Bigfoot to Mothman: A Global Encyclopedia of Legendary Beasts and Monsters

by Margo Demello

This one-volume encyclopedia introduces readers to the world's cryptids-those hidden or secret animals believed to exist at the margins of human society-including Bigfoot, Yeti, the Loch Ness Monster, and the Mothman.

Comprehensive in its scope, this book is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to know more about well-known creatures of myth and legend, such as the Chupacabra and the Jersey Devil, and discover lesser-known animals, such as the Bunyip of Australia and the Mamlambo of South Africa. Rather than purport to prove or deny the existence of these creatures, however, this volume classifies them within their respective cultural, historical, and social contexts, allowing readers to appreciate cryptids as cultural artifacts important to societies around the globe. Finally, this book goes beyond the study of the unknown to investigate who believes in cryptids, why they do, and why the study of cryptozoology is as much about understanding cryptids as it is about understanding ourselves.

Genres: Nonfiction

318 pages, Hardcover

Published February 22, 2024

Reviews

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book, but I had to give it three stars because it was so poorly edited. There were numerous places where you could tell the text had been chopped up and moved around, but no one had gone back to make sure the text flowed smoothly. The number of times they introduced someone AFTER they had spent multiple paragraphs talking about them, using their last name and no identifiers, was really confusing--I kept thinking I had missed something, until I found the relevant info later in the chapter. (For example, three paragraphs of "Shepard this" and Shepard that" before they tell us that
"Eugene Simeon Shepard" was a "timber cruiser" who wrote the first article on the hodag.) This was published by an academic publisher, which seems really egregious to me.

[Elysa · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Bigfoot to Mothman" is a fascinating encyclopedia about cryptids from around the world. I knew about several of the North American ones, but I learned a lot about creatures from other continents. I liked the cultural connections the author made in the entries. This book was really interesting to read through, and it would be just as helpful as a reference guide.