Real Monsters, Gruesome Critters, and Beasts from the Darkside

Brad Steiger

Description

Over 250 of the most bloodcurdling and bone-chillingly fascinating and true monster stories. Not recommended for reading just before bedtime!

Monsters have been spotted everywhere, not just slithering under a child’s bed or lurking in the closet. Paranormal researcher extraordinaire Brad Steiger, an author of thousands of books and articles on the mysterious and unknown, collects some of the scariest, most unbelievable but true monster stories in his latest collection, Real Monsters, Gruesome Critters and Beasts from the Darkside.

From slightly demented humans to spine-tingling paranormal encounters, each outlandish occurrence is detailed with thorough research and recounted with a storyteller’s crafted voice. This bold telling of verified monster sightings taken from historical records and first-person accounts features:

The British scientists’ discovery of a tuft of hair in the Himalayan mountains containing DNA that cannot be matched with any known animal—the most convincing proof yet that Yetis are real;

The “Mothman” sighted in West Virginia that some believe to be a harbinger of death;

The monstrous creature, complete with horns and tail, that still lurks in the shadows of the Big Easy;

The expectant mother examined by the strange praying-mantis entities aboard a UFO; and

The couple walking near a lake in British Columbia, Canada, astonished to see a reptilian humanoid emerging from the lake's depths;

UFO abductors seeking to create human-alien hybrids;

Lake monsters, lizardmen, and creepy mermaids troll the waters for prey;

Dinosaurs terrorize the jungles;

Yeti and Bigfoot leave clues that they live in the mountains;

Big cats, black dogs, and giant snakes prowl neighborhoods;

And many, many more hair-raising stories!

Highlighting news articles, historical accounts, and first-person interviews, this chronicle of human interactions with monsters will convince even the most hardened skeptic of the existence of the bogeyman, Bigfoot, shadow people, devils, mutant animals, swamp creatures, and all kinds of heinous beasts. Real Monsters, Gruesome Critters and Beasts from the Darkside will leave you constantly looking over your shoulder and wondering about the things that go bump and howl and screech in the night.

Sujets

• Unexplained Phenomena
• Pie Grande
• Body (disambiguation)
• Alien abduction
• Jersey Devil
• Unidentified flying object
• Loch Ness Monster
• Bigfoot
• Sasquatch
• Brad Steiger
• UFO

Informations

• Publié par: Visible Ink Press
• Date de parution: 01 septembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781578593477
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

A BOUT THE A UTHOR
F or five decades, award-winning writer Brad Steiger has been devoted to exploring and examining unusual, hidden, secret, and otherwise strange occurrences. A former high school teacher and college instructor, Brad published his first articles on the unexplained in 1956. Since then he has written more than two thousand articles with paranormal themes. He is author or coauthor of more than 170 books, including Real Vampires, Night Stalkers, and Creatures from the Darkside; Real Ghosts, Restless Spirits, and Haunted Places; The Werewolf Book; Conspiracies and Secret Societies, and with his wife, Sherry, Real Miracles, Divine Intervention, and Feats of Incredible Survival. Brad’s Otherworldly Affaires was voted the Number One Paranormal Book of 2008 by Haunted America Tours.
OTHER VISIBLE INK PRESS BOOKS BY BRAD STEIGER
Conspiracies and Secret Societies: The Complete Dossier With Sherry Hansen Steiger ISBN: 978-1-57859-174-9
Real Ghosts, Restless Spirits, and Haunted Places ISBN: 978-1-57859-146-6
Real Miracles, Divine Intervention, and Feats of Incredible Survival With Sherry Hansen Steiger ISBN: 978-1-57859-214-2
Real Vampires, Night Stalkers, and Creatures from the Darkside ISBN: 978-1-57859-255-5
Real Zombies, the Living Dead, and Creatures of the Apocalypse ISBN: 978-1-57859-296-8
The Werewolf Book: The Encyclopedia of Shape-Shifting Beings ISBN: 978-1-57859-078-0
ALSO FROM VISIBLE INK PRESS
Angels A to Z, 2nd edition by Evelyn Dorothy Oliver and James R Lewis ISBN: 978-1-57859-212-8
Armageddon Now: The End of the World A to z by Jim Willis and Barbara Willis ISBN: 978-1-57859-168-8
The Astrology Book: The Encyclopedia of Heavenly Influences, 2nd edition by James R Lewis ISBN: 978-1-57859-144-2
The Dream Encyclopedia, 2nd edition by James R Lewis and Evelyn Dorothy Oliver ISBN: 978-1-57859-216-6
The Encyclopedia of Religious Phenomena by J. Gordon Melton ISBN: 978-1-57859-209-8
The Fortune-telling Book: The Encyclopedia of Divination and Soothsaying by Raymond Buckland ISBN: 978-1-57859-147-3
The Handy Religion Answer Book by John Renard ISBN: 978-1-57859-125-1
Hidden Realms, Lost Civilizations, and Beings from Other Worlds by Jerome Clark ISBN: 978-1-57859-175-6
The Religion Book: Places, Prophets, Saints, and Seers by Jim Willis ISBN: 978-1-57859-151-0
The Spirit Book: The Encyclopedia of Clairvoyance Channeling, and Spirit Communication by Raymond Buckland ISBN: 978-1-57859-172-5
Unexplained! Strange Sightings, Incredible Occurrences, and Puzzling Physical Phenomena, 2nd edition by Jerome Clark ISBN: 978-1-57859-070-4
The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead, 3rd edition by J. Gordon Melton ISBN: 978-1-57859-281-4
The Witch Book: The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, Wicca, and Neo-paganism by Raymond Buckland ISBN: 978-1-57859-114-5
Please visit us at visibleinkpress.com .

Copyright © 2011 by Brad Steiger
This publication is a creative work fully protected by all applicable copyright laws, as well as by misappropriation, trade secret, unfair competition, and other applicable laws.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, or web site.
All rights to this publication will be vigorously defended.
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Visible Ink Press is a registered trademark of Visible Ink Press LLC.
Most Visible Ink Press books are available at special quantity discounts when purchased in bulk by corporations, organizations, or groups. Customized printings, special imprints, messages, and excerpts can be produced to meet your needs. For more information, contact Special Markets Director, Visible Ink Press, www.visibleinkpress.com , or 734-667-3211.
Managing Editor: Kevin S. Hile Art Director: Mary Claire Krzewinski Typesetting: Marco Di Vita Proofreaders: Sarah Hermsen and Sharon Malinowski
Cover image: Dan Wolfman Allen.
ISBN 978-1-57859-220-3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Steiger, Brad.    Real monsters, gruesome critters, and beasts from the darkside / by Brad Steiger.       p. cm.    Includes bibliographical references and index.    ISBN 978-1-57859-220-3 1. Cryptozoology I. Title.    QL88.3.S84 2011    001.944—dc22
                       2010024581
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
C ONTENTS
Contributors
Bibliography
Index
BIG CATS-PREDATORS OUT OF PLACE
BIGFOOR-NORTH AMERICA’S KING KONG
BLACK DOGS THAT HERALD DISASTER
BOGEY MAN-HE DOESN’T JUST LIVE UNDER YOUR BED
DEMONS FROM THE DARKSIDE
DINOSAURS THAT LIVE AND PROWL IN THE JUNGLES
FLYING HUMANOIDS OVER CITIES AND FARMS
GIANT SNAKES FROM YOUR WORST NIGHTMARES
GOBLINS AND OTHER NASTY WEE FOLK OF LAND AND SEA
HEADLESS HORSEMEN AND OTHER PHANTOM MIDNIGHT RIDERS
HOLLOW EARTH-A HAVEN FOR ANCIENT BEINGS
HOWLERS AND NIGHT PROWLERS
JERSEY DEVIL AND OTHER UNNATURAL SPAWN OF DARKNESS
JUNGLE APEMEN OF SOUTH AMERICA, AFRICA, AND ASIA
LAKE MONSTERS-SIGHTINGS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
LIZARD MAN AND OTHER SWAMP CREATURES
METCH KANGMI-FOUL SNOWMAN OF THE HIMALAYAS
MONSTERS FROM FLYING SAUCERS
MOTHMAN-HARBINGER OF DEATH
REPTILIANS-INVADERS FROM OTHER WORLDS
SEA SERPENTS-MONSTERS FROM THE DEEP
SHADOW PEOPLE-MYSTERIOUS ENTITIES WITH MISSIONS UNKNOWN
THUNDERBIRDS-GIANT BIRDS OF LEGEND THAT ARE REAL
UFO ABDUCTORS-SEEKING TO CREATE A HYBRID SPECIES OF ALIEN AND HUMAN
VAMPIRES-THEIR HUNGER FOR BLOOD IS ETERNAL
WEREWOLVES-SHAPESHIFTERS FOREVER AMONG US
ZOMBIES, VOODOO, AND THE UNDEAD
C ONTRIBUTORS
T hanks to the following gifted artists for contributing original illustrations and stories to this publication.
Ricardo Pustanio
Ricardo Pustanio is an enduring icon in the world of New Orleans Mardi Gras float design and local artistry. Today his phenomenal creative talents are witnessed by thousands upon thousands of locals and tourists who throng the streets of New Orleans each year to catch a glimpse of one of the oldest and most prestigious parades of the season, the Krewe of Mid-City. According to Ricardo, “The best is still to come!”
Born in New Orleans, Ricardo is the third son of local golfing legend Eddie “Blackie” Pustanio. When Ricardo was baptized, the famous “Diamond Jim” Moran was hailed as his godfather and all the major golfing pros who visited the elder Pustanio at his City Park Golf Course digs bounced little Ricardo on a famous knee at one time or another.
Like nearly every child brought up in the city of New Orleans, Ricardo was brought out by his parents to enjoy the pageantry and revelry of the great old-line Mardi Gras parades. These halcyon Mardi Gras days of his youth were Ricardo’s first taste of the passion that would become the artistic pinnacle of his later career. During the 1960s Ricardo’s entries won first place, and he rode with the King of Mid-City three years in a row: a true precursor of things to come.
The winner of many art competitions throughout his life, his earliest prize-winning work was created while Ricardo was still in Kindergarten. From an early age, Ricardo’s work was distinguished with prizes and praise. Many are now in private art collections in New Orleans and across the United States.
Ricardo’s special style has been very visible in his work on numerous backdrops and displays for the 1984 New Orleans World’s Fair; several of his original pieces from that fair have garnered high prices at auctions throughout the United States and Europe.
Ricardo served Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre as technical director for its 1992 to 1993 season, during which he contributed his considerable artistic talents to the creation of scenery and backdrops for the season’s major productions, including West Side Story and The Baby Dance , for which he created a giant 60 foot by 30 foot papier maché pyramid, one of the highlights of the season. Ricardo’s set designs for the production of King Midas and the Golden Touch and The Snow Queen won him numerous awards.

Ricardo Pustanio building one of his popular New Orleans floats.
In 1992 Ricardo also began his long association with William Crumb and the Children’s Educational Theatre. His work on scenery and backdrops has toured with the company in 13 major productions across the United States, and he continues to contribute his talents to the organization to this day. Ricardo has also donated his time and talent to a number of nonprofit organizations, including the Save Our Lake Foundation and the March of Dimes.
Ricardo also displayed his talent with scenic design in some of the best-known, locally produced films in New Orleans, including Angel Heart , starring Mickey Rourke; The Big Easy , starring Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin; Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire , starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt; and most recently in the much anticipated A Love Song for Billy Long , which stars John Travolta and was filmed on location in historic New Orleans.
Ricardo has conceptualized and designed numerous book covers and illustrations for major works of science fiction and fantasy: he was voted Best New Artist of the Year at world conventions held in New Orleans and in Amsterdam, Holland. Ricardo has also illustrated children’s books, created portraits and artwork for private clients across the United States and Europe, and has to his credit three original action comic books, the illustration and design of the long-running International Middle Eastern Dancer magazine, and several decks of personalized Tarot cards.
Ricardo has said, in reflecting on his artist achievements, “I have paid my dues many times over the years and I am always in a constant state of expectation: I can’t wait for the next challenge, the next thing to approach me. I am probably most proud of my work with the Krewe of Mid-City