Reviewing The Brimstone Deceit

At Mysterious Universe I review Joshua Cutchin's new book, The Brimstone Deceit, which is a really good read.

Here's how the review begins:

Available right now is the new book from Joshua Cutchin, The Brimstone Deceit. Its subtitle: An In-Depth Examination of Supernatural Scents, Otherworldly Odors, and Monstrous Miasmas. You may recall that in May 2015 I reviewed Josh’s previous book, A Trojan Feast. You can find the review here. In many ways, the two books are of a similar nature. Whereas A Trojan Feast was focused on the connections between Fortean phenomena, strange entities and food, Josh’s new book revolves around odors and the world of the unexplained.

Before I tell you what this new title from Anomalist Books is about, it’s important I explain what it’s specifically not about. This is not a book about how Bigfoot stinks to high heaven because it lives in the woods and never bathes. Nor is it a study of alien halitosis. Rather, this is a fascinating 445-pages-long book on how certain, specific odors play significant roles in countless paranormal events and incidents. Josh’s work makes it very clear that numerous supernatural phenomena of the kind that many would suggest have no connection to each other, are, in reality, connected to incredible and deep degrees. In that sense, Josh goes down the path taken by John Keel, who came to believe that the many and varied unknown “things” which intrude upon our world are somehow all part and parcel of something bigger, something interconnected.

UFOs & Radar: The 1950s

Over at Mysterious Universe, I take a look at three intriguing radar-based UFO encounters from the 1950s...

Beyond Boggy Creek - Reviewed

Over at Mysterious Universe, I review the new Bigfoot-themed book from Lyle Blackburn, Beyond Boggy Creek.

And here's how the review begins:


Beyond Boggy Creek: In Search of the Southern Sasquatch is the new book from Lyle Blackburn. If you are into Cryptozoology, you will know of Lyle’s two previous books, The Beast of Boggy Creek and Lizard Man. If you enjoyed those two titles, then you will definitely want to get your hands on his new one. As the title of the book suggests, Lyle’s latest release focuses on Bigfoot in Texas, Arkansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi and more. There is no doubt that when people think of Bigfoot, they often picture large and lumbering hair-covered man-beasts roaming around the forested wilds of the Pacific northwest. But, that’s not always the case. As Beyond Boggy Creek reveals, there is a huge body of data, sightings, and encounters suggesting that whatever the southern Bigfoot is, it’s thriving just fine.

I read the book over three nights (sadly, they weren’t dark and stormy, which would have been ideal weather!). And, I can tell you, for sure, that it makes for very intriguing reading. One of the reasons why the book is a definitive page-turner is because Lyle is a skilled and atmospheric writer: he sets the scene, draws the reader into the stories, and provides captivating case after case. There is another reason why this book is an important one for Cryptozoology: Lyle is someone who spends a great deal of time in the woods, swamps and wild places in the South. In other words, most of the material presented in the book comes from Lyle’s own, personal investigations and interviews – which is always a good thing. With that all said, now let’s take a look at the content of Beyond Boggy Creek. If you thought there was nothing new to say about Bigfoot, it’s time to think again.

Rich Reynolds and 365 Days of UFOs

Over at UFO Conjecture(s), Rich Reynolds gives the thumbs-up to my new 365 Days of UFOs book...

The Roswell UFO Festival...

An event I'll be speaking in a few months, June 30-July 2 (click on the image to enlarge).

Beyond Boggy Creek

Something great arrived in the mail - the new book from good mate, Lyle Blackburn, Beyond Boggy Creek.

I have started to read it and it's an excellent contribution to the worlds of both Cryptozoology and Bigfoot research. A review coming soon!

And here is the publisher's (Anomalist Books) info on the book:

From the author of The Beast of Boggy Creek comes the ultimate investigation into a true Southern mystery... 

Countless reports from credible individuals suggest that something shocking may be stalking the woods of the southern United States--something massive, bipedal, and covered in hair. Tales of these Southern Sasquatch creatures--such as the one made famous by the 1972 horror movie The Legend of Boggy Creek--date back to the very origins of Deep South history and are reported even today.
While Boggy Creek may be the most famous case, the infamous waterway is only the tip of a much broader mystery, one that spills into the surrounding states and beyond. From Arkansas and Oklahoma down to Texas, over to Florida and all the southern states in between, chilling accounts and compelling evidence indicate that a breed of these mysterious, man-like creatures has been successfully hiding in the shadowy foothills, piney woods, and murky swamplands of these areas.
Join acclaimed author and outdoorsman Lyle Blackburn as he traverses woods and waterways, delves into dusty archives, and interviews a host of credible eyewitnesses in search of one of the South's most enduring mysteries... the Southern Sasquatch.

About the Author:

Lyle Blackburn's research and writing on the subject of Bigfoot has been widely recognized as some of the best in the field of cryptozoology. His previous books, including The Beast of Boggy Creek and Lizard Man, offer a balanced view of the subject while delivering gripping accounts of this real-life mystery.
Blackburn is a frequent guest on radio programs such as Coast to Coast AM, and has appeared on television shows including Monsters and Mysteries in America and Finding Bigfoot. Blackburn and his research have also been featured in the award-winning documentary film Boggy Creek Monster.
"Blackburn shows himself not only to be a first-rate researcher but a formidable writer."-- Fortean Times.

CONTENTS
Preface
Introduction
1. Shadows in the Southern Woods
  Legendary Archetype
  Name Game
  Deeper South
2. They Always Follow the Creeks
  Up the River
  Sulphur Waterweb
  Red River Connection
  The Other Boggys
3. Marauding Manimals
  Bad Reputation
  Man Mountain
  Siege at Honobia
  Scars
4. Native Giants
  Bigfoot War
  Nowata Man-Things
  Casino Creature
  Cross Timbers Snow Ape
5. Mountain Monsters and Valley Apes
  Area X
  Road Walkers
  Close Encounters
  The Ozarks
6. Lone Star Sasquatch
  Lake Worth Monster
  Strange Things Afoot
  Deep in the Heart
  Piney Woods
7. Bayou Beasts
  Caddo Critters
  Sabine Thing
  Monster Central
  Lurkers in the Lowlands
  Honey Island Swamp Monster
8. Rebel Bigfoot
  Denizens of the Delta
  Howls in the Night
  Downey Booger
  Sweet Home
9. Appalachian Ape-Men
  Body Snatchers
  Knobby and Yahoos
  Hulking Highlanders
  Terror on the Trail
10. Coastal Creatures
  Boogers and Buggers
  The Nightmares Continue
  Elkins Creek
  Ripples Through the Water
11. Realm of the Skunk Ape
  What’s That Smell
  Monsters in the Marshlands
  Myakka Mysteries
  Amok in Ochopee
  Lasting Images
Conclusion
Acknowledgements
Appendix
  Maps
  Southern Names for Bigfoot
Endnotes
Index
About the Author

A Good Find...

Found this for a couple of dollars at a local house sale last weekend, a 1920 edition of Samuel Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Not bad!

Polish FBI Files

Back in 2001, a Polish edition of my 1998 book, The FBI Files, was published. Now there is a new Polish edition, to be released later this month. Not a bad cover!