Chasing American Monsters: Over 250 Creatures, Cryptids & Hairy Beasts (Chasing Monsters, 1)

I honestly did not know that I needed a field guide to the cryptids of North America until I found this at my local library. I got halfway through it, then my mother stole it, the due date nearly passed, and I decided I had to have a copy of my own. This gem has (listed alphabetically, by state) a write-up on practically every kind of cryptid you could imagine, from sighting of dinosaurs to the frankly terrifying Native American creatures such as skinwalkers and wendigos to, of course, sightings of Sasquatch. Not only is this an invaluable resource for writers such as myself, seeking ideas for stories, but it's a fun guide to what kind of things people imagine going bump in the night. Or, you know, nightmare fuel, for the imaginative among us. Could be either; depends on the time of day or night that you read certain entries. I would call this an accessible and entry-level guide to cryptids, but there are certainly other works cited and of course the internet is great for researching follow-up questions. But seriously, don't read or tell stories about wendigos or skinwalkers after midnight, or you'll spend sleepless nights like my mother who, on a camping trip, heard tales of Bigfoot tearing off a local farmer's arm and got real twitchy at every breeze that moved the branches above our tent. Time and place, okay? Time and place.

The author goes through all the 50 states, and lists all the monsters and cryptids native to that state. There were alot of stories about sea serpents and lake creatures which are possible. Then there were stories of vampires and werewolves, which are less believable. I actually learned a lot from this book. Who knew a herd of baboons was called a congress. So I guess that makes Nancy Pelosi Dr. Zaius.

Jason Offutt clearly had a good time creating this tour of states and their monsters, and readers will happily come along. All fifty state entries have some interesting nuggets, even for a well-informed cryptozoology fan who's read collections like this before. In my favorite spot, Alaska, he mentions some recent sightings of the Lake Iliamna monster I'd forgotten, although he's another writer who refers to early Russian reports without details or sources. On Stellers' sea ape, Offutt expresses a healthy skepticism that's too often absent here. To get the nitpicks out of the way, Offutt repeats some falsehoods (e.g., that a monster photo appeared in a certain issue of the Tombstone Epitaph when it's long been disproved), and some misstatements like the wels catfish being a species from Spain, when the wels is not native (it has been introduced) and has a far greater range. There are few primary sources here: almost everything is from media and online materials. Nothing wrong with that, but a bit more investigation is warranted before giving us, say, the supposed Loess not-quite-human skeletons. Some creatures presented here are clearly just tales not meant to be taken seriously (pretty much no one believes in fish-eyed Night People, complete with clothes and children) , but many are treated as animals, and it's not always certain which is which (to which the author would no doubt reply that's part of the fun.) All that said, this isn't meant to be a zoological text book,but it succeeds handsomely in being an enjoyable romp through monsters both familiar (Bigfoot shows up a lot) and obscure. Who knew a California woman had reported human-size roaches, or that a Georgia woman was shot as a werewolf, or that a lizard bigger than a Komodo dragon was once reported from Kentucky? Who has heard of the giant amphibious ape that supposedly attacks cars near Dewey Lake, Michigan? Oklahoma is home to more than just football and cows - it has a wolfman, an elkman, and a boarman! Vermont has a pigman, and West Virginia a big primate called the Stone Man. Getting to Wyoming, I never knew that anyone had claimed to see an actual live jackalope. You too, will have a great time reading through these tales. Offutt comments at the end he thinks a few of the monsters are real,but you don't need to believe in any of them to enjoy this book. Wonderful illustrations add to the fun.

This was a gift for my husband and he absolutely loved it. He loved the way the book was organized and read it cover to cover without putting it down.

I loved the light hearted and humorous approach of this book. While not discrediting any of the phenomena related here, Mr offutt reminds us via his wit, not to take ourselves too seriously. Having said that, this is also a really good and comprehensive listing of America's most notorious critters and such, Whether mythic or percieved as real cryptids. Watch out for Cthulu and inebriated bears! Highly recommended.

On Time & as Advertised.

This is a fun read that I used to come up with fun and unique monster ideas for tabletop RPGs. There are no rules or any actual connection to any game system in this book, but the way its organized is super easy and concise to find what you want.

Book provides a brief overview of the Cryptids. Was hoping for a little more of an indepth book

The best quick guide to American cryptozoology. I have many books on the matter and this is the one I refer to for my scouts. Short entries mean that you can read them at your leisure and also read them around the campfire.

Some interesting stories briefly listed under each state of the USA. Enough to wet your appetite to go and research further on your own.

This was bought as a gift for my daughter.She likes books about monsters,Crypitds & Mythical Creatures.She likes this book & we would both recommend it.The book arrived on time in perfect new condition. 😁

Fantastic little book, beautiful illustrations