According to Gesner, "the animal has a face of human shape and proportions, and could be regarded as a wild man." A monster is any creature, usually found in legends or horror fiction, that is often hideous and may produce fear or physical harm by its appearance and/or its actions. The word usually connotes something wrong or evil. A monster is generally morally objectionable, physically or psychologically hideous, and/or a freak of nature. Woodcut from Conrad Gesner's "Icones Animalium".