Hunting Monsters – D. Naish

Hunting Monsters: Cryptozoology and the Reality Behind the Myths
Darren Naish
2016, Arcturtus (U.K.)

Drawing on the best old and new cryptozoological literature and the author’s professional knowledge of zoology and paleontology, this book is a fresh view under the surface of cryptozoology, into the weeds in some cases. It had to be done. Naish is an advocate of ending “cryptozoological literalism”, that is, to assume that the stories and legends of animals all represent creatures unrecognized by science. Instead, a view is emerging of cryptozoology as a hybrid subject including biologic and zoologic themes but influenced very heavily by human perception, psychology and folklore. In that respect, the evidence for the biological reality for famous cryptids as unidentified animals is absent. This book is one of several newer, scientifically-based, well-referenced works that dig far deeper into the field than just telling monster stories. It aims to reveal what is reasonable to accept about cryptids and what is unreasonable and almost certainly false. Revealing the flaws and errors of the field, however, does not actually diminish the scholarly purposes for it. This book is available only in Kindle for the first release and may be printed in paperback in the future. It is recommended for those serious about the science and reputation of cryptozoology.
-Sharon Hill

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