You may be right about the science-gone-wrong monster and its lack of a “singular iconic image”. A good point actually. What needs to happen is for a singular image to firm up in the zeitgeist — though I suppose that is what Frankenstein’s monster is. It’s been a trope in fiction in one form or other for many decades, so doesn’t seem to arise from a strong contemporary obsession. Ghosts have been around forever, too, of course, but in recent times have been transformed in significant metaphoric ways.

The science-gone-wrong monster does lack the emblematic quality that ghosts have recently gained – maybe because they can look like anything, and so lack a singular iconic image?

I agree about the man-made mutant/science-gone-wrong monster. Though it is a subset of or an extension from the Frankenstein monster, it’s also different enough to warrant a chapter of its own. But somehow it doesn’t seem any more iconic of today than the others. In my mind, the ghost is the only “monster” that has been significantly influenced by contemporary issues enough to become emblematic of the present.

And I love your use of the term “dis-ease” to describe viral horror. Excellent!

Possibly another modern monster (with its roots in Frankenstein, I guess) is the man-made mutant/science experiment Gone Wrong? Or maybe that’s too broad. It’s tempting to slot it in, just because it’s easy to line up with dis-ease with science/scientists.