Mirabilis: A Carnival of Cryptozoology and Unnatural History

by Karl Shuker

Welcome to a carnival unlike anything that you have ever read about, visited, or even imagined before. Here, before your very eyes, you will encounter bizarre, anomalous creatures of every conceivable (and inconceivable!) kind-a veritable menagerie of cryptozoological mysteries to dazzle and delight, tantalize and terrify. For this is Mirabilis-a realm of marvels, wonders, miracles...and monsters! Peer through the shadows and see what you may. Was that scuttling horror a spider the size of a puppy? Did that fallen tree trunk suddenly sprout a pair of alligator jaws? Was that a living toad that leapt out of that split-asunder block of stone? Did those flowers abruptly put forth wings and fly away as tiny birds?

Behold Trunko, the hairy marine elephant-bear that supposedly battled whales off the coast of South Africa almost a century ago. Look around in every direction and witness the very last giant lemurs brought to you from the rainforests of Madagascar, the very same unicorn that was once encountered by Julius Caesar, dinosaur-sized crocodiles from the swamps of the Congo, the elephantine harpoon-tusked sukotyro of Sumatra, gargantuan prehistoric beavers resurrected in modern-day North America, illusive Germanic horned hares and elusive Liberian micro-squirrels, a giant sea snail with antlers and paws from the Sarmatian Sea and a veritable whale-fish from a forgotten Swedish lake, a vanished striped mystery steed from Iberia, enormous toothless freshwater sharks from South America, flying turtles from China and a hippoturtleox from Tibet, sea dragons and pseudo-pterodactyls, and the world's only known tusked megalopedus.

Let us not tarry even a moment longer. The miracles and marvels of Mirabilis await you impatiently inside, to scintillate, spellbind, and stultify your senses. So I bid you welcome, and pray that your visit to this carnival of cryptozoology and unnatural history will be entertaining...and not too perilous!

Genres: Cryptozoology, Nonfiction, Monsters, Science, Paranormal

194 pages, Paperback

First published August 12, 2013

About the author

Dr. Karl P.N. Shuker BSc PhD FRES FZS is a zoologist who is internationally recognised as a world expert in cryptozoology (the scientific investigation of mystery animals whose existence or identity has yet to be formally ascertained), as well as in animal mythology and allied subjects relating to wildlife anomalies and inexplicabilia. He obtained a BSc (Honours) degree in pure zoology at the University of Leeds (U.K.), and a PhD in zoology and comparative physiology at the University of Birmingham (U.K.). He is now a freelance zoological consultant and writer, living in the West Midlands, England.

Reviews

[Kyle Philson · Rating 5 out of 5]

-Kyle Philson host of Expanded Perspectives Podcast
-Free review copy courtesy of Anomalist Books.

This book is a true Monsters Compendium of all things cryptid! If you are fan of cryptozoology like I am, then this is a must have. Dr. Shuker explores all types of creatures big or small from different regions of the world. Like Flying Turtles, Sea Creatures, Giant Lemurs, Dwarf Hippos, Mega Beavers, Crocodilians, Tusked Megalppedus and truly the most terrifying Giant Spiders. As the father of three young boys, my children were as interested in the tales of such creatures as I was. It’s a great compilation for all ages. I also enjoyed the numerous illustrations. All in all, this is a magnificent book on cryptozoology. I give Dr. Shuker 5 stars. If you or anyone you know is in to cryptids, then this is a must have.

[Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! When you start reading it, you could be forgiven for thinking that it was written in a different time thanks to the style, which only lends to the stories told. I loved it, and am very glad I have it in my collection. I’ll be looking into the author’s other books for sure after this one.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of cool beasties

[Cameron Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Shuker does a great job filling this book with the lesser known crypto stories and animals. Being someone who thought I knew something about this subject I quickly learned I did not! This book gave me dozens of new creatures to read about and research myself! This book truly is a Carnival of Cryptozoology and Unnatural History!
Cam Hale
Host of Expanded Perspectives Podcast

[AmbushPredator · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shuker's books are always excellent, and this - a collection of articles written for other publications, and collated here in one book - is satisfying, but not quite as much as a new book would be.