Monster Spotter's Guide to North America

Much in the spirit of Loren Coleman's various field guides to cryptozoology comes this, slightly more tongue in cheek, guide to North America's resident monsters - bigfoot, ogopogo, chupacabras, the Jersey devil, mothman and so forth. Arranged by geography, this book covers all manner of iconic monsters and bogeymen from the United States, Canada and even Mexico, diving them into categories like 'lake/river/ocean monsters,' 'reptilian humanoids' and 'phantom animals.' Wide and far ranging, this book draws upon sources as diverse as Native American mythology, the 'fearsome critters' of lumberjack lore, UFO sightings and, of course, cryptozoology (that is, the search of as of yet unidentified animals such as bigfoot, the Loch Ness monster and such). In spite of the cute, humorous tone the book takes, which I found charming actually, it IS a really good catalog of Amercian folklore. As I said before, it is arranged by region so you can easily find the various iconic legends from in and around your own neck of the woods. For example, the South includes things like the wampus cat, Hopkinsville goblins, Flatwoods monster and Carolina lizardman, the Midwest covers critters like the Enfield horror, Minnesota iceman, shunka warakin, Beast of Busco and hodag, and the part on the Canada mentions the mannegishi, waheela, wendigo and Thetis Lake monster, amongst many others. Further material includes a chapter on other American monsters ('rods,' black dogs, devil kangaroos, fresh water octopi and the like), information and terminology on cryptozoology, notes on vampires, werewolves and zombies, how to go monster hunting, famous monster carcasses, a short time line and a couple of cases studies. And, as an added bonus, at the end of the book is an 'official monster hunters' map. All in all, theres plenty of stuff here to entertain anyone from a young horror movie fan to a seasoned cryptozoologist, and everyone in between. Whether you take it out in the field on your search for, say, a skinwalker, the Lake Tahoe monster, thunderbird or New England's Dover Demon, or just decide to stay home and read it from the comfort (and safety) of your armchair, you'll find plenty of beasties that go bump in the night. Enjoy... at your own risk, mwahaha...

This book is just wonderful. I'm an RPGer and sometimes run horror games for my friends. Its so cool to have this handy little guide to help me inject more 'real world' monsters into my games. Not to mention how some of the entries really sparked my interest in these monsters. I like books like this one and the Zombie Survival Guide that treat their subject matter as if it were real. If you want a fun read or just fodder for campfire stories I highly recommend this one.

Monster Spotter's Guide to North America is an exciting field guide to more than one hundred mythical (or are they?) and folklore monsters reputed to roam the North American continent, from the Sasquatch of the Pacific Northwest to the hideous Mexican goatsucker called El Chupacabra. Penned with a witty edge by monster enthusiast Scott Francis, and illustrated with black-and-white sketches by artist Ben Patrick, Monster Spotter's Guide to North America is sure to delight anyone with a keen interest in bizarre or even macabre beasts of legend. Quick-reference boxes for identification of key monster traits, a glossary of cryptozoology terms, a remedial course in common monster knowledge, case studies, and more fill this fantastic reference.

This is a great book, particularly if you're a die hard monster lover. For the casual reader, it's a good read simply because the author has a very wry, tongue in cheek style to his writing. But for the serious monster junkie like me (I "wrote" a book on monsters myself when I was eight years old. It had a stapled spine and was illustrated with old black and white movie monster photos cut out of Dynamite magazine...anyone remember Dynamite?), this is gold. The best part is that even thought the author has a sense of humor, the information is grounded in what seems like solid, serious research. The "monsters" are all based on urban or historical legends rather than movie monsters. So even though there's no wolfman or vampire, there's a sasquatch (Canadian legend), the Loveland Frogman (the midwest), etc. Plus there are some very nice illustrations and a fold out map that shows you were each creature can be found. A nice touch. I recommend this one highly, whether for the monsters or the humorous writing. Check it out.

FINALLY! a book i haven't read 1000 times already. Remember that 'thing' from when you were a kid - well, it's in here! This book makes you feel like that kid again - funny and exciting for those willing to suspend disbelief. A great book to give as a gift or to take along on vacation if you're looking for fun stops en route to your destination. In general, a very good read.