The same domestication has crept ashore. The misunderstood monster, once an occasional changeup, is now the default. Werewolves are heartthrobs (“Teen Wolf,” “Twilight”). Evil witches have tragic backstories (“Wicked,” “Maleficent”). Alien parasites (“Venom,” “Alien: Earth”) and notorious villains (“Cruella,” “Joker”) have their redeeming qualities. Ayana Gray’s new novel, “I, Medusa,” reimagines one of Greek mythology’s most hideous fiends as a victim of bigotry and sexual trauma. Even Frankenstein’s creature—most recently reanimated in del Toro’s “Frankenstein”—has never been so soulful, so desperate to be understood.journey-inline-newsletterinline-newsletter