In Search of Lake Monsters

by Peter Costello, Bernard Heuvelmans (Preface), Loren Coleman (Introduction)

This pioneering classic in the field of cryptozoology covers not only the Loch Ness monster, but lake monsters from all over the world-from the Ogopogo of Canada and the "Patagonian Plesiosaur" of Argentina, to Idaho's "Slimey Slim"' and Sweden's "Storsjo," along with the "Bunyip" of Australia and the strange monsters of South Africa. Peter Costello provides a detailed and fascinating overview of lake monster lore-and gives a convincing explanation of the identity of these elusive denizens. This new edition contains a new Afterword by the author, an Introduction by Loren Coleman, and a Preface by Bernard Heuvelmans, the "father of cryptozoology," who wrote: "Peter Costello authoritatively surveys the whole subject, supporting his arguments with a substantial bibliography, and displaying both the elegance of the born writer and the sense of humor essential to every occasion." "Peter Costello makes a fascinating, sometimes frightening case for the existence of Loch Ness-style 'monsters' in a number of freshwater lakes around the world... There's enough here to unnerve the most hardened skeptic..." - Jerome Clark, "Minneapolis Tribune" "An infectiously enthusiastic reappraisal." - "Sunday Telegraph" "Certainly... the whole work is impressive, and it would seem to be a safe bet that Mr. Costello's book will become a standard reference for anyone interested in its perennially fascinating subject." - "The Canberra Times" "It is the world-wide perspective that makes this book worth reading." - "New Scientist"

Genres: Cryptozoology, Nonfiction

388 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1974

Reviews

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have a hard time remembering much about this one. I remember a footnote that a carbuncle could also be a legendary type of animal like an otter with a gem on it's head. I always thought that was a cool little fact.

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Undeniably an entertaining read. Costello has managed a seemingly comprehensive gathering of all available reported sightings of the Loch Ness monster up until the time of publication, and thrown in numerous other lake monsters from around the globe for good measure. But one cannot help but be reminded of Sagan's aphorism that "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence". The claim that heretofore unrecorded animals exist not just in a single body of water in Scotland, but in fact in potentially hundreds of lakes in almost every country, is extraordinary indeed and I fear that mere eyewitness reports do not constitute sufficient evidence to bear these claims out.

I'll freely admit that the absence of evidence is not evidence of an absence, but a complete lack of hard, physical evidence in the 50 years since Costello's book was first published seems telling.

Still, makes for a nice story ;)

[Darnoc Leadburger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a weird book to read because it's a book on the Loch Ness Monster written fifty years ago. That means that there have been fifty years of development in lake monster hunting. So it's a rather obsolete book to read. So do I rate it base on the validity of Costello's claims through today's light, through 1974's light, or how much enjoyment I got out of it?

I chose the latter. The book was easy enough to read, but I feel that sometimes Costello got bogged down in the wealth of info on lake monsters out there and didn't let you chew on the individual ideas long enough. My favorite sections were the ones on mythology and local oral history, which may also be the most timeless parts of the book. Most of the the ideas presented sound solid to me, but I'm no expert and, honestly, not convinced.

Still, it was an enjoyable enough read and a classic of its arena. If you're interested in Nessie or other lake monsters, give this one a shot.