Cryptozoologicon: Volume I

The release of the Cryptozoologicon was well-timed - I had recently finished a short story revolving around a Cryptid Zoo, though I hadn't heard of the Cryptozoologicon until afterwards. I was told about it by a friend, and I'd (unknowingly) read some material by Darren Naish before. I went back to it and found it thoroughly entertaining and informative, so I thought: Why not? While I may be a skeptic now, I was once enamoured by the menagerie of modern megafauna claimed to roam our world, and during the writing of the aforementioned short story I had to come up with novel biologies for the cryptids in question - it was difficult.This was well worth the price. I'd assumed it was simply going to be a run-down of the most famous cryptids, along with speculative identifications and evolutionary histories for them, like a Dougal Dixon/Wayne Barlowe Speculative biology textbook, but there's so much more to it that justifies the purchase.Each Cryptid gets a history of sightings, reports and descriptions, and then an honest and thorough run-down of the evidence. Alas, most Crypto-enthusiasts will despise this book for not only the skeptical look it takes but for the sometimes condescending tone of speculative sections ("Of course, eventually the Chupacabra will lose its inexplicable natural fear of humans AND THE IVORY TOWER SCIENTISTS WILL BE SORRY THEN!"), but Naish explains in the introduction that this is a reflection of some actual statements by Cryptozoologists, so hopefully everyone who reads it can file it as Sarcasm and be O.K. with it. It certainly amused me, at least.Some of the Cryptids take very new turns, and some very old ones. I'd always pictured the Chupacabras as a terrestrial, pack-hunting bat species, and thus the big and spindled hands and pointed dish-ears. Naish and artist John Conway, however, envision them as monster marsupials descended from the Possum (!). One take I've certainly never heard before! Others, which are completely mythical, are given startlingly plausible life by Darren & crew: The Kelpie is imagined as a horse-like 'chevrotain' (a group of mammals I was unfamiliar with) equipped with a greasy, insulating pelt that stalks the shores of European Lakes on foggy evenings. The thought that went into making such a profoundly absurd beast strikingly plausible is engaging and very original; indeed, the most obscure of mystery-beasts get the most entertaining treatment. The old familiars - Yeti, Sasquatch and Sea Serpents are all on full display, and are the typical things you would expect (Large primates, Long-necked Seals, etc.), but all is fairly plausible. Indeed, with one exception, all of the creatures described make good sense. Naish has not only thoroughly examined all the monsters of classic crypto-lore, but one-upped the Cryptozoologists in inventing interesting and novel ideas for what these animals would be if they actually existed.If I had one complaint, I'd say it was that I wanted to know more about certain creatures (The Chupacabra, my personal favorite, got a bit of a short stick - I'd like to know why the Hell they have those manic-looking spines, and what the Hell they're for - mating display? Threat displays against opposing predators?) and a little less about some (Con Rit, envisioned as a gargantuan arthropod, seemed a bit of a stretch even by spec-bio standards - a big Sea Turtle would've worked just as well, I think), but that's a personal nitpick and not any reason to stay away. Indeed, one miss out of all twenty-eight creatures featured is no reason to avoid a book as fun and creative as this one is.If you're a Scientist, you'll like the inclusion of actual sciences into the speculation. If you're a skeptic, you'll like the honest look the Cryptozoologicon takes at the animals in question, and the conclusions it comes to. If you're a Cryptozoologist, aspiring or otherwise, you'll find more interesting hypotheses about the identities of the world's most awesome folklore beasts than most Cryptozoologists have come up with in the past forty years (Mbielu-Mbielu envisioned as a monster Reedfish instead of the typical 'relict Dinosaur' is a particularly original highlight).I, as a writer and a science fan, found it fascinating, even if (so far) some of my favorite Cryptids have been excised. Here's hoping for more good and original work from Volume II . . . . .and if all goes well, an appearance from the (in)famous Jersey Devil. I always imagined it a Hammerhead Bat that evolved a stork-like body and lifestyle, but as you can tell, the Cryptozoologicon takes all the well-worn traditional ideas and turns them into something totally new and unpredictable. A fresh take on our favorite quasi-mythic beasties, the Cryptozoologicon is highly recommended.

Through my long obsession with Cryptozoology, it pains me that even the best, most comprehensive books on the subject have little in the way of original, high quality illustrations. Many describe the entities well in the text, enough to give a mental picture, but the majority of cryptozoology books are compendiums of information on the subject, compiling sightings and hypotheses about these mystery creatures. Even the greats such as Sanderson and Heuvelmans are very sparse with proper illustrations, the illustrations in Bernard Heuvelman's books are so forgettably plain that they are not noteworthy.One problem is, that many current cryptozoologists do not have the proper funding to employ many artists. Loren Coleman is a notable exception in having one or two devoted illustrators that have provided many, many black and white depictions. I myself produce cryptozoology illustrations for some clients, but I am paid in merchandise (complimentary copies of the books), simply because I have a thirst for crypto books in the first place.It is unfortunate that I can count on one hand, the books about Cryptozoology that posses truly striking, original artwork. One of which is a very lavish children's book, one is the skeptical tome "Abominable Science", one is Loren Coleman's Hominoid Field Guide, and one very exhaustive French handbook that was never released in English. The 2 recent books about sea monsters on renaissance and medieval maps also warrant inclusion, but their illustrations are historical documents, not originals."The Cryptozoologicon: Volume 1", which will soon have a sequel, instantly rockets to the top of this list.Each creature entry, of which there are 28, provides a truly beautiful, realistic color portrait of each cryptid. Accompanying this are 3 sections of text per entry. The first is about the sightings and general context, the next is a skeptical paragraph about the likelihood or lack thereof, to its existence, and the third is a piece of speculative fiction as to the nature of the creature, as if it were actually real. The book takes pains to point out that they do not endorse the un-supported existence of any folkoloric creatures, in fact, some cryptids covered in the book are either disproved, false, or fake. The main point of the book is not the investigative nature of many crypto books, but viewing this modern mythological bestiary as what in most cases, it truly is, creative exercises in speculative thought.After a long love-affair with Cryptozoology, this book has brought me to an epiphany. The fact that these mystery beasts probably do not exist, is not really a bad thing, nor is it a smirch on the reputation of any cryptozoologists. It isn't a bad thing, because the sightings, investigation, and resulting speculation have become a contemporary equivalent of the long-gone annals of Greek and Medieval mythology. That is, of course, perhaps not real, but damn good storytelling. Creatures seemingly exist in our minds and collective conscious, as much as the material, natural world.I eagerly await the second edition, which will be a sequel. apparently the author and illustrators became so enthused with their speculative ramblings, that they will soon have enough for a second book. Sooner rather than later, I hope.

I like the works of authors so I've decided to buy this book. After it came to me a bit bent over the cover I've decided to return it and get a refund as while the artwork within is nice, the overall quality felt... I don't know, cheap.So caveat emptor.

Bought as a birthday present for grandson who absolutely loves this book.

...auf hohem Niveau!

En este libro los autores pretenden (puesto que no creen que sean verdad) que las historias de animales misteriosos como Pie Grande son reales y especulan sobre la historia evolutiva e identidad biologica de dichos seres.Excelente texto con brillantes momentos de humor sutil y hermosas ilustraciones.

Darren Naish (@TetZoo) is always enlightening and entertaining. Wish I could afford the "physical" versions of his books.