Mystery Animals of London - In Print!

Excellent news: Neil Arnold's new book, Mystery Animals of the British Isles: London, has just been published by CFZ Press.

If you're in the UK, you can buy the book right here, and if you're in the US, click on this link.

And, here's the press-release that accompanies this must-buy title, which runs to more than 400-packed pages:






MYSTERY ANIMALS OF THE BRITISH ISLES: LONDON
A Book By Neil Arnold

PRESS RELEASE

Roll up, roll up! For the monster mystery tour, step right this way. Read all about, read all about it, panic on the streets of London!

For many centuries the streets, sewer systems, skies, waters, and darkest corners of the capital have been inhabited by strange creatures. Some folklore, some fact.

MYSTERY ANIMALS OF…LONDON, a new, richly illustrated, fully indexed 385 page volume written by full-time monster hunter Neil Arnold, published by CFZ Press, is a unique surreal safari through the concrete jungle of London, which explores a menagerie of the strange, creatures cast from the Ark, half-hinted and yet persistent in their presence.

Recoil in horror at tales concerning elusive ‘big cats’ on the prowl through London’s leafy suburbs, with yarns pertaining to the ‘beast of Sydenham’, the lioness of Winchmore Hill, the Edgware tiger, and the classic Surrey puma - a long-lasting mystery which Neil proves may well have its origins centuries previous to the 1960s flap which made national headlines.

And then there are the abominable animals said to lurk in the depths of the River Thames and other London rivers, ponds and lakes, from tales of alligators, crocodiles, piranha, snapping turtles and even sharks, to grim legends of monster rats, slithering snakes and serpents.

And don’t forget the aerial oddities, with weird tales of giant birds in the skies over London – eagles, parakeets and monstrous griffins and dragons.

MYSTERY ANIMALS OF…LONDON looks at creaky old tales of animals escaping from private menageries, zoo parks and circuses. And then there are the monsters of the mind, for instance, the case of Hampstead’s phantom ape, the spectral bears of Chelsea, frothing hellhounds at Newgate, a ghostly chicken…yes, you read it correct!

And who could forget the ripping yarns pertaining to mermaids, Spring-Heeled Jack, glowing lions, flying jellyfish, birds of death, the London Underground man-beast, the Stratford Goatman, fairies, hellish horses and the case of the Highgate ‘vampire’.

An essential read on a foggy night for any monster-hunter, historian, paranormal enthusiast or general fan of the macabre and the mysterious.

Priced £15.00 from Amazon and all good book shops, MYSTERY ANIMALS OF THE BRITISH ISLES: LONDON, where the wild things are…dare you venture forth on this expedition of the extraordinary and lift the lid on London’s ludicrous and most devilish denizens ?

ISBN 978-1-905723-71-3

Loren Coleman on Binnall of America

This just in from Tim Binnall, host of Binnall of America:

Loren Coleman, An In-Depth Conversation on Cryptozoology, 1 Hour, 51 Minutes:

Here's Tim himself to tell you more:

Making his long-awaited return to BoA:Audio, the iconic Loren Coleman joins us for an in-depth and richly arrayed conversation about cryptozoology.

We'll talk about Loren's amazing International Cryptozoology Museum and have a lengthy discussion on Bigfoot as well as the state of Bigfoot research.

We'll also cover a veritable menagerie of cryptids including the Orang Pendek, Yeti, the Loch Ness Monster, Champ, Ogopogo, the Montauk Monster, Alien Big Cats, Chupacabras, Thunderbirds and even the Tazelwurm.

It's a conversation which spans the pantheon of cryptozoology's most famous and infamous creatures with the legendary Loren Coleman.

Real Nightmares!

Yep, another one for Halloween: at my regular Lair of the Beasts column at Mania.com, I have just reviewed Vol's 1 and 2 of Brad Steiger's latest release: Real Nightmares, an e-book-based series that, as well as covering all things ghostly and paranormal, will be of deep interest to fans of cryptozoology.

Werewolves, Bigfoot, weird snakes and more - they're all in here!

And here's the link to the review.

The Stone Werewolf

Over at my "Pics of the Day" blog, I tell the strange story of the stone werewolf of Texas. Definitely one for Halloween!

Boggy Creek - A Book!

This is great news: early next year, Anomalist Books will be publishing Lyle Blackburn's book, The Beast of Boggy Creek: The True Story of the Fouke Monster.

It's about time that we get to read a full-length, definitive study of one of the United States' most legendary man-beasts!

I've met Lyle on several occasions - most recently when me, Ken Gerhard and Craig Woolheater hung out on a Sunday night in the cool house in which Lyle and his wife Sandy live, which is an incredible shrine to all-things monstrous!

Lyle is also the singer in an excellent band called Ghoultown, whose Life After Sundown CD I'll be reviewing shortly.

The picture above shows Lyle at the Oklahoma-based Cryptid Fest that me and Ken Gerhard spoke at in September.

Profiling The Man-Monkey

Once again, I'm dissecting Britain's most notorious Bigfoot-like entity - the Man-Monkey of the Shropshire Union Canal. Okay, when I say dissecting, I don't mean literally! I mean investigating! But you know that, right? Right...?

Monstrous Ghosts?

Why are so many cryptozoological beasts so elusive (in fact, consistently elusive)?

Could it be that what we are dealing with - in some cases, at least - not living animals at all, but the ghostly forms of long-dead, or long-extinct, creatures?

Whether you agree with such a controversial scenario or not, it's the subject of my latest post over at Mysterious Universe.

Chupacabra Synchronicity

A case of mere coincidence, or an odd occurrence of Chupacabra-style synchronicity?

Real Nightmares: A New Series

This is excellent news! Visible Ink Press have just unleashed a new project from macabre-master Brad Steiger.

Titled Real Nightmares: True and Truly Scary Unexplained Phenomena, it's a monthly series of e-books covering a wide range of paranormal topics, including strange creatures.

I'll be reviewing the first two editions of Real Nightmares next week at my Reviews of the Mysterious Kind blog.

But, in the meantime, you can find out all about Real Nightmares at this link at Visible Ink Press.

And, of course, you can purchase the books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all numerous other good book sellers.

Monster Vs. UFO!

What it is the connection between a flying monster and the world's most famous UFO event? Read on...!

A Hexham Heads Appeal

The strange saga of what have become known as the Hexham Heads is legendary within British Fortean circles.

Not only that, it's also a tale with definitive werewolf-style overtones attached to it.

And for those wishing to learn more about this curious story - that began in 1972, or much earlier depending on with who you speak - check out an excellent paper on the subject by Paul Screeton, which can be found in his book I reviewed a couple of months ago, I Fort The Lore.

But, there's more to come - and it's great news too!

Paul is in the process of writing a full-length book on the Hexham Heads, which is to be published next year.

And, of course, whenever an author digs into a decades-old saga, there are inevitably leads to chase down, and people to find.

Which brings me to the point of this blog-post - an appeal from Paul, which I will let him relate in his own words.

Over to Paul:

This appeal is self-contained but stems from a posting on the 'Forteana' forum. It featured a 1982 foray into New Scientist by Dr Don Robins, an inorganic chemist associated with The Dragon project. Anyone know where Don is in 2011?

Ah, earth energies and the mystery that dare not speak its name - ley power!

Dr Don Robins, a blast from the past. I'm researching the Hexham Heads mystery and the role this inorganic chemist played in the saga. I knew Don quite well and after a The Ley Hunter mag moot, had a drink with him and his buddy at Jack Straw's Castle pub, Hampstead.

We also corresponded and at one stage Don requested a sliver from a pseudo-archaic head which had been made by a local Hexham man, Des Craigie, in response to Celtic scholar Dr Anne Ross's challenge that if he, Des, had made the original Hexham Heads, as he claimed, she wanted to see him repeat the feat.

Oddly the three demonstration models only resembled the originals in the later form (after a geologist had butchered their tenons for analysis).

When everyone else believed the originals had been sent back to Newcastle University Museum of Antiquities and from there returned to their owners, the Robson family, who (re?) discovered them, Dr Ross pulled out a box in her study and handed them over to Don Robins, who she had just met. Ross and Robins went on to collaborate on a book and subsequently fell out big time.

Don never sent a report into his findings and wrote in an Alpha mag piece that he had loaned the idols to Frank Hyde, an astrologer, for tests and Hyde had been involved in a car crash and seriously injured.

I have been unable to trace Hyde nor the whereabouts of the original heads. I am also trying to track a mysterious figure called Wild or Wilde, supposedly married to an African princess, who collected Celtic artifacts and who met Dr Ross 30 or so years ago.

Lastly, I have lost touch with Don, who I believe may now be in the US? I would appreciate any leads to find any of those mentioned (except Dr Ross, with whose son I have been in recent contact), particularly Don.

Paul Screeton.

Note from Nick: If you can help Paul re the above (and, indeed, on just about any aspect of the Hexham Heads puzzle), he welcomes your emails. You can reach him at: screetonpaul@yahoo.co.uk

Puerto Rican Vampirism?

Over at my "peculiar pictures" blog (not its real name, but it will suffice!), you can find a new story - and accompanying photo, of course - from me on one of the many bizarre experiences I have had on Puerto Rico while searching for the Chupacabra.

Black Dogs & Ball Lightning

My latest Lair of the Beasts post at Mania.com - on black dogs and ball-lightning...

Goat-Man Weirdness!

My latest article for Mysterious Universe - on the controversy surrounding Lake Worth, Texas' Goat-Man...

Monster Memoirs Vs Monster Memoirs

I notice that Josh Gates - of TV's Destination Truth - has a book out. Its title: Destination Truth: Memoirs of a Monster Hunter.

Er...didn't someone else once write a book called Memoirs of a Monster Hunter?

What's also interesting is that right next to my photo on the back cover of my Memoirs it describes the book with the following opening words: "Part X-Files, part Crocodile Hunter..."

On the back of Gates' book, right next to his photo, it describes the book with the following opening words: "Part journey into the unexplained, part hilarious travelogue..."

Hmmmm...

Texas Monsters at EPIC

Yesterday afternoon, with Ken Gerhard, I went along to the monthly meeting of the Grapevine, Texas-based EPIC group, where Ken was due to lecture on our book, Monsters of Texas.

As for Ken's lecture, he gave a fine presentation on a wide range of beasts seen throughout Texas for decades - and, in some cases, even longer - including Bigfoot, wild-men of the woods, the notorious Lake Worth Goat-Man, giant winged monsters and flying humanoids, big cats, out of place alligators, the so-called Texas Chupacabra, and a great deal more too.

And, if you aren't aware of EPIC (Extraordinary Phenomena Investigations Council (the brainchild of Ken Cherry), I recommend you check them out as they are doing some excellent work in all realms of unknown phenomena.

A fine time was had, lots of questions were asked (which is always a good sign that the audience is interested!), and even none other than Jim Marrs came along to listen! And with a few good beers and dinner afterwards, it was a good afternoon and evening!

Orang-Pendek Update

The Center for Fortean Zoology's Richard Freeman has a new post in the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper on Orang-Pendek, which provides yet more fascinating insight into the beast.

Monster Hot-Spots

My latest Lair of the Beasts column at Mania.com on why certain locations seem to attract far more than their fair share of strange beasts...

A Cryptozoological Passing

This year has seen far more than its fair share of passings in the field of Forteana. And, now, there's another one - this one being very significant to the field of Cryptozoology, as Loren Coleman notes over at Cryptomundo.

Bigfoot Poll Results

Well, the results of my first poll at this blog - on the nature of Bigfoot - are in, and they make for interesting reading.

Of the 4 options for what Bigfoot might be, the results are as follows:

Gigantopithecus: 19 Percent.
An Unknown Animal: 50 Percent.
A Paranormal Entity: 21 Percent.
A Myth: 9 Percent.

Of course, in a poll such as this, it's difficult to gauge what we can learn from these figures. And, equally of course, under no circumstances at all should those same results be viewed as being in any way definitive - of anything.

After all, one might argue that because my views on Bigfoot are somewhat alternative in nature, this might mean people who share my views tend to gravitate more to this blog than to one which caters more for those who view Bigfoot as a purely flesh-and-blood creature.

The result: More votes for the paranormal theory than one might be inclined to see elsewhere.

I was most intrigued to find, however, that almost 1 in 10 people thought that Bigfoot was mythological.

So, all in all, an interesting set of results that provide a good indication of some of the beliefs, theories and conclusions of people who read this blog.

I'll be posting another poll later today or tomorrow, so be sure to vote!

PS: You'll see that the percentages above add up to 99 percent, not 100 percent. What happened to that elusive 1 percent? I have no idea!