The spider has a rich symbolic presence in the human imagination. Spider analyses the arachnid's appearance in literature and art. Horror stories, science fiction, folklore and children's tales are reviewed, as well as the affliction of arachnophobia, and the procedures used in curing the condition. A thorough, wide-ranging account of the natural and cultural history of the spider, this book will appeal to anybody who admires, or fears, this complex, delicate, yet powerful creature.