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Cryptid: The Lost Legacy of Lewis & Clark
The line between history and legend can be deceptively thin. Too thin perhaps to maintain the claim that one is exclusively fact and one fiction. Such may be the case with the history of Lewis and Clark. For the fact is that two hundred years after they were handpicked by Thomas Jefferson to lead an extraordinary expedition to the Pacific Coast legends still persist regarding unexplained gaps in the explorers' field journals.
Call it legend, call it history, Cryptid tells the riveting story of conspiracy theorists who have new evidence of a centuries-old cover-up. When a cryptozoologist, a paleontologist, and a Jefferson descendant begin connecting the dots, they threaten to do more than unveil the well-guarded scientific discovery that lies at the heart of the ancient secret; they threaten to rewrite American history. That is if they can survive a conspiracy that dates back to the Founding Fathers the very same that haunted Lewis to his grave. It may be that one of our nation's first secrets is still being kept.
Cryptid illustrates how the human act of seeking the truth can be the very element that destroys it. Two centuries in the making, Cryptid is the final chapter of the Lewis and Clark story. As with any good tale, the best secrets have been kept until the end.
Call it legend, call it history, Cryptid tells the riveting story of conspiracy theorists who have new evidence of a centuries-old cover-up. When a cryptozoologist, a paleontologist, and a Jefferson descendant begin connecting the dots, they threaten to do more than unveil the well-guarded scientific discovery that lies at the heart of the ancient secret; they threaten to rewrite American history. That is if they can survive a conspiracy that dates back to the Founding Fathers the very same that haunted Lewis to his grave. It may be that one of our nation's first secrets is still being kept.
Cryptid illustrates how the human act of seeking the truth can be the very element that destroys it. Two centuries in the making, Cryptid is the final chapter of the Lewis and Clark story. As with any good tale, the best secrets have been kept until the end.
312 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
110 people want to read
About the author
Eric Penz
1 book12 followersEric Penz is the author of the award-winning novel, Cryptid: The Lost Legacy of Lewis & Clark and the novella, Courage Between.
He earned his bachelor of science degree in environmental biology from Eastern Washington University in 1995. His postgraduate work was done at the University of Washington where he completed a two-year literary program in commercial fiction. He is also an alumni of The Film School. In 2012 he sold his insurance agency to begin a financial advisor practice and focus on his writing. He and his family live in the great Pacific Northwest where he can cycle, mountain climb, and ski all in the same day.
He is currently at work on a short film version of Cryptid and a new trilogy, Secret Combinations.
He earned his bachelor of science degree in environmental biology from Eastern Washington University in 1995. His postgraduate work was done at the University of Washington where he completed a two-year literary program in commercial fiction. He is also an alumni of The Film School. In 2012 he sold his insurance agency to begin a financial advisor practice and focus on his writing. He and his family live in the great Pacific Northwest where he can cycle, mountain climb, and ski all in the same day.
He is currently at work on a short film version of Cryptid and a new trilogy, Secret Combinations.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 8, 2009
A lot of research and outdoor experience went into this novel. So did a lot of good storytelling. This is a very good introductory novel from a young writer who should keep at it.
July 20, 2025
Could an ape species been native to the Americas? And even more curious: Could the species still be living in the remote forests of the PNW?
Despite the title Cryptid is not a horror story. Suspense is plentiful, and the titular character is fantastic. The Lewis and Clark expedition is solely introductory—which seems a missed opportunity. Yet the through-line with Pres Jefferson and Monticello is an ever present, though a weak and not necessarily believable construct.
Romance, action, history, business, politics, conspiracy theory, science fiction, mystery…. Cryptid strives to be all things when I really only wanted a horror novel born of lore and legend.
I can recommend Cryptid. It is well written and has plenty of exciting cliff hangers.
Despite the title Cryptid is not a horror story. Suspense is plentiful, and the titular character is fantastic. The Lewis and Clark expedition is solely introductory—which seems a missed opportunity. Yet the through-line with Pres Jefferson and Monticello is an ever present, though a weak and not necessarily believable construct.
Romance, action, history, business, politics, conspiracy theory, science fiction, mystery…. Cryptid strives to be all things when I really only wanted a horror novel born of lore and legend.
I can recommend Cryptid. It is well written and has plenty of exciting cliff hangers.
September 7, 2016
Cryptid: n. subject of Cryptozoological scrutiny; animals of unexplained form or size, or unexpected occurrence in time or space.
Opening with the alleged suicide of Meriwether Lewis, Cryptid takes the reader two hundred years into the past in order to set the stage for a page-turning, conspiracy theory thriller. The circumstances around Lewis’ death, and the missing journals from the Lewis and Clark expedition, have enough unanswered questions to keep the speculation flying, and author Penz uses this to great advantage.
It doesn’t take long for Penz to move his story into the present time and almost immediately after that he introduces the key player, Gigantopithecus. Long known to be extinct, fossilized remnants of this Giant Ape are concentrated mainly in China, where the natives grind them up to use in various health-giving potions.
Paleontologist Samantha Russell has spent her career seeking the truth about Gigantopithecus, excavating tiny fossilized bits and pieces out of the ground. When a packing crate arrives at her dig site only moments before Chinese government officials escort her out of the country, she barely has time to register that the specimens inside the box are bone, not stone. This discovery prompts her to seek out the sender, cryptozoologist Dr. Jon Ostman, a man virtually excommunicated from the scientific community for his interest in subjects such as the American Sasquatch.
A specimen so recently deceased would be a gold mine and a feather in the cap of whomever published the proof. It would also be an environmental nightmare for the forestry industry, as logging would have to be stopped in the fertile Olympic forests of Washington while an impact study is done. Herein lies the controversy: Big Business and the US Government are teaming up to stop the scientists while other private industries attempt to push forth the exact same discovery.
The story brilliantly balances between scientific theory and heart-pounding thrill. Cryptid mingles science fact with history into a story that equals the best historical mysteries. Some of the best and most plausible information is entirely fictitious, but is handed out in such a manner that the reader will ingest it just as easily as the real thing.
Opening with the alleged suicide of Meriwether Lewis, Cryptid takes the reader two hundred years into the past in order to set the stage for a page-turning, conspiracy theory thriller. The circumstances around Lewis’ death, and the missing journals from the Lewis and Clark expedition, have enough unanswered questions to keep the speculation flying, and author Penz uses this to great advantage.
It doesn’t take long for Penz to move his story into the present time and almost immediately after that he introduces the key player, Gigantopithecus. Long known to be extinct, fossilized remnants of this Giant Ape are concentrated mainly in China, where the natives grind them up to use in various health-giving potions.
Paleontologist Samantha Russell has spent her career seeking the truth about Gigantopithecus, excavating tiny fossilized bits and pieces out of the ground. When a packing crate arrives at her dig site only moments before Chinese government officials escort her out of the country, she barely has time to register that the specimens inside the box are bone, not stone. This discovery prompts her to seek out the sender, cryptozoologist Dr. Jon Ostman, a man virtually excommunicated from the scientific community for his interest in subjects such as the American Sasquatch.
A specimen so recently deceased would be a gold mine and a feather in the cap of whomever published the proof. It would also be an environmental nightmare for the forestry industry, as logging would have to be stopped in the fertile Olympic forests of Washington while an impact study is done. Herein lies the controversy: Big Business and the US Government are teaming up to stop the scientists while other private industries attempt to push forth the exact same discovery.
The story brilliantly balances between scientific theory and heart-pounding thrill. Cryptid mingles science fact with history into a story that equals the best historical mysteries. Some of the best and most plausible information is entirely fictitious, but is handed out in such a manner that the reader will ingest it just as easily as the real thing.
April 17, 2015
Somehow I stumbled across this author's web site and got excited because he lived nearby, worked full time and had still managed to get something written and published. More dots connected because I had recently read (er, listened to) a history of Lewis and Clark and was also starting to work on a novel revolving around a fictional creature and a cover-up. Thankfully, Cryptid is both completely different than what I have in mind and proves that the concept can work.
The early chapters of the book worked the best for me. They draw vivid pictures of convincing characters in dire situations and create a fascinating world of paleontology, anthropology and history in which the creature (bigfoot) can exist, along with the cover-up. But then the story bogs down even as the pace picks up. The middle of the book, filled with thrilling scenes, turns into a muddle -- a seemingly endless chase through the dark (underground and in the forest), filled with nasty people, malevolent beasts and a rising body count. This was not at all what I expected or wanted. And then the end wraps it all up (just like that).
That being said, I found the book hard to put down. The prose is clear and compelling. The dialog is true. Events follow each other pretty logically (though I did find I lost track of a few things). I hope my story turns out at least this well.
The early chapters of the book worked the best for me. They draw vivid pictures of convincing characters in dire situations and create a fascinating world of paleontology, anthropology and history in which the creature (bigfoot) can exist, along with the cover-up. But then the story bogs down even as the pace picks up. The middle of the book, filled with thrilling scenes, turns into a muddle -- a seemingly endless chase through the dark (underground and in the forest), filled with nasty people, malevolent beasts and a rising body count. This was not at all what I expected or wanted. And then the end wraps it all up (just like that).
That being said, I found the book hard to put down. The prose is clear and compelling. The dialog is true. Events follow each other pretty logically (though I did find I lost track of a few things). I hope my story turns out at least this well.
January 21, 2025
This book is AWESOME! I came across a copy at a used bookstore and ended up getting the Audible version as well.
First the complaint: The Audible version is pretty dry. No fault of the author, the reader needs to invoke a little emotion into his voice.
Now the compliments: Wow! Where to start? Bringing Lewis and Clark into the mix, adding the section about them and Thomas Jefferson was sheer brilliance! The play on psychology, the ability not to believe what is before your own eyes, the psychological choice to ignore facts plays very well in this book. This book is essentially a Bigfoot hunt. The strength of this book is the plausibility of the situation. Penz is full of surprises. He is detailed in his descriptions, he plays with your mind in the forests, and he offers some pretty plausible answers to the Bigfoot question. I'm not saying that this book is nonfiction, but wouldn't it be interesting if in 40 years we found that he was closer to the mark than anyone guessed? Could this book be to Bigfoot what Futility was to the Titanic?? Only time will tell.
First the complaint: The Audible version is pretty dry. No fault of the author, the reader needs to invoke a little emotion into his voice.
Now the compliments: Wow! Where to start? Bringing Lewis and Clark into the mix, adding the section about them and Thomas Jefferson was sheer brilliance! The play on psychology, the ability not to believe what is before your own eyes, the psychological choice to ignore facts plays very well in this book. This book is essentially a Bigfoot hunt. The strength of this book is the plausibility of the situation. Penz is full of surprises. He is detailed in his descriptions, he plays with your mind in the forests, and he offers some pretty plausible answers to the Bigfoot question. I'm not saying that this book is nonfiction, but wouldn't it be interesting if in 40 years we found that he was closer to the mark than anyone guessed? Could this book be to Bigfoot what Futility was to the Titanic?? Only time will tell.
November 4, 2008
I was totally blown away with the fabulously luscious language for a thriller! Non stop action, felt like Jurassic Park. Easy for me to see that Eric has spent some rainy nights outdoors. Very convinsing nature discriptions and such fun to read a local book! I am really thinking I should give it 4 stars, but it had such a scary unsetteling ending... with Twilight's vampires and werewolfs and Eric's Bigfoot and scary bad guys I wonder if I ever want to go back to the Peninsula again. Really this book is THAT convinsing! :)
September 18, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It provides a good mix of science, nature, lore and adventure. The setting appealed to me as I grew up in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains and trekked the wet trails of the National Forest. The story has the right mix of "this could happen" and "this never happened". I liked that. This was the author's first rodeo - he will return and only get better. He clearly knows the outdoors, has a background in science and does his homework. I look forward to reading his next novel.
July 19, 2022
This is a Bigfoot book that blends fact and fiction very well. It brings a new element to the story by dropping the Lewis and Clark expedition and playing with that. It is very well written and brilliantly done.
September 19, 2014
Fantastic page turner!! love the flow of the writing and the story and would love to see it continued ! if you want suspense and a thrilling read then this is the book for you !
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews