The Atlas of the Unexplained: Mothman

by Zach Bales

For thousands of years, reports of winged beasts have emerged from every culture on every continent. It wasn’t until the 20th century, however, that interest in these extraordinary tales reached a fever pitch: On November 16, 1966, four teenagers ran afoul an enormous, demon-like figure with tremendous wings and bulbous, blood-red eyes near Point Pleasant, West Virginia. This incident, the first in a series of otherworldly encounters, captured the imagination of a generation and signaled the arrival of the Mothman. In the years since, many researchers have journeyed to coalfields of West Virginia hoping to unravel the mystery—hoping to chase the legend.

Join Zach Bales, the Paranormal Roadtripper, as he embarks on a soaring adventure from the swamplands of Florida to the canyonlands of Arizona—from the Bavarian Alps to the West Virginia Appalachians. In his quest, Bales will plunge deep into the history and mystery of the Mothman Saga—much of which is in danger of being lost forever in the fog of memory and time—and he will experience firsthand what it is like to grapple with unusual, Mothman-like phenomena. Along the way, Bales will visit the abandoned munitions facility near Point Pleasant where the legend of the Mothman began, and, with the help of West Virginia's foremost cryptozoologists, he will pinpoint the exact whereabouts of many of the significant locations in the history of the Mothman Saga.

With detailed maps to many of investigative hotspots in the Ohio Valley and beyond, The Atlas of the Unexplained: Mothman takes readers on a stirring expedition in search of answers to the age-old question—“Do monsters exist?

190 pages, Paperback

Published August 25, 2024

About the author

Zach Bales has had an interest in the paranormal for as long as he can remember. Growing up in rural Kentucky in the foothills of Appalachia, Bales spent much of his youth fascinated by tales of ghosts, monsters, and “little green men.” His interest in the paranormal has taken him to the far corners of the North American continent and to twenty-four countries spanning the globe.

Over the years, Bales has come face to face with many of Earth’s most compelling mysteries—from the jungles of Latin America to the cradle of civilization in the Middle East, from the moors of England and Scotland to the Alaskan Frontier. Bales has documented many of these encounters in his four books—The Amateur’s Guide to Ghost Hunting, The Expert’s Guide to Ghost Hunting, The Bigfooter’s Atlas, and The UFO Chaser’s Atlas. In December 2020, The Bigfooter’s Atlas was recognized as the “Book of the Year” by Loren Coleman’s International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.

Bales’ fascination with folklore and storytelling led him to pursue a career in the study of English language and literature. After obtaining a BA from Eastern Kentucky University and an MA from the University of the Cumberlands, Bales sought a position in Secondary English Education, where he has spent the better part of two decades. In October 2020, Bales was recognized as the Kentucky Teacher of the Week.

Bales is a regular on the convention and festival circuit, appearing alongside his wife, Melissa, at events throughout the United States. Bales has been featured in television and film as well as on a number of nationally syndicated radio programs.

In August 2022, Bales opened Paranormal Roadtripper’s Nightmare Gallery in Somerset, Kentucky, which features his collection of curiosities—a menagerie of the unexplained, the unusual, and the otherworldly—as well as a one-of-a-kind gift shop.

What’s past is prologue.