Vampires, Zombies, and Monster Men / Monsters and Mythic Beasts

by Daniel Farson

Monsters have a strange fascination for us all. In the first half of this two-in-one volume, Daniel Farson explores the monsters we probably fear most - Man Monsters. Vampires, zombies, werewolves, wild men - the questions he asks are absorbing, the answers often astonishing. Angus Hall takes an equally intriguing look at a wider range of monsters, from dragons and dinosaurs to the Yeti and the Loch Ness monster. Might there not be, he wonders, hiding in jungles, lakes or mountains, such improbable creatures? There are more than 300 illustrations, including 12 especially commissioned paintings.

Genres: Cryptozoology, Nonfiction, Horror

286 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1975

Reviews

[Willy Boy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great selection of creepy tidbits, well chosen illustrations - above average for pulp-factual schlock, entertaining.

[Annabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had a zombie apocalypse hit the world in 1985, fifteen-year-old me would have been one of the "experts" called in. All thanks to this book. Among all The Supernatural books in our possession, this one had the most worn-out spine, frayed cover, and torn or missing pages--all the tell-tale signs of a book that's literally been read to pieces. I devoured this as I would a book that's equal parts Grimm's fairy tale and Stephen King, whom I had not had the pleasure of discovering yet. I first read about Bram Stoker's pursuit and fascination with the elaborate fairy tale spun by two girls, aged ten and thirteen, from the Yorkshire village of Cottingley, here; the girls had photographs of their fairy friends taken in the woods, making a believer of Stoker. The girls have since admitted their hoax, though not before 1975, when this book was published. This book's allure also lay not just in the "factual accounts" of encounters with zombies in Haiti, vampires/real-life Nosferatus in Romania, and changelings, werewolves and other monster men, but in the photographs, drawings, and paintings representing them. Fortunately, unlike other titles in the set, most of the artists featured here are named. One haunting painting that has stayed with me since is Francisco de Goya's Saturn Devouring His Son, used here to illustrate cannibalism. Which somehow, I doubt was Goya's intention. Meanwhile, this piece of work has served me well in many a conversation, especially with the ten to fifteen-year old crowd.

* In 1985, a dear aunt left us a set of books on the Supernatural. Published in the mid-seventies, the books are dated by today's standards, and sketchy even back then--an encyclopaedia/The Sun hybrid. Over the years, the titles got lost, and those which remained had broken spines and missing pages, a result of persistent re-readings. I've always wanted to recapture the fascination I had for these books, so when I saw a mint set available on eBay in 2018, I bought it.

[David Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good overview of the title subjects and some information to lead you to books, names and incidents for more in-depth research

[Saskia (Smitie) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik heb het net niet gered om het in 2014 uit te lezen, maar ik vond het een erg interessant boek. Leuk om te lezen wat de historie achter sommige monsters is.