A Bunch Of New Articles From Me

1. The Loch Ness Monsters: Are They Mainly Nocturnal?

2. Animals of the Time Traveling Kind?

3. The Strange Story of a Dog on a UFO!

4. When Bigfoot Runs on Four Limbs.

5. U.K. Monsters; Giant Eels or Massive Snakes?

6. A Connection Between Strange Creatures and Old Castles.

7. Supernatural Creatures and Their Creepy Laughter.

Monsters of the Deep: Coming This Year

 Coming this year...

And here's the info on the book from the publisher, Visible Ink Press:

A deep dive into the undersea netherworld of sea serpents, lake monsters, surviving dinosaurs, genetically altered mutants, and legendary aquatic creatures.

The ocean alone takes up 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, with countless lakes, rivers, ponds, and streams covering much of the land, but what lurks beneath the water? For centuries, sightings have been made of huge, marauding monsters swimming the world’s oceans and lakes. They include Scotland’s legendary Loch Ness Monster; the United States’ equivalent, Champ, of Lake Champlain; and Canada’s long-necked denizen of the deep known as Ogopogo. These, and many more, famous monsters of the world below us also include giant squid, massive octopi, and even the legendary Kraken and the fabled mermaids of millennia long-gone. Possibly, too, there survive populations of marine reptiles that were assumed to have gone extinct millions of years ago, in the Jurassic period, such as the plesiosaur. Plus, unfortunate modern mutants who’ve had their genes altered by pollution lurk in the depths like horrors from an old sci-fi movie.

Whether scaly or slithery, massive prehistoric dinosaurs or mutant serpents, Monsters of the Deep catalogs nearly 100 accounts of eels, alligators, reptiles, giant squids, snakes, worms, deadly fish, and cold-blooded creatures of all manner and ilk. It reveals the astonishing extent to which lake monsters and sea serpents have surfaced throughout history to terrify, perplex, and amaze those who have crossed paths with monsters of the unknown.

Master storyteller, established author, and respected expert on the unexplained and paranormal Nick Redfern sifts through the historical record, first-person accounts, and unearthed government files on lake monsters and sea serpents to tell of encounters with a variety of beasts, including ...

• Cheever Felch’s 19th-century account of the massive Gloucester, New England, Sea Serpent
• The deadly and dangerous Mokele-Mbembe of the Congo Basin, which resembles a brontosaurus
• The supernatural Bunyip, a monster that lurks within the creeks, lagoons, and swamps of Australia that has been known to the Aboriginal people for centuries
• The Loch Ness Monster-like creature, Caddy, that lives in Cadboro Bay, British Columbia, Canada
• The disputed claims of Teddy May, former Commissioner of Sewers in New York, about the veracity of alligators roaming the sewers of the city
• The monster-sized fish in the River Nene, in the Fens, Cambridgeshire, England

This richly researched reference overflows with fascinating information to make you think about―and reconsider―dipping your toes into water. With more than 120 photos and graphics, this tome is nicely illustrated. Monsters of the Deep also includes a helpful bibliography and an extensive index, adding to its usefulness. It is a fascinating guide to ocean monsters, sea creatures, surviving dinosaurs, and genetically altered mutants from an established author and respected expert on the unexplained and paranormal.

A Bunch of New Articles From Me

1. Mistaking a regular animal for something weird.

2.  The creepiest creature of the woods.

3. The Thylacine: not as extinct as you might think.

4. The Chupacabra: how far back do the stories go?

5. The "blood-sucking" aspect of the Chupacabra controversy.

6. UFOs: A Russian story.

7. Are lake monsters actually giant eels?

8. A monstrous 50th anniversary on the horizon.

9. A "leaked' document and a disturbing agenda.

10. The growing phenomenon of surveillance by drones.

The Birmingham "Giant Eel" Controversy

 

 

Back in 2012, Anomalist Books published a book from me titled Monster Diary, which was a collection of road-trips I had been on in search of weird creatures. 

 

One chapter focused on claims that massive eels lurked in the waters of the canals of Birmingham, England. 

 

Some of the claims suggested eels of 15-feet long or more, which is not just controversial, but beyond controversial! 

 

Such stories continue to reach me. And, while I was in the UK last week, this story surfaced, showing that there may be more to all this than just urban legend.

A Monster In The City

Every few months I write an article for the "Creature Of The Month" section of New Page Books' blog.

And here's how the new one starts:

"Of all the many and varied unknown creatures that are said to inhabit our planet – such as Bigfoot, the Abominable Snowman, and the Chupacabra – perhaps the most chilling ones are not those that lurk in dense, faraway forests, in remote and expansive jungles, and on distant icy mountains. The ones that we should really be wary of are those that live practically under our very noses. It’s one thing to read accounts of extraordinary animals and rampaging monsters in faraway, exotic environments. It’s quite another thing, however, to have such monstrosities almost lurking on our doorsteps. But, incredibly, there are far more than a few reports on record of terrifying beasts seen deep in the hearts of our towns and cities. To be sure, it’s a chilling thought that, as we sleep, menacing beasts may be roaming around our very own neighborhoods. All of this brings me to a certain, memorable affair that absolutely defines the 'monsters are among us' scenario."

Here's the link to the complete article...

 

"Something" in the Water...

Both of today's Mysterious Universe articles deal with sightings of large, unidentified fish in English waters. Giant eels? Catfish? Sturgeon? Or something else? The jury is still out.
 
Here number one...

And here's the second...

Creature of the Month: One Eye

 
My latest Creature of the Month article at New Page Books' blog is on the little-known saga of "One Eye," the alleged monster of Lake Granbury, situated just a short journey from where I live.



You can find the article here, and here's how it begins:

"Every year, in the city of Dallas, Texas (which is just a short drive from my Arlington home) I do a series of lectures on the subject of cryptozoology, otherwise known as the study of unknown animals. They are lectures organized by one of the local school-districts for kids aged from about 7 to 9.

"Of course, they love hearing about such things as Bigfoot, Nessie, the Chupacabra, and the Yeti. And they love to pick my brains with a mass of questions!

"But, it’s not just the kids that find the lectures intriguing. Occasionally, a parent or several will come along, to see what’s going on. And, sometimes, they will even share a story of the notable and intriguing kind..."

Lake Monsters Or Giant Eels?

My latest Mysterious Universe article focuses on the theory that at least some so-called "lake-monsters" may actually be giant eels. It starts like this:

"When it comes to the matter of lake monsters, two things can be said with a high degree of certainty: (a) sightings have been reported from pretty much all around the world; and (b) the theories for what they may be are as many as they are varied. Ogopogo, Champ, Morag, and the monsters of Loch Ness, Scotland have all captured the collective imagination of the public and the media, as well as the attention of cryptozoologists, the scientific community, and monster-hunters. But, if lake monsters really do exist – and I think they do – then what are they? That’s a good question…

"Certainly, and beyond any shadow of doubt (and particularly so when it comes to the matter of what lurks within Loch Ness) the most popular theory is that the creatures are plesiosaurs: marine reptiles that lived from the Triassic Period, thrived in the Jurassic Period, and finally met their demise at the end of the Cretaceous Period. If such beasts did survive extinction, such a discovery would not just be amazing – it would be beyond amazing!" (END OF EXTRACT)

The giant eel theory is one that has interested me for a long time and you can find other material on this very subject from me in my 2012 book Monster Diary (which includes an entire chapter on the subject, titled "The Great Eel Hunt"). The photo below relates to the story in the book.

Also check out this 2012 article from me (also at Mysterious Universe), one (from 2008) at my now-closed down blog, There's Something in the Woods, and a second one at the same blog, this one from 2007.

Monsters of the Midlands

There's a new post from me at Mysterious Universe that delves into a number of stories I've collected over the years of what may be large eels roaming the waters of the UK, and specifically the Midlands area. In fact, very large eels!

The article begins likes this:

"Any mention of large, serpent-like monsters lurking in the waters of the British Isles inevitably conjures up imagery of the nation’s most famous cryptozoological creature, Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster. Or monsters. Indeed, if not some strange Fortean phantasm (which I don’t actually rule out), then there would have to be an entire colony of such things in the loch, given that sightings have been reported for many a year. But, regardless of the true nature of Nessie, sometimes it’s not necessary to travel to ancient lochs to find tales of terrible things lurking in the dark depths. Sometimes, you can find them right in the heart of the city, which is something I note in my new book, Monster Diary: On the Road in Search of Strange and Sinister Creatures.

"Back in the late 1980s, when I was working as both a fork-lift and a van driver for a company in the West Midlands, England town of Walsall, I heard a number of noteworthy stories pertaining to sightings of huge violent eels, which were said to roam the dark, winding canals of both the nearby city of Birmingham, and certain rural areas of the adjacent county of Staffordshire. Rather like some 1950s era street gang from the Bronx, they seemed to travel in packs, prepared to take on just about anything and everything that had the misfortune to cross their path."

And here's the complete article.

The photo above - taken by me a couple of years ago - shows one of the stretches of Birmingham canal in question where at least one of the eels was reportedly seen back in the '80's.

A Diary of Monsters: New Book

Anomalist Books have just published a new book from me: Monster Diary: On the Road in Search of Strange and Sinister Creatures.

Written in first-person style, the book chronicles my on-the-road investigations of all-things cryptozoological from early 2009 to late 2011. And here's the AB background-info on the book...

MONSTER DIARY is the latest saga in Nick Redfern’s ongoing series of worldwide road-trips in search of strange creatures and terrifying beasts.

In this transatlantic trek, Redfern is hot on the trail of...a Mothman-like creature in Wisconsin; giant eels that lurk in the canals of Birmingham, England; a spectral mammoth and a ghostly big-cat in American woods; Bigfoot in New Mexico; a Chupacabras in the wilds of Oklahoma; vampire-like beasts roaming the valleys of Wales; and California’s very own shape-shifting Skinwalkers.

MONSTER DIARY reveals that many of the unknown animals of our planet are not all they seem to be. They may appear to be flesh-and-blood creatures, but is that what they really are?
Redfern sets out to prove that the true nature of the fearsome creatures that dwell in dark and shadowy woods, atop imposing mountainous peaks, and within the depths of murky lakes and rivers can only be understood with a knowledge of ancient rituals designed to conjure up foul life forms from some terrible realm, ominous sacrificial ceremonies undertaken in the dead of night, and disturbing occult rites.

Monsters do exist. Monsters are among us. But they are not what you probably think there are.