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Monsters and Creatures: Discover Beasts from Lore and Legends
Have you ever wanted to track Bigfoot? Slay a dragon? Introduce yourself to a vampire?From the writer of Gods and Goddesses, Monsters and Creatures delves into the legends of some of the world's best known and most bizarre beasts and ghastly creations, revealing the facts and the fictions.Explore the real-life origins of some of the strangest creatures ever encountered in the murky depths, in enchanted forests – and even one or two who could be lurking under your bed. Discover the real werewolves of medieval Europe, glimpse the magical history of the famed unicorn and encounter the terrifying bloodsucking dogs of Mexico.All these and more are found within the pages of Monsters and Creatures. More than a bestiary, this carefully researched book documents the mythologies, sightings and origins of over 100 weird and wonderful beasties from every continent and every time period, including modern monsters stalking us today. All of these creatures have inspired films, books, scientific research, poems and music, as well as our collective dreams and nightmares. It's time to come meet them and find out the amazing true stories behind these legendary mythical beasts.
- GenresNonfictionHorror
179 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 18, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 14, 2018
Loved loved loved it.
what a great introduction to the world of monsters.
I bought it for my niece but ended up enjoying it so much i bought myself a copy too.
as a fan of fantasy books its great to see some of the real life origins of great movie and literary monsters and creatures.
Loved that it included a handy reference guide in each chapter.
what a great introduction to the world of monsters.
I bought it for my niece but ended up enjoying it so much i bought myself a copy too.
as a fan of fantasy books its great to see some of the real life origins of great movie and literary monsters and creatures.
Loved that it included a handy reference guide in each chapter.
October 12, 2018
This was a fun read and a great insight to monsters and creatures. It also includes a list of other books for further reading on the topic.
March 28, 2022
Of ghosties and ghoulies and long-legged beasties and things that go bump in the night …
'Monsters and Creatures' is a fascinating compendium of animals, spirits, incarnations and all manner of weird and wonderful beasties from folklore and fable. Author Gabiann Marin has delved into the darkest reaches of history and mythology to produce a well-structured and meticulously researched collation of creatures, large and small, from every corner of the globe. From familiar demons of book and film such as vampires and werewolves to the extraordinary inventions of mythology that are the Gorgon, the Basilisk and the Hydra, this book provides detailed information on the origins, appearance, folklore and frequently frightening habits of these supernatural beings.
Part of the enduring fascination with these creatures is the question of whether they could possibly exist. Gabiann Marin takes an often light-hearted approach to historical records of sightings and manifestations and includes some well-known hoaxes such as the famous photograph of the Loch Ness Monster and early attempts to ‘create’ marvellous creatures using the corpses of animals.
The history of many of the beasts that have become part of popular culture makes mesmerising reading. Who knew that St George who famously slayed the dragon was originally a Roman soldier? That early reports of the bunyip described its preferred method of killing its prey as hugging it to death? That sixteenth-century Dutch sailors sold varnished stingrays claiming them to be the bodies of mermaids? All of these curious facts and anecdotes provide a window into the human imagination throughout the ages — and into the modern era. Alongside space travel and the scientific advances of the nuclear age sit the remnants of ancient traditions that describe mythical beasts as old as civilisation itself.
'Monsters and Creatures' is a well-written and thoroughly researched guide that serves up a rich cornucopia of fantastic beings. This is a very readable book, even for those not addicted to the horror genre and desperately awaiting the next iteration of 'The Mummy’s Curse'. It presents a whimsical treatment of an age-old human preoccupation that reflects the almost limitless capacity of the imagination. Highly recommended.
'Monsters and Creatures' is a fascinating compendium of animals, spirits, incarnations and all manner of weird and wonderful beasties from folklore and fable. Author Gabiann Marin has delved into the darkest reaches of history and mythology to produce a well-structured and meticulously researched collation of creatures, large and small, from every corner of the globe. From familiar demons of book and film such as vampires and werewolves to the extraordinary inventions of mythology that are the Gorgon, the Basilisk and the Hydra, this book provides detailed information on the origins, appearance, folklore and frequently frightening habits of these supernatural beings.
Part of the enduring fascination with these creatures is the question of whether they could possibly exist. Gabiann Marin takes an often light-hearted approach to historical records of sightings and manifestations and includes some well-known hoaxes such as the famous photograph of the Loch Ness Monster and early attempts to ‘create’ marvellous creatures using the corpses of animals.
The history of many of the beasts that have become part of popular culture makes mesmerising reading. Who knew that St George who famously slayed the dragon was originally a Roman soldier? That early reports of the bunyip described its preferred method of killing its prey as hugging it to death? That sixteenth-century Dutch sailors sold varnished stingrays claiming them to be the bodies of mermaids? All of these curious facts and anecdotes provide a window into the human imagination throughout the ages — and into the modern era. Alongside space travel and the scientific advances of the nuclear age sit the remnants of ancient traditions that describe mythical beasts as old as civilisation itself.
'Monsters and Creatures' is a well-written and thoroughly researched guide that serves up a rich cornucopia of fantastic beings. This is a very readable book, even for those not addicted to the horror genre and desperately awaiting the next iteration of 'The Mummy’s Curse'. It presents a whimsical treatment of an age-old human preoccupation that reflects the almost limitless capacity of the imagination. Highly recommended.
May 13, 2019
3.5 ⭐️s - A decent enough, albeit brief, encyclopedia of creatures. Though it was selective as to which myths it included; as often their are numerous myths within a mythology dealing with similar people & situations. (For example, Perseus, Bellerophon and Pegasus have a number of different myths about them, often overlapping).
In addition, there was a shocking lack of Egyptian myths, gods and creatures included. Along with several errors, especially mixing-up gods & heroes with other gods & heroes (the Medusa entry was 99% wrong).
Hence the middling score
In addition, there was a shocking lack of Egyptian myths, gods and creatures included. Along with several errors, especially mixing-up gods & heroes with other gods & heroes (the Medusa entry was 99% wrong).
Hence the middling score
October 18, 2020
An interesting read but a lot of the myths I felt like were combined with other myths to create filler. On the chapter about unicorns and night mares the field guide listed centaurs three different times, one as centaurs themselves, one as Chiron, a named scholarly centaur, and the kentauride which was combined under the centaur heading. Again I felt like this was filler material.
September 28, 2023
A good launching off point for what I was looking for. It gave me creatures to research more deeply.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews