What do you think?
Rate this book
Monstrous
Move over King Kong, there are new monsters in town! Giant beetles, towering crustaceans, gargantuan felines and massive underwater beasts, to name just a few. Think you've got what it takes to survive their attacks? Then open this baby up, and join today's hottest authors as they show us the true power of Mother Nature's creatures. With enough fangs, pincers and blood to keep you up all night, we promise you won't look at creepy crawlies the same way again.
268 pages, Paperback
First published January 15, 2009
4 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
About the author
Ryan C. Thomas
55 books405 followersI am the author of the novels The Summer I Died, Ratings Game, Born to Bleed, Salticidae, Undead World of Oz, Hissers and more. I hope to learn a lot from the readers on this site, and get some good book recs in the process. Thanks!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 19, 2016
This is a fun little anthology. Yes, there are some clunkers in here. Nearly every anthology I've ever read has had a few. But there are some good stories as well, including a few images that will haunt my dreams. The theme of the stories in this book is "Giant Creatures." I picked this up mainly for the Steve Alten story promised on the cover--I'm a big fan of Alten's work--and his offering, "Lost In Time", doesn't disappoint. You can see the ending coming from a mile away, but it's still fun. Other standout stories for me were Aaron A. Polson's "A Plague From the Mud", Steven Shrewsbury's "Attack of the 500-Foot Porn Star"--very twisted ending!--, Nate Kenyon's "Keeping Watch" which feels almost Lovecraftian, Evan Dicken's "Extinction"--a lovely story, worth the cost of the book by itself--, and Gregory L. Norris' "The Cove." Cody Goodfellow's "The Island of Dr. Otaku" is so gonzo crazy weird that I'm incapable of deciding whether it's bad or good. It warps reality around itself and is probably carcinogenic if swallowed. Insane, I'm telling you. Read it at your own risk. All in all, this was a fun anthology. If it sounds interesting, check it out!
December 9, 2015
Even better the 2nd time around!
November 7, 2019
I’m not sure how I got my hands on this one but I do know that wicked cover sealed the deal even before I clutched it in my greedy hands.
I ate this stuff up. All kinds of giant creatures mucking about. As with a lot of collections, some were okay, and some were wicked good. I’m not going to play favorites. but several stories in here have me adding some new authors to my must read list.
Fans of creature features will have fun with these like I did. They are short stories so character development is limited, but some authors did a bang up job with that. And it is about giant creatures that couldn’t possibly really exist. At least, I hope not. I had some fun, flinched a few times and came out at the end happy to have browsed through these.
I ate this stuff up. All kinds of giant creatures mucking about. As with a lot of collections, some were okay, and some were wicked good. I’m not going to play favorites. but several stories in here have me adding some new authors to my must read list.
Fans of creature features will have fun with these like I did. They are short stories so character development is limited, but some authors did a bang up job with that. And it is about giant creatures that couldn’t possibly really exist. At least, I hope not. I had some fun, flinched a few times and came out at the end happy to have browsed through these.
April 21, 2016
There is every tpye of 'big' creature here. from reptiles, crabs,ticks, rats to prehistoric creatures, they are here to gobble, kill and spread mayhem. There are a few whwere teh creature is the bac story but in most, they are center stage. The best are: Lost In Time, The Enemy Of My Enemy, Savage, Extinction, The Cove, and The Island Od Dr. Otaku. This is the best anthology of giant creatures tales.
November 5, 2010
I must admit there has always been a place in my heart for the old creature features I used to watch as a kid, before the days of cable TV, that the networks would show sometimes on Friday Nights, Saturday Afternoons, and once a year, weekday afternoons (the Japanese monster collection-Godzilla, Gidorah, Monster X, etc). Before VCRs and cable movies saturated us with a constant flow of these old flicks it was a treat to discover a rare old gem with some soggy monster or genetically enhanced or nuclear radiated ant or rat or lizard that had decided to inact revenge on humanity.
This book brought me back to those memories...and twisted and swirled them up as well. We get a whole platoon of the weird and freaky here, from the giant crabs we see on the cover, to giant ants, maggots, giant vampires...and yes, even giant porn stars!
Each story is fairly short and a quick bit of fun, with the emotional content ranging from the terror-inducing, to the gut wrenching, to the ridiculously hilarious (Attack of the 500-Foot Porn Star is a prime example).
It would be hard for me to cite which story was my favorite because I appreciated most of them for what they were worth. Sure, a few fell flat for me but they all had something to offer. From nuclear accidents, scientific experiments, natures revenge, a Twilight Zone type twist (Six-Legged Shadows), to even what HAD to be a author on a wild mind trip (The Island of Dr. Otaku) there is plenty here for the fan of monster madness.
This book is like a classic monster film festival where you spend your entire Saturday with friends having a blast watching monster after monster chew, tear, and rip into every human being that crosses your path. Lots of fun.
This book brought me back to those memories...and twisted and swirled them up as well. We get a whole platoon of the weird and freaky here, from the giant crabs we see on the cover, to giant ants, maggots, giant vampires...and yes, even giant porn stars!
Each story is fairly short and a quick bit of fun, with the emotional content ranging from the terror-inducing, to the gut wrenching, to the ridiculously hilarious (Attack of the 500-Foot Porn Star is a prime example).
It would be hard for me to cite which story was my favorite because I appreciated most of them for what they were worth. Sure, a few fell flat for me but they all had something to offer. From nuclear accidents, scientific experiments, natures revenge, a Twilight Zone type twist (Six-Legged Shadows), to even what HAD to be a author on a wild mind trip (The Island of Dr. Otaku) there is plenty here for the fan of monster madness.
This book is like a classic monster film festival where you spend your entire Saturday with friends having a blast watching monster after monster chew, tear, and rip into every human being that crosses your path. Lots of fun.
June 10, 2009
I wish there had been a bit more diversity in the stories. There were a lot of giant bugs and big things in the water, but I did enjoy it. I only skipped one story (after one paragraph, I was done), but I LOVED Present Tense, Future Imperfect by D.L. Snell. I think he is fast becoming my favorite writer in these anthologies. He is so amazing and I am definitely fangirly about him. I will be a guest author along with him at a convention in September and I will definitely get my books signed by him.
This is definitely worth a read and I'm sure everyone will find something to love.
This is definitely worth a read and I'm sure everyone will find something to love.
April 16, 2017
A unique and diverse collection of Sci-Fi monster short stories that is imaginative and out of the ordinary; from Nate Kenyon’s “yellow eye” thing at the bottom of a lake to Steven Shrewsbury’s “500-foot Porn Star”, these tales are across the board and always fresh and new. So whether it’s giant crabs or itchy things on the battle field, I’m sure you will find something that will entertain you and make you look over your shoulder…
April 18, 2009
I was expecting more cheese from this book. Instead, I felt it tried to take itself too seriously. I was also annoyed by the number of typographical and grammatical errors that increased in number as the book progressed. I finally gave up on this book.
June 11, 2009
"Those who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like"
Sunday afternoon sci-fi in book form.
Sunday afternoon sci-fi in book form.
June 1, 2012
“Six-Legged Shadows” is my second collaboration with David Conyers and I think it’s a cracking good tale, but I may be a bit biased.
September 30, 2012
Enjoyed all the stories except the last one. Some were creepy, others sci-fi(ish), and still others just down right funny.
August 3, 2016
An unspoken follow up to the Daikaiju series. Hit and miss but there were enough to make it worthwhile.
April 18, 2019
I am normally not too much of a fan of anthologies, but I liked this one very much. Some of the stories herein are "meh", as some stories in collections are wont to be, but most are pretty decent or even very, very good.
I do not regret reading this book at all! Very entertaining!
I do not regret reading this book at all! Very entertaining!
Read
June 6, 2022Full review: https://monsterbookclub.com/2022/06/0...
June 29, 2011
3 AND 1/2 STARS.
Overall, this is a very satisfying collection. I found a few typos that I wish were corrected during the editing phase - (hint, hint, Mr. Thomas!) ...but I would definitely recommend this for horror lovers and, of course, fans of giant creatures everywhere. While the average score for this collection is a 6.5 out of 10 -- which is certainly above average -- I've broken down the highlights for fans to jump right to the great ones...
PRESENT TENSE, FUTURE IMPERFECT by D.L. Snell = 6 out of 10
The upside: It had some nice twists and unique details.
The downside: The sense of space and descriptions were sometimes confusing, especially where the characters were in relationship to other people and creatures. Time travel is a no-no.
CRABS by Guy N. Smith = 7 out of 10
The upside: Very dark, unrelenting danger that takes no prisoners.
The downside: Editor Ryan Thomas should have adjusted the very British words for an American audience to smooth over the flow of reading. It took me nearly five minutes to figure out that "French letter" was a condom.
A PLAGUE FROM THE MUD by Aaron A. Polson = 8 out of 10
The upside: Believable scenario with a great foundation. Consistently builds in suspense.
The downside: Should have been a novella or even better; a novel.
LOST IN TIME by Steve Alten = 7 out of 10
The upside: A classic revenge tale; you know exactly where it's going. Great writing.
The downside: You know exactly where it's going. Ending feels like a punch line.
SCALES by J.C.Towler = 6 out of 10
The upside: Unique resolution.
The downside: Basic cave dive. Some confusing bits and not everything connected smoothly.
THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY by Patrick Rutigliano = 5 out of 10
The upside: Delightfully gross and descriptive. Will make you itch all over.
The downside: The clunky sentences give the story a rocky tempo. Switching uniforms had
no payoff.
SAVAGE by E. Anderson = 4 out of 10
The upside: Antagonist point of view was nice.
The downside: Overwritten. The entire premise has been written hundreds of times in Conan.
ATTACK OF THE 500-FOOT PORN STAR by Steven L. Shrewsbury = 6 out of 10
The upside: The title says it all.
The downside: The title says it all. A continuity error.
KEEPING WATCH by Nate Kenyon = 8 out of 10
The upside: Very smooth prose, beautifully paced, great ending.
The downside: Only if you miss out on reading this one.
NIRVANA by James Thomas Jeans = 9 out of 10
The upside: Incredibly fast paced, loaded with danger and humanity, amazing premise.
The downside: I want a novel of this material!
THE LONG DARK SUBMISSION by Paul Stuart = 3 out of 10
The upside: It's only 11 pages.
The downside: Confusing descriptions. Feels uninspired.
WHATEVER BECAME OF RANDY by James A. Moore 8 out of 10
The upside: Original concept, clean prose, has characters you care about and can relate to.
The downside: Even in a world of giant creatures, this one is still hard to swallow.
COOTIES by Randy Chandler = 8 out of 10
The upside: Delightfully dirty and a huge guilty pleasure of perverse fun.
The downside: The double ending was not necessary.
EXTINCTION by Evan Dicken = 9 out of 10
The upside: Extremely satisfying with beautifully painted mythology. Hugely entertaining.
A great achievement being the author's first published story.
The downside: Setup feels a little familiar.
THE COVE by Gregory L. Norris = 4 out of 10
The upside: Blends genres of a crime thriller and monsters.
The downside: Too convoluted, with too many problems to get into. Creatures seem like an afterthought. Characters felt shallow and two dimensional.
THE LOCUSTS HAVE A KING by R. Thomas Riley = 6 out of 10
The upside: Authentic military mission with good characters and flows nicely.
The downside: Feels a little incomplete and rushed with background details and mythology.
THE BIG BITE by Jeff Strand = 8 out of 10
The upside: A unique and consistent voice with extremely smooth and clever prose.
The downside: Ending felt like an afterthought.
GONE FISHIN' by John R. Platt = 6 out of 10
The upside: Small, focused story without using nuclear waste or government cover-ups.
The downside: Characters seemed distant. There was no description of the creature other than being big with teeth.
SIX-LEGGED SHADOWS by David Conyers & Brian M. Sammons = 7 out of 10
The upside: Nicely crafted and thoroughly conceived, leaving a nice trail of clues.
The downside: A twist on a popular theme which could be spoiled early for some readers.
THE ISLAND OF DR. OTAKU by Cody Goodfellow = 5 out of 10
The upside: Fans of the Japanese Kaiju genre will most likely enjoy this.
The downside: I couldn't get into the story, not a fan of obvious political views, especially in a short.
Overall, this is a very satisfying collection. I found a few typos that I wish were corrected during the editing phase - (hint, hint, Mr. Thomas!) ...but I would definitely recommend this for horror lovers and, of course, fans of giant creatures everywhere. While the average score for this collection is a 6.5 out of 10 -- which is certainly above average -- I've broken down the highlights for fans to jump right to the great ones...
PRESENT TENSE, FUTURE IMPERFECT by D.L. Snell = 6 out of 10
The upside: It had some nice twists and unique details.
The downside: The sense of space and descriptions were sometimes confusing, especially where the characters were in relationship to other people and creatures. Time travel is a no-no.
CRABS by Guy N. Smith = 7 out of 10
The upside: Very dark, unrelenting danger that takes no prisoners.
The downside: Editor Ryan Thomas should have adjusted the very British words for an American audience to smooth over the flow of reading. It took me nearly five minutes to figure out that "French letter" was a condom.
A PLAGUE FROM THE MUD by Aaron A. Polson = 8 out of 10
The upside: Believable scenario with a great foundation. Consistently builds in suspense.
The downside: Should have been a novella or even better; a novel.
LOST IN TIME by Steve Alten = 7 out of 10
The upside: A classic revenge tale; you know exactly where it's going. Great writing.
The downside: You know exactly where it's going. Ending feels like a punch line.
SCALES by J.C.Towler = 6 out of 10
The upside: Unique resolution.
The downside: Basic cave dive. Some confusing bits and not everything connected smoothly.
THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY by Patrick Rutigliano = 5 out of 10
The upside: Delightfully gross and descriptive. Will make you itch all over.
The downside: The clunky sentences give the story a rocky tempo. Switching uniforms had
no payoff.
SAVAGE by E. Anderson = 4 out of 10
The upside: Antagonist point of view was nice.
The downside: Overwritten. The entire premise has been written hundreds of times in Conan.
ATTACK OF THE 500-FOOT PORN STAR by Steven L. Shrewsbury = 6 out of 10
The upside: The title says it all.
The downside: The title says it all. A continuity error.
KEEPING WATCH by Nate Kenyon = 8 out of 10
The upside: Very smooth prose, beautifully paced, great ending.
The downside: Only if you miss out on reading this one.
NIRVANA by James Thomas Jeans = 9 out of 10
The upside: Incredibly fast paced, loaded with danger and humanity, amazing premise.
The downside: I want a novel of this material!
THE LONG DARK SUBMISSION by Paul Stuart = 3 out of 10
The upside: It's only 11 pages.
The downside: Confusing descriptions. Feels uninspired.
WHATEVER BECAME OF RANDY by James A. Moore 8 out of 10
The upside: Original concept, clean prose, has characters you care about and can relate to.
The downside: Even in a world of giant creatures, this one is still hard to swallow.
COOTIES by Randy Chandler = 8 out of 10
The upside: Delightfully dirty and a huge guilty pleasure of perverse fun.
The downside: The double ending was not necessary.
EXTINCTION by Evan Dicken = 9 out of 10
The upside: Extremely satisfying with beautifully painted mythology. Hugely entertaining.
A great achievement being the author's first published story.
The downside: Setup feels a little familiar.
THE COVE by Gregory L. Norris = 4 out of 10
The upside: Blends genres of a crime thriller and monsters.
The downside: Too convoluted, with too many problems to get into. Creatures seem like an afterthought. Characters felt shallow and two dimensional.
THE LOCUSTS HAVE A KING by R. Thomas Riley = 6 out of 10
The upside: Authentic military mission with good characters and flows nicely.
The downside: Feels a little incomplete and rushed with background details and mythology.
THE BIG BITE by Jeff Strand = 8 out of 10
The upside: A unique and consistent voice with extremely smooth and clever prose.
The downside: Ending felt like an afterthought.
GONE FISHIN' by John R. Platt = 6 out of 10
The upside: Small, focused story without using nuclear waste or government cover-ups.
The downside: Characters seemed distant. There was no description of the creature other than being big with teeth.
SIX-LEGGED SHADOWS by David Conyers & Brian M. Sammons = 7 out of 10
The upside: Nicely crafted and thoroughly conceived, leaving a nice trail of clues.
The downside: A twist on a popular theme which could be spoiled early for some readers.
THE ISLAND OF DR. OTAKU by Cody Goodfellow = 5 out of 10
The upside: Fans of the Japanese Kaiju genre will most likely enjoy this.
The downside: I couldn't get into the story, not a fan of obvious political views, especially in a short.
January 6, 2014
Maybe 3 or 4 original enjoyable stories, rest unfortunately all follow basically the same formula of monster shows up, monster eats everyone, the end. Also the publisher either doesn't have a copy editor or they're not great, half the stories have basic copy errors, they instead of the, were instead of we etc.
November 13, 2015
Well this book was unique and it aint for everybody that's for sure. If you like giant monster tales, and really off the wall stories, well this one might be right up your alley. It has a very well rounded mix of writers and the subject matter goes from one extreme to the other. Permuted Press really has some gumption going out on a limb to release books that are strange and unique.
Danny
Danny
August 7, 2010
It was ok. Steve Alten's story was my favorite!
August 12, 2011
Most of the stories I enjoyed. One I especially enjoyed was by Jeff Strand titled The Big Bite. It was about a sixty-five foot vampire.
May 12, 2012
Like most theme based anthologies, there is a mix of good stories and bad stories, though, sadly, there are more bad ones than good ones.
January 19, 2014
Fun and fluff and a good ride. See my in depth review on Lurid-lit.com
January 17, 2016
A series of delightful reads about embiggened animals and the people who were really not ready to encounter them.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews