Giant Squid

Cryptozoology A to Z: The Encyclopedia of Loch Monsters, Sasquatch, Chupacabras, and Other Authentic Mysteries of Nature
by Loren Coleman, Jerome Clark

Cryptozoology A to Z, the first encyclopedia of its kind, contains nearly two hundred entries, including cryptids (the name given to these unusual beasts), new animal finds, and the explorers and scientists who search for them. Full of insights into the methods of these scientists, exciting tales of discovery, and the history and evolution of this field, Cryptozoology A to Z is the most complete reference ever of the newest zoological science.

Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth
by Carol Rose

Carol Rose has done it again! The companion to her much-acclaimed Spirits, Faeries, Gnomes, and Goblins: an Encyclopedia of the Little People, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons provides the same thorough lexicon of the fantastic. More of less everything her previous book left out (ie. the large mythical creatures) that I complained about in my review of the said book, this book covers. Got a question on Qanekelak? Wondering about Wendigo? Tired of asking about Asipatra? Just plain curious about the Cockatrice? Well this well-documented book provides all the answers to the questions you might ask.

A Natural History of the Unnatural World: Selected Files from the Archives of the Cryptozoological Society of London
by Joel Levy

This book is entertaining, informative and fun. "An illustrated text from Harry Potter's biology class... A profusely illustrated, multi-cultural reference book about mythical creatures... full of documents, detailed sketches and inventive reports".

Encyclopedia of Things That Never Were: Creatures, Places, and People
by Michael Page, Robert Ingpen

From Avalon to Zeus, from Atlantis to Wonderland, this book offers a complete directory of mythical creatures, people, and places, culled from mythology, literature, and folk tales from all over the world. 300 color illustrations.

Monsters of the Sea: The Truth About the Loch Ness Monster, the Giant Squid, Sea Serpents, Mermaids, and Other Fantastic Creatures of the Deep
by Richard Ellis

The topics, ranging from the myth and history of mermaids (which we now know as manatees and dugongs) to the strange blobs that have washed up on several beaches in the past century, to the giant squid which Ellis would go on to write an entire book about, are fascinating. The degree of detail he goes into when describing both the mythology behind these monsters, and the science and natural history of the creatures we now believe formulated these myths is amazing.

Wonder Beasts: Tales and Lore of the Phoenix, the Griffin, the Unicorn, and the Dragon
by Joe Nigg

This book provides accurate, concise information about the legends associated with several mythical beasts. It's both a great quick reference for writers and an enjoyable read for fantasy fans who want to know more about the origins of their favorite creatures.

From Flying Toads to Snakes with Wings: From the Pages of Fate Magazine
by Karl P. N. Shuker

From the pages of FATE magazine comes a unique, compelling survey of the world's most elusive and mystifying creatures, the beasts that hide from man. Renowned zoological authority Dr. Karl P.N. Shuker examines the mystery animals of fact and fiction from a bloodsucking "death bird" of Ethiopia to winged feathered serpents and three-headed river monsters to living dinosaurs.

Bewildering Beasties (Dover Pictorial Archive Series)
by Derek Pell

Good book especialy if you need to find stuff on Mithical animals lots of them in there for you I fond it very helpful.

The Search for the Giant Squid
by Richard Ellis

The sea contains many mysteries, and among the most enduring of them are giant squids of the genus Architeuthis. About this squid, known as the "kraken" in classical mythology, we know little, except, oceanographic writer Richard Ellis notes, that "it occasionally washes ashore - and when that happens, we don't know why." Some of these odd creatures, Ellis notes, are 60 feet long, cannibalistic, and patently fierce, with the largest eyes of any animal on the planet (useful for seeing in the inky darkness of the deep sea). They're not the kind of thing you'd want to encounter on a benthic shelf, as Ian Fleming made clear in Doctor No, in which superspy James Bond had one such unpleasant meeting. But, thanks to Ellis's well-researched account, they make the perfect subject for armchair sleuthing, and he tells you just about everything you'd want to know about the giant squid, from the biologists and explorers and cryptozoologists who have hunted for it over the centuries, and much more.

The Discovery of Dragons
by Graeme Base

Venture into the enchanted world of dragons to confront the Great Golden Worm, the horrifying Welsh Red Dragon, and the Mongolian Screamer. Recounted here for the very first time are the amazing exploits of three intrepid adventurers who, fearlessly, discovered some of the most dazzling dragons that ever lived.

The Book of Sea Monsters
by Bob Suckling, Nigel Suckling, Bob Eggleton (Illustrator)

From the twilight depths of the ocean and the mists of legend and fantasy come the Sea Monsters. Since humans first ventured out into the wide oceans they have been fascinated and terrified by the awesome power of the sea and its strange denizens. From the Midgard Serpent and Leviathan, through to the Kraken, these monsters from the deep are brought dramatically to life with completely original and breathtaking new paintings by Bob Eggleton, multiple winner of the Hugo Award for Best Artist and the best-selling artist of ‘Godzilla’. Nigel Suckling’s carefully researched text explores the myths, legends and scientific documentation inspired by these strange beasts.

Sea Faeries
by Jillian Sawyer

Ms. Sawyer has the most beautiful mind for the lovely ladies of nature. Her choice for surroundings, hair, style really bring the beauty of nature and fairydom into the world. I have seen the finished pattern pieces used for sun-catchers, mosaic stepping stones and full scale window pieces which were breathtaking. With the use of dichromatic glass the iridescence of wings, scales and nature come to life...from easy to advanced this is a great pattern book for the lovers of nature and myth.

The Book of Fabulous Beasts: A Treasury of Writings from Ancient Times to the Present
by Joe Nigg

From ancient Mesopotamia to the present, Nigg conducts a tour of a menagerie that never was, one worthy of Dr. Seuss....This book is like reading a handful of lost Avram Davidson essays, and that's high praise.

Mermaids
by Elizabeth Ratisseau

Frequently one wishes to say to another, "I wish you the best of everything." This book delivers this message with power and sincerity. Welleran Poltarnees has taken Snell¹s text and selected a painting or illustration for each wish, giving additional life to an already marvelous text. We assert, without exaggeration, that this is the nearly perfect gift book.

The Field Guide to Bigfoot, Yeti and Other Mystery Primates Worldwide
by Loren Coleman, Patrick Huyghe

Thousands of reports of a wide variety of mysterious primates have intrigued humans since the beginning of recorded history, yet these shy and reclusive beings have eluded the most diligent attempts to verify their existence. Here is the first-ever comprehensive study on an astonishing variety of puzzling apelike and humanlike animals that are still being seen today. This fully referenced volume includes range maps and typical footprints for each type of undiscovered creature sighted around the world.

The Book of Fabulous Beasts: A Treasury of Writings from Ancient Times to the Present
by Joe Nigg

From ancient Mesopotamia to the present, Nigg conducts a tour of a menagerie that never was, one worthy of Dr. Seuss....This book is like reading a handful of lost Avram Davidson essays, and that's high praise.

The Hunt for the Buru
by Ralph Izzard

This firsthand account of a 1948 journey to a treacherous valley in northern India in search of a mysterious creature is both a classic travel adventure and a graphic record of an amazing expedition. The book chronicles the group's movement into a remote valley in Assam, where the inhabitants had only recently given up headhunting, on a quest for the Buru, an elusive, monstrous reptile well documented by those native to the area.

Treasury of Fantastic and Mythological Creatures: 1087 Renderings from Historic Sources
by Richard Huber

The definitive visual encyclopedia of mythical creatures, demons, tribal totems, fanciful beasts, gods, and assorted other creatures from the beginnings of human history right up to the work of the surrealists. This beautiful and bizarre collection of creatures contains gargoyles, dragons, winged lions, griffins, satyrs, sirens, the Minotaur, Medusa, and mysterious monsters of almost all kinds. Viking and Medieval artists and well known artists of the grotesque such as Bosch, Durer and the Bruegels are covered, and much of the collection is drawn from ethnic and tribal art such as Maori tattoos, Nigerian masks, Tibetan and Oriental art, Aztec and Mayan work, as well as that of the Navajo, and Hopi tribes.

Mystery in Acambaro: Did Dinosaurs Survive Until Recently?
by David Hatcher Childress

Charles Hapgood's rare book, Mystery in Acambaro, is back in print! Hapgood researched the Acambaro collection of clay figurines with Erle Stanley Gardner (author of the Perry Mason mysteries) in the mid-1960s. The Acambaro collection comprises hundreds of clay figurines that are apparently thousands of years old; however, they depict such bizarre animals and scenes that most archaeologists dismiss them as an elaborate hoax. The collection shows humans interacting with dinosaurs and various other "monsters" such as horned men. Both Hapgood and Gardner were convinced that the figurines from Acambaro were authentic ancient artifacts which indicated that men and dinosaurs had cohabited together in the recent past, and that dinosaurs had not become extinct many millions of years ago as is commonly thought. David Hatcher Childress writes a lengthy introduction concerning Acambaro, the latest testing and other evidence of "living" dinosaurs.

The Encyclopedia of Fantasy
by John Clute

This masterful follow-up to the 1993 Encyclopedia of Science Fiction is an essential purchase for anyone who's serious about fantasy. Those who are serious about horror will also find it an excellent reference. The works of prolific and confusing authors such as Michael Moorcock, as well as authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien who have many posthumously published fragments, are explained with admirable clarity.

A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth
by Samantha Weinberg

In 1938, an alert young South African museum curator named Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer came upon a curious specimen in a fisherman's nets: a fish with "four limb-like fins and a strange little puppy dog tail," one that she thought resembled not a living being so much as a china ornament. When she could turn up no written descriptions of the find, she turned to other scientists for help, touching off a worldwide wave of interest in the creature that would come to be called the "coelacanth," long thought to be extinct, and now celebrated as one of the world's oldest species.

Bestiary: An Illuminated Alphabet of Medieval Beasts
by Jonathan Hunt (Illustrator)

In this companion to Hunt's Illuminations, fearful horrors mix with benevolent beasts, populating an alphabet book that should provide many hours of discovery. Hunt explains how fantastic animals were combined with actual ones in bestiaries, and why; he gives reasonable explanations for the curious inventions of these imaginary creations.

The Big Cats and Their Fossil Relatives
by Mauricio Anton (Illustrator), Alan Turner, F. Clark Howell

Here's a book for cat lovers, but those who prefer good hard science to the warm and fuzzy feline tomes. While very readable, not to mention beautifully and lavishly illustrated, The Big Cats and Their Fossil Relatives is a serious and intelligent look at how today's lions, tigers, and other cat species are linked to their ancient and extinct ancestors. The way cats have evolved over 25 million years, and the descriptions of feline behavior, both ancient and present, will intrigue animal lovers in general, and not just cat people.

The Writers Complete Fantasy Reference
by Writer's Digest Books

This is a good book for anyone who needs to research their fantasy stories. It's packed with information about different cultures, religions, and folklore. It's also good for getting ideas for stories, and it's great for quick reference. I'd recommend this book for anyone starting out in writing fantasy fiction. I love it.

Beyond the Dinosaurs: Sky Dragons, Sea Monsters, Mega-Mammals, and Other Prehistoric Beasts
by Howard Zimmerman

Dinophiles will want to check out Beyond the Dinosaurs!, Howard Zimmerman's follow-up to Dinosaurs! The Biggest Baddest Strangest Fastest in the same tall, skinny format. Vivid descriptions of beasts that coexisted with dinosaurs, among them the flying Quetzalcoatlus "the size of a small airplane" with its 40-foot wingspan accompany color illustrations by a variety of artists. Scenes of predators with prey and similar moments of high drama dominate.

Dragons and Unicorns: A Natural History
by Karin Johnsgard

I love this book. It helped me with my school speech and it made me realize what I wanted to do in my life. Study about dragons and other "fantasy" animals. I give this book a thumbs up!

The Field Guide to North American Monsters: Everything You Need to Know About Encountering over 100 Terrifying Creatures in the Wild
by W. Haden Blackman

Gleaned from Native American legends, American folklore, and modern sightings, this is the first-ever collection cataloging the vast expanse of bizarre creatures inhabiting North America. Laid out like a field guide to birds or mammals, the book helps the reader become familiar with each monster through photos (when available), drawings, and each creature's vital statistics: distinguishing features, range and habitat, diet, the source reporting the monster, and a rating of the likelihood of spotting each creature in the wild.

Mysteries and Monsters of the Sea: A Collection of True Stories from the Files of Fate Magazine
by Frank Spaeth

First-hand accounts on some of history's most enduring riddles, such as Atlantis, the monster of Loch Ness, and the hole in the Bermuda Triangle.

Sirena
by Donna Jo Napoli

Napoli has forged a brilliant writing career out of making readers see compellingly different interpretations of mythic figures, such as Rapunzel in Zel (1996) and Mary Magdalen in Song of the Magdalene (1996). Here she re-imagines and fuses several parts of the story of Troy. The mermaid Sirena knows that if the song she sings with her sisters lures a mortal man to mate with her she will live forever.

The Great New England Sea Serpent: An Account of Unknown Creatures Sighted by Many Respectable Persons Between 1638 and the Present Day
by J. P. O'Neill

My first encounter with the great sea serpent came when I was about ten or eleven years old. What had taken me to the Swampscott Public Library, and what drew me to Waldo Thompson's little clothbound book Swampscott: Historical Sketches of the Town (1885) I cannot now say. I do know that the sixth chapter The Sea Serpent, Seen in 1638 at Cape Ann; in 1793 at Mount Desert; in 1819, 1820 and 1849 at Swampscott, (which curiously makes no mention of the Linnaean Society's investigation) had a deep and lasting impact. I simply never looked at the ocean the same way again.

Eric Carle's Dragons Dragons: & Other Creatures That Never Were
by Laura Whipple

A second well-chosen, gorgeously illustrated collection of poetry in the style of Animals Animals (1989). Not only dragons but a worldwide collection of fabulous beasts - yeti, Quetzalcoatl, okolo, Pan, kracken, and many more - appear in poems that range a bit in quality as well as origin. The interest level is consistently high - especially when coupled with Carle's flamboyant art.

In the Domain of the Lake Monsters
by John Kirk III

The best modern coverage of the lake monster phenomenon since Peter Costellos' excellent 'In Search of Lake Monsters'. A fascinating survey of the "unknown animals of outlandish size" that lurk in lakes and oceans around the world, and one that will appeal to both the converted and the curious. The book includes a complete, comprehensive listing of sightings, organized by geography.

The Book of Dragons
by Michael Hague

Take one first-rate collection of fire-breathing, scale-flashing, wing-flapping, tail-lashing dragon yarns. Lace it with elegant black-and-white line drawings and a generous dollop of unabashedly romantic color plates awash with vibrant hues. The result? A deliciously old-fashioned storybook, delivering just the sort of fantasy Hague is best known for. He pulls out all the stops for this one, using watercolors to present a diverse assortment of winged beasts. There are green dragons, red dragons, multi-headed dragons, even dragons that hint of the Orient with their long beards and manes. The stories - from such luminaries as Kenneth Grahame, J.R.R. Tolkien, E. Nesbit, Elizabeth Coatsworth and C.S. Lewis - are equally splendid. All ages.

Mysterious America: The Revised Edition
by Loren Coleman

Loren Coleman's highly-praised, 1983 classic work, Mysterious America, has been thoroughly updated for this revised edition. This new edition contains an invaluable, never-before-published index; two completely new chapters, "Giant Catfish" and "Minnesota Iceman"; a new list, "The American Lion," with 141 entries; several extensively rewritten chapters, "A Case Study: The Dover Demon," "The Teleporting Animals and Magnolia," "The Phantom Panthers," "Maned Mystery Cats," "Mystery Kangaroos and Devil Monkeys," "Eastern Bigfoot: Momo and Marked Hominids"; and new material and updates to several chapters, "Devil Names and Fortean Places," "Alligators in the Sewers," "Giant Snakes," "Lake Monsters," "Champ," "The Jersey Devil," "The Phantom Clown."

Gargoyles and Medieval Monsters
by A. G. Smith

Dozens of mythical animals rendered by artists such as Dürer and da Vinci appear in this remarkable collection. Black and white illustrations include 45 finely detailed, skillfully adapted images of dragons, winged dogs, demons, lions, griffins, a bull, unicorn, eagle, and various other grotesques from The Book of Kells, medieval architecture, other sources.

Bigfoot Sasquatch: Evidence
by Grover S. Krantz

Grover Krantz is one of very few anthropologists to seriously tackle the Bigfoot subject from the side of open-mindedness. Most scientists are far too afraid to admit any interest in the subject. His examinations of the evidence: footprints, Patterson Film, etc., are level-headed and thoroughly fair.

From the Deep Waters: Maidens of Myth and Mystery
by Toshiyuki Takamiya

The lure of the siren, the comeliness of the mermaid, the elegiac beauty of Ophelia - in captivating paintings by such artists as J.W. Waterhouse, Frederick Lord Leighton, Gustaav Klimt, and Edward Burne-Jones and other Pre-Raphaelites, this exquisite volume takes a mystical journey into the deep waters where romantic art flows together with female enigma and timeless mystery. 90+ color illustrations.

Champ Quest 2000: The Ultimate Search Field Guide & Almanac for Lake Champlain
by Dennis Jay Hall

"Hall recently released his self-published Champ Quest: The Ultimate Search complete with viewing tips and ideal search dates... Whether Champ exists is no longer the question... Now it's how many... Hall has assembled a terrific body of evidence..." This book is presented in full color, with numerous color illustrations, maps and photographs.

Bestiary: An Illuminated Alphabet of Medieval Beasts
by Jonathan Hunt (Illustrator)

In this companion to Hunt's Illuminations, fearful horrors mix with benevolent beasts, populating an alphabet book that should provide many hours of discovery. Hunt explains how fantastic animals were combined with actual ones in bestiaries, and why; he gives reasonable explanations for the curious inventions of these imaginary creations.