Beware of the Pecking Dead...

My latest Lair of the Beasts article at Mania.com

Anomalist Books: Hard-Cover Editions

This just in from Anomalist Books:

"Just as many audiophiles still prefer vinyl records to digital downloads for their music, some book buyers prefer hardback books to trade paperbacks or (horrors!) ebooks. In an effort to please this discriminating audience, we are making a selection of titles from the Anomalist Books catalog available in hardback editions. Those who have held these laminate hardbacks (no dust jacket) in their hands agree that the books are rock solid and beautiful. But please note: these hardback editions will only be available for a limited time."

 

And here's where you can find a list of those books (which includes two of mine: Monster Diary and Final Events), and their availability.  

Zombies Vs. Men in Black

Yeah I know: a blog title like that (Zombies Vs. Men in Black) sounds like the title of one of those cheap and crappy movies with D-List actors that no-one has ever heard of, and which pop up time and again on certain channels - you know the ones.

But, the subject of this post has nothing to do with movies, good or bad. Rather, it's my new Mysterious Universe article which addresses the question: Are the Men in Black actually zombies?

The Monster of the Castle

"Back in the 1930s, a strange and sinister story surfaced of a diabolical beast rumored to haunt an old Irish castle. According to two ghost authorities of that long gone era, Marchioness Townshend and Maude Ffoulkes, '...the truth of this story was vouched for to Mr. Reginald Span by the Vicar of the Anglican Church, Arizona, as it happened to some friends of his when they once rented a picturesque castle in the South of Ireland.' And, with that said, read on.

 

"So the very weird saga goes, late one particular night, in the latter part of the 19^th century, a certain 'Mrs. A' was sitting alone in one of the castle’s bedrooms, awaiting the return of her husband. Suddenly, there was the distinct and unmistakable sound of one of the doors banging in the corridor outside the room. More disturbingly, footsteps could be heard, too. Someone or something was creeping around the old castle..."

 

That's how my new article at New Page Books' Creature of the Month page begins... 

Profiling Britain's Wild Men

There's a new article from me at Mysterious Universe which digs into one of my personal, favorite areas of research - that relating to "British Wild Man" reports. It begins like this:

"A specifically English term that dates back hundreds of years, the Woodwose or Wodewose – possibly derived from a combination of wudu, which means forest, and wasa, that translates in today’s language as being – was, essentially, a hairy wild man of the woods, whose rampaging form can be graphically seen to this very day in countless pieces of priceless medieval European artwork from countries including Germany, Italy and Britain."

Strange Intruders - Reviewed

Over at Mysterious Universe, I review the new book from David Weatherly: Strange Intruders.

And here are the opening paragraphs of the review:

"Back in May 2012, I reviewed David Weatherly’s excellent book, Black Eyed Children, which is a great study of the entire, perplexing BEK phenomenon. Well, on the heels of that book is yet another release from David. His new one is Strange Intruders, which includes a foreword from Mysterious Universe regular, Micah Hanks. And the good news is that, just as with his first book, David’s latest title is a fine read. It’s also one guaranteed to provoke the proverbial chills and thrills.

"After Micah sets the scene with an atmospheric opening for what is soon to follow, David gets right into the heart of the action. And, in this case, the action is David’s personal studies of a wide body of anomalous entities that, to varying degrees, manipulate, torment, terrorize and even feed upon the unlucky souls who happen to cross their paths. If you think that our otherworld visitors are all about 'love and light,'  forget it. They’re not."

The Dulce Underground Base - A New Book

Available now is a new book I'll definitely be getting a copy of: Dulce Base: The Truth and Evidence from the Case Files of Gabe Valdez, written by Greg Valdez.

As many of you will know, the story of the alleged "underground alien base" at Dulce, New Mexico is one that has played a major role in UFO/conspiracy circles for years. Check out, for example, Greg Bishop's book, Project Beta.

But now we have a further look at the controversy surrounding Dulce, as you'll see from the book-description, as detailed below by the publisher:

"FINALLY YOU WILL GET THE TRUE STORY AND EVIDENCE BEHIND THE MYSTERIES SURROUNDING DULCE, NEW MEXICO. SEE WHAT AND WHO IS BEHIND THE CATTLE MUTILATIONS AND THE ALLEGED UNDERGROUND ALIEN BASE IN DULCE. YOU WILL ALSO HEAR THE STORY OF PAUL BENNEWITZ AND SEE WHAT REALLY HAPPENED ON THE JICARILLA APACE RESERVATION. FOR THE FIRST TIME, YOU WILL SEE SECRETS THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW.

"In 1976, Gabe Valdez became one of the leading investigators into the cattle mutilation mystery that was spreading across the United States; based on his employment with the New Mexico State Police. As he started investigating the mutilations on the Gomez ranch outside of Dulce, New Mexico, he stumbled into much more than he bargained for.

"His investigative findings led to a close friendship with Paul Bennewitz who was involved in a massive government-authorized disinformation campaign originating out of Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The harrowing tale of Paul Bennewitz led to the story of the alleged underground alien base near Dulce, New Mexico.

"For the first time, you will see what really happened in Dulce during the 1980 s and you will see what the government does not want you to know. This true story is full of plot twists that were intentionally created by Air Force Intelligence and other clandestine Intelligence agencies associated with the United State Government.

"This book will separate fact from fiction and you will final be able to see the truth. Get ready to read about military projects that are still currently classified and get to the bottom of this mystery. You will now have access to photos and evidence belonging to Paul Bennewitz and others which tell a very interesting story which have never been released to the public."

That's me (above) with Gabe Valdez, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2009. Below, and taken on the same day, a shot of Greg Bishop at the grave of Paul Bennewitz.

Sherlock, a Sub, and a Monster

My latest Lair of the Beasts article at Mania.com delves into the world of a certain movie-cryptid, and begins like this:

"Now and again I’m asked what my favorite monster-movie is. In conversation, people often assume it’s something like the original version of King Kong, or perhaps Godzilla, or, maybe, The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Well, it’s none of those. Nor, thankfully, is it one of those awful, cheap, made-for-TV productions filled with D-list actors and over-sized sharks and crocodiles that are continually thrust upon us.

"Actually, my answer is very different. I would have to say that my all time favorite creature-feature is a 1970 production, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. To which, many might reply: 'Say what?'"

Flying Triangle UFOs? Not Ours...

 

My latest Mysterious Universe article focuses on that one particular type of UFO - namely, the Flying Triangle - that many believe to be "secret aircraft."

 

There are, however, very good reasons why we should consider these craft as something far different to the creations of military agencies - and I spell them out in the article...

 

 

Death on Dartmoor...

Not long ago, I reported on what was described by the British media as a sinister example of the ritualistic killing of a pony on the wilds of Dartmoor, England. You can find the post right here.

Well, we are now assured that it was all down to nothing stranger than natural causes.

You can read the new revelations and conclusions here (but I also recommend you take note of the comments that follow the article...)  

Roswell: Underground Origins?

Over at Mysterious Universe I have a new article that discusses one of the most controversial theories for what happened outside of Roswell, New Mexico in the summer of 1947. It's a theory that has nothing to do with aliens or secret experiments. It's much, much weirder...

Final Events & Monster Diary: Hardbacks

 

 

For those who may be interested, Patrick Huyghe and Dennis Stacy's Anomalist Books have just published two of my books in hardback that were previously only available in paperback.

 

They are Monster Diary and Final Events, both of which are available now.



 

The "Texas Chupacabras" - Not An "Unknown"

 

 

Every now and again I get asked questions about the so-called "Texas Chupacabras." Many people (mainly because of the name that has been applied to it) assume it's a totally unknown animal, like Bigfoot, the Yeti, or Nessie, etc.

 

It's not. At all. In the slightest.

 

Unlike those other creatures, we have hard, physical evidence of the Texas animals, in the forms of bones, preserved body-parts and skulls. I own such a skull (no not my skull lol), and it's clear they are coyotes of some type, as DNA has clearly demonstrated this.

 

But, what's weird is that there appear to be certain genetic abnormalities with the "Texas Chupacabras" that makes it something very different to (as some believe it to be) just a hairless coyote.

 

There are reports of over-elongated jaws, very short front limbs (giving it strange hopping-like movements), and much more. So, the "Texas Chupacabras" is not an unknown animal, but a known one that for some odd reason may be physically changing by the generations...

 

The picture accompanying this - taken a couple of days ago - shows the skull of the one I own, which was given to me by MUFON legend, Walt Andrus.

 

New Books X 3

For those who may be interested, I had 3 new books arrive in the mail today. They are (in the photo) from left to right: (A) The Most Mysterious Places on Earth, which is a U.K. edition of my 2012 U.S. book, The World's Weirdest Places, which was renamed for some odd reason!; (B) a new hardback, Russian version of my U.S. 2012 book, The Pyramids and the Pentagon; and (C) a new book from me and Glen Vaudrey, titled Mystery Animals of the British Isles: Staffordshire, which is all about strange creatures seen all over the English county of Staffordshire, where I grew up.

Britain's Big Cats and Princess Diana

Some of you may have seen this breaking story: a new and highly controversial claim to the effect that elements of the British Army were somehow involved in the death (or as the claim suggests, the murder) of Princess Diana, in 1997.

I know nothing about this, aside from what the press is saying. And as this new story - from the UK's Daily Mail newspaper - shows, the claim is steeped in major controversy.

What I do know, however, is that there really was a link between the secret world of the British Army and Princess Diana. It had nothing to do with her death, however, but everything to do with the so-called, ABCs, or Alien Big Cats, that roam the U.K.

I tell the story in my recently published book, Monster Files. The chapter in question details the work of a small, elite group in British Army Intelligence that was watching Diana's every move in the late 1980s, amid fears that she might be kidnapped or assassinated by hostile forces.

While keeping Diana under surveillance during one, particular, late-night visit the princess made to an old village in the county of Devon, the Army team caught sight of something amazing prowling around. It was nothing less than a large, black cat, around the size of a mountain lion.

Since the ABC was seen very close to the property in which Diana was staying, the military unit was placed in a deep quandary: should they shoot the cat and alert the entire village (and, quite probably, and quickly, the media too) as to what was going down? Or should they just hope that the huge, black creature finally made its way out of the village and onto the wild countryside and moors of Devon? They chose the latter.

As for the story itself, it was provided to Jon Downes, of the Center for Fortean Zoology, who, in turn, provided it to me, years ago, after Jon personally spoke with one of the soldiers involved. It's important to note that Jon's source proved to be highly credible, since he correctly named at least one of Diana's lovers, long before the relationship became public knowledge.

It may well prove to be the case that the current controversy surrounding Diana and the British Army will implode on itself and vanish into obscurity.

But even if that does happen, it doesn't rule out the fact that there really was a British Army unit watching Diana's every move back in the latter part of the '80s. And, it was a unit that - in a very curious and roundabout fashion - became embroiled in the controversy surrounding Britain's notoriously famous ABCs.

A British Roswell???

Have UFOs crashed to Earth in the UK? Well, if you interpret the term "UFO" literally - as an unidentified flying object, in other words - then the answer is an undeniable "Yes." But, if you interpret "UFO" to mean "alien spacecraft" then the jury is very much still out.

That's not to say there is a shortage of such accounts, however. And here's one, in the form of my latest Mysterious Universe article: a little-known story I uncovered back in the mid-1990s while digging into what were then-newly-declassified British Ministry of Defense files on UFOs from the 1960s.

Next year, the incident - which occurred in Walthamstow, England - will reach its half a century, so now may be the time for someone to take a new, fresh look at the case, just in time for the 50th...

Monsters of... Reviewed

My latest Lair of the Beasts article at Mania.com is a review of two new publications from Stackpole Books: Monsters of Massachusetts by Loren Coleman and Monsters of New York by Bruce Hallenbeck.

A couple of years ago, Stackpole embarked on an ambitious and very cool project: namely to have a Monsters of... book for each and every U.S. state - and the series is going strong, with titles already available on New Jersey, West Virginia, North Carolina and more.

And here's the review of the New York and Massachusetts books.

Spirits of the Wildmen?

Is it possible that at least some reports of so-called British "wild men" are actually the ghosts of ancient, Neolithic hunters? If it sounds controversial, that's because it is! The question is one that is posed in my latest Mysterious Universe article, which begins like this:

"As people who have read my books Man-Monkey and Wildman! will know, I have a deep fascination for stories, accounts, and legends relative to what might be termed the 'British Bigfoot.' The problem, as I note in both the above-books, is that the UK is simply not large enough to hide, or feed, entire colonies of large, marauding, ape-like creatures, or primitive, hair-covered humanoids. That people see them, and have done so for centuries, however, makes the whole matter even more mysterious.

"When it comes to trying to ascertain the true nature of the British Bigfoot and 'wild man' encounters – which is a deeply fraught and difficult task at the very best of times – the theories are as wide and varied as they are controversial and thought-provoking. But, without doubt, one of the most engaging of all scenarios to explain this undeniably nationwide, ancient conundrum comes from friend and fellow creature-seeker Neil Arnold, whose views on the matter I secured in a January 2012 interview…"

As for the complete article, it's right here...

Close Encounters over the UK: 1957

My new Mysterious Universe feature dissects a notable, but little known, UFO affair that attracted more than a bit of official interest. Here's how it starts:

"At around 10.20 a.m., on the morning of April 29, 1957, two British Royal Air Force Hunter aircraft took to the skies from an RAF base called Odiham, which is located in the English county of Hampshire. The plan was for the aircraft to take part in a mid-air military training exercise. Things didn’t quite turn out as planned, however. When the planes reached a height of roughly 45,000-feet, one of the pilots found himself confronted by what can only be described as an undeniable, unidentified flying object.

"And you don’t have to take my word for it. The following is a word for word account of what took place, and which is extracted from a now-declassified British Air Ministry file on the case which can be found at the National Archives, at Kew, Surrey, England..."

 

And here's where you can find that word for word account and much more...

Splendid Berlin: A New Q&A

Over at Splendid Berlin, there is a new Q&A with me which, for the most part, is a rant about things I hate, plus various things about how I got into writing, what I think of paranormal-themed reality TV (a clue: it's all crap), and my views on politicians (another clue: they're all crap, too).

You can find it right here...

MIB & ABC

We've all heard about the Men in Black and their attempts to silence UFO witnesses. But are similar characters trying to intimidate and silence witnesses to ABCs (Alien Big Cats) in the UK? It sounds bizarre, but it may be true.

Anyway, it's the subject of my latest Mysterious Universe article, which starts as follows:

"During the early part of 1998, the British Government’s House of Commons held a fascinating and arguably near-unique debate on the existence – or otherwise – of a particular breed of mystery animal that is widely rumored, and even accepted by many, to inhabit the confines of the British Isles: the so-called Alien Big Cats, or ABCs, as they have become infamously known.
"
It scarcely needs mentioning that Britain is not home to an indigenous species of large cat. Nevertheless, for decades amazing stories have circulated from all across the nation of sightings of large, predatory cats that savagely feed on both livestock and wild animals and that terrify, intrigue and amaze the local populace in the process. And, of course, the media loves them, one and all."

Positively Lovecraftian!

My latest Lair of the Beasts article at Mania.com, which begins like this...

"Imagine, if you dare, a real-life equivalent of H.P. Lovecraft’s most famous and legendary creation: the great Cthulhu. In the dark and disturbing pages of The Call of Cthulhu, Lovecraft gave a hideous description of the ominous nightmare.

"Cthulhu was, said Lovecraft, “A monster of vaguely anthropoid outline, but with an octopus-like head whose face was a mass of feelers, a scaly, rubbery-looking body, prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long, narrow wings behind.”

 

Could there be a real-life equivalent? Maybe...

 

 

Mysterious Places vs. Weird Places

Last year, New Page Books, here in the US, published my book The World's Weirdest Places. Well, a UK edition has just been released, but the UK publisher has decided to rename the book as The Most Mysterious Places on Earth. Why, I don't know. It must be a conspiracy ;)

Relying On Roswell Too Much

There's a new article from me at Mysterious Universe on the case you love, loathe, or are just plain bored with: Roswell.

It begins like this:

"Over the past few days I have had a couple of online debates with friends and colleagues in Ufology on the matter of the merits (or lack of) of the notorious, New Mexico-based events of July 1947. I’m talking, of course, about Roswell. One of the issues that  surfaced was: what does the Roswell affair mean to the field of Ufology and to those that dig into, observe, or ponder upon the matter? Well, I’ll tell you: for many saucer-loving souls, Roswell means absolutely everything.

"I understand why that is, even if I don’t agree with the approach. After all, the official line on what happened (or on what didn’t happen) has changed more times than my socks. First it was a flying disc, then it was a weather balloon, and now it’s a Mogul balloon."

And here's the link to the complete post...

Conspiracies of the Dead

My latest Mysterious Universe article - Conspiracies of the Dead...

It begins like this:

"If, like me, you’re a big fan of zombie movies, and you hang out now and again with people who are into all-things of a zombie nature, you get to hear some seriously weird shit. From more than a few people who take their zombies very – as in VERY – seriously, I have heard strange tales in the last few months of supposed secret programs to mutate the rabies virus into a weapon that will, in effect, replicate in people the homicidal, cannibalistic tendencies of the dead – whether of the slow and shambling type or of the fast-running variety.

"In the 1997 movie, Conspiracy Theory, Mel Gibson’s character – a paranoid cab-driver named Jerry Fletcher, who has been the subject of strange mind-control experiments – states that a good conspiracy theory is one that can never be proved. The very same thing can be said about one of the most controversial of all the zombie-based conspiracies currently in circulation."

Sarbacher and Saucers

 

 

Some of you who are into UFOs may know the name of Dr. Robert Sarbacher, formerly of the Research and Development Board.

 

He gained much attention in the 1980s with his claims of second-hand knowledge of crashed UFOs and dead alien bodies held by military authorities.

 

Of course, his story is as controversial now as it was when it surfaced in 1983. Well, those with an interest in the story may want to get hold of this book - a copy of which I recently bought for a very cheap price.

 

Its title: Encyclopedic Dictionary of Electronic and Nuclear Engineering. It's a book written by Sarbacher himself, dates from 1959, and runs to almost 1,500 pages.

 

Now, I know FXXX all about nuclear engineering (in fact, even less!), but since it mentions some of his colleagues and contacts, those interested in undertaking a new study of the Sarbacher claims might want to get a copy, for research purposes.

The Lookalike Nuts

My latest Mysterious Universe article is on the wacky subject of the loons who think we are being replaced, Invasion of the Body Snatchers-style. Yes, incredibly, some people really do believe it - sadly...

It begins like this...

"In 1954 a sci-fi story, titled The Body Snatchers and written by Jack Finney, appeared in serial form in Colliers Magazine. In the following year, 1955, it surfaced in full-length book form. One year later, it was made into a classic and excellent piece of big-screen paranoia: Invasion of the Body Snatchers, starring Kevin McCarthy. A pretty good remake appeared in 1978, with Donald Sutherland taking the lead role. A not bad version – Body Snatchers – hit the cinemas in 1993. And a downright, bloody awful version was unleashed in 2007: The Invasion.

"Most people know the general scenario of the story, even if they haven’t seen the film: the Earth is being invaded by hostile extraterrestrial entities. But, the takeover of the planet doesn’t occur in a laser-guns-blazing, Independence Day-style assault. Indeed, there’s not even a single UFO in sight. Just a bunch of curious-looking flowers that are springing up all over the place. Things quickly progress, albeit not in a good fashion."

And here's the complete article (Or perhaps it's a cloned version. After all, who can tell?).

Bigfoot Gets Weird

My latest Mysterious Universe article is doubtless one that will enrage mainstream cryptozoologists everywhere, as the subject matter is the controversial issue of how Bigfoot may be able to affect electrical equipment...

Rendlesham Continues To Live On

Although it won't be published until March of next year, there's a new book on the Rendlesham Forest UFO affair looming large on the horizon. Titled Encounter in Rendlesham Forest, it's written by Nick Pope, with  John Burroughs and Jim Penniston.

Castle Ring: On Film

If you have read any of my cryptozoological books (particularly Wildman and There's Something in the Woods) you'll know that one particular area that fascinates me is Castle Ring, an Iron Age hill-fort on the fringes of Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, England.

To say that Castle Ring is a weird place is an understatement, as it has been the site of all manner of odd encounters with bizarre beasts, ghostly entities and UFOs.

Well, for those who know of (or who want to learn more about) Castle Ring, you should definitely check out the Paranormal Cannock Chase blog of Lee Brickley.

One of Lee's friends owns one of those small remotely-piloted drone devices and, just a few days ago, he used it to obtain excellent footage of Castle Ring from above.

You can find the film here, which really captures the eerie and ancient atmosphere that still dominates Castle Ring to this very day. Check it out!   

Terror of the Tokoloshe

If you watched Josh Gates' show, Destination Truth, you may remember the episode in which he headed off in hot-pursuit of the Tokoloshe. If you didn't see it, well you may wonder what on earth this truly bizarre creature is (or is believed to be).

Well, the good news is that you can find all the answers in a brand new book published in the UK by Jon Downes' CFZ Press. The author is S.D. Tucker and the title is Terror of the Tokoloshe.

And here's the (very extensive!) blurb for the book, from Jon:

"Who, these days, still believes in goblins? Well surprisingly, millions of people do, right the way across the countries of southern Africa, where such creatures are known as tokoloshes. Little known in the West, these entities - hairy little men with gigantic magical penises and the ability to turn themselves invisible through the aid of an enchanted pebble - are a matter of everyday belief in nations such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Lesotho.

"In this, the first ever full-length book to be published upon the topic in the West, the consequences of this bizarre belief are explored in immense detail. It is not just that poltergeist-hauntings and UFO-sightings are blamed upon the activities of this nefarious little imp; so are everyday misfortunes such as a person's lack of success in love or business.

"Rather more outlandishly, tokoloshes are also held responsible for supposedly raping innocent women in their beds at night and then impregnating them with goblin-children; court cases have arisen in which people have been accused of murdering such unfortunate infants whilst under the genuine impression that they were evil tokoloshe-babies.

"But this is not all - tokoloshes have also been linked with witchcraft, zombies, paranormal stone-showers, murder, ancient Trickster-gods, sightings of unknown animals and outbreaks of mass hysteria.

"In no other book can you read about topics as diverse and strange as haunted toilets, killer one-eyed Cyclops-men made from porridge, severed penises being used as magical batteries and a deformed baby goat born with the head of Homer Simpson. All this, and the full uncensored tale of the man who claimed to have been molested in the night by a big gay hippo-monster

"Lavishly illustrated and all fully-referenced, this book is not only filled with dozens of unusual, amusing and hitherto-unexamined real-life stories, it also tries to place prevailing contemporary southern African belief in the tokoloshe into some kind of plausible social context. The tokoloshe may not be a genuinely real creature, but it certainly occupies a position of social reality in the minds of those who believe in it - with truly wide-ranging and often unexpected consequences."