family, who she has never told him much about. Finally, she agrees to take him for a visit to meet her parents. As soon as Max arrives, it becomes apparent that Abby's parents believe they are Ricky and Lucy from the beloved sitcom I Love Lucy, and Max is soon sucked in to the illusion. The last story in the collection is "Feelin' Groovy in Point Pleasant, West Virginia,"which is the tale of a Simon and Garfunkel tribute band that encounters the legendary Mothman monster in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, who happens to be an avid Simon and Garfunkel fan.