Books

Mokele-Mbembe: 2008 News

Mokele-mbembe being killed by Pygmies by Bill Rebsamen. Cryptozoologist William Gibbons has news about his forthcoming book On The Track of Mokele-Mbembe: Africa’s Living Dinosaur, to be published in 2008, by Coachwhip: I am continuing to work on the book, which is in three parts. The first part covers the entire historical perspective on alleged living dinosaurs in Africa, including some wonderful never before published eye-witness accounts. The second part of the book brings us up to date with modern expeditions and findings. The third part of the book will focus on a few key cryptids that allegedly inhabit the [...]

Galveston Mothman?

In her blog this week, Ha’ri writes in “Mothman – Sighting in Galveston?” of her wonderings and ponderings. She is interested to discover if any large bird-like somethings were seen before any hurricanes hit the coastal Texas city of Galveston. Ha’ri does some research, and rightfully comes to the conclusion there’s nothing to be easily found about a 1969 hurricane – or Mothman sightings there. In the movie The Mothman Prophecies, news articles about the “Houston Batman” were flashed on the screen as the character “Alexander Leek” (“Keel” backwards) talked of how Mothmen were seen before disasters like “the hurricane” [...]

Cryptozoology Futurology

Yes, I have turned up in this new book, What’s Next: The Experts’ Guide: Predictions from 50 of America’s Most Compelling People by Jane Buckingham. I am one of the fifty “most compelling people” in the country. I’m still trying to explain what that means to my sons. I do like the company I get to keep in the pages of this tome, which has just hit the bookstores. What’s Next takes cryptozoology seriously. It contains my next decade’s predictions about where I see the field going and what animals I feel will be discovered. I won’t spoil this author’s [...]

Hunting Utah’s Giant Beavers and Loch Ness Otters

Okay, you can’t watch wall-to-wall pre-game coverage of the Super Bowl, can you? You shouldn’t take in too many replays of every debate spark that flew last week, should you? Tired of the nonstop football and election articles, internet highlights, and television analysis ~ not to mention what’s up with Britney lately? Take some time to revisit the lake monsters, folks. They miss you. There is a brand new review of The Field Guide to Lake Monsters, Sea Serpents, and Other Mystery Denizens of the Deep (NY: Tarcher/Penguin, 2003) published by epinions. It is always encouraging to read intelligent critiques [...]

Boss Snakes Observed

Attention to Chad Arment’s newest book, Boss Snakes: Stories and Sightings of Giant Snakes in North America will be worth your time. First, let’s start with the obvious. Big snakes do exist. But various cryptozoological questions remain: Are there unknown species? How big do they get? And where are they found? Fluffy, above, who is thought to be the longest captive snake in the world at 24 feet long, drew record fans (1.53 million) to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in 2007. The reticulated python is 15 years old and weighs 300 pounds. It will keep growing, and may live [...]

Bird Picks Up Boy

Why does that headline looks vaguely familiar? What may be inside of us, almost at a genetic level, that remembers such incidents? I’m not talking about the Lawndale, Illinois, case of Marlon Lowe being picked up by one of two large birds, then dropped. That took place in Logan County in April of 1977. Instead, I’m reminded of my sense that there is a new such event due, by reading about an earlier case, highlighted recently by anomalist Scott Maruna. Maruna posted his finding of a copy of an old article about a bird identified as an eagle picking up [...]

Yucatan Raccoons: Not Nazis

Unlike the “Nazi raccoons” of Germany, the raccoons in the Yucatan are suppose to be there. They are not alien invaders. Chad Arment writes: “A quick fyi on this, the raccoon subspecies in the Yucatan is native, not introduced: Procyon lotor shufeldti. See p. 87 of Raccoons: A Natural History by Samuel I. Zeveloff.”

Staying On Track: 2008’s Forthcoming Cryptozoology Books

A new year is always exciting, for no telling what it holds. New species to be discovered? Of course. New cryptid sightings? Certainly. New cryptozoology books being published? Needless to say. The Top Cryptozoology Books of 2007 have been picked and discussed, so it is time to look to the future. There, indeed, are hints of many new cryptozoology books on the horizon. Let me split them between the nonfiction and cryptofiction. Cryptozoology Nonfiction Titles Ivan T. Sanderson’s classic book, Abominable Snowmen: Legend Come to Life has been republished by Cosimo in 2008, with a new preface. I have already [...]