New Book Reviewed:"The Field Guide to North American Monsters"

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Oct 4, 1999

A Field Guide to North American Monsters : Everything you need to know about encountering over 100 terrifying creatures in the wild. W. Haden Blackman Three Rivers Press, 1999.

As its title implies, this new trade paperback is formatted to resemble a scientific field guide similar to those cataloguing such mundane phenomena as songbirds and fungi, which can be used to identify the monsters of North American legends, cryptozoology and urban folklore. Each of the book's several dozen entries presents a detailed description of the creature in question, as well as a set of "vital statistics". Graphics are included with many of the entries, although most are drawn from popular culture sources rather than newly-created for the book.

W. Haden Blackman correctly identifies the need for a definitive work cataloguing the paranormal in North America, as the continent's many localized legends deserve more attention from monster lovers throughout the North America and the world at large. Unfortunately, this book isn't it. Many of Blackman's monster categories, including dwarves and giants, flying monsters, cryptid animals and enigmatic entities, are rather vague. (Isn't it theoretically possible for a creature to be both a flyer and a giant? Are UFO aliens flyers or enigmas?).

His definition of cryptid animals is decidedly non-standard, incorporating not only animals believed to possibly exist, but such undeniable fabrications as the gumbaroo and the jackelope . Other supposed cryptids are even more outrageous- one entry features a man-eating, but still mouse-sized, mouse. Common sense says that any creature that can't see fit to abide by Rule #1 ("Never eat more than you can lift.") clearly belongs in the supernatural /fictional category. On the same token, such notorious cryptids as lake monsters and Bigfoot-style hominids are not classified as cryptids, but are placed in their own separate categories.

The Field Guide is also regrettably sparse in its citation of references. Some of the book's most fascinating folkloric stories, such as "Two Faces" and "The Cannibal Babe", do not have footnotes specifically identifying their original sources. This book will be a major disappointment for any folklorist, cryptozoologist or monster enthusiast hoping to find practical information and resources on the subject.

That said, read it anyway ! Why? Because Blackman has an undeniable gift for storytelling . The style in which the monster encounters in this book are described is both humorous and scary. The author's love for both monsters and storytelling is apparent in his detailed descriptions of the creatures, and in the eclectic selection of monsters he has chosen to feature. In short, this book is totally enjoyable if approached as an anthology of short horror stories (If you are looking for material to scare the jeepers out of kids this Halloween, this is the book for you.), but is in no way the definitive reference work it could have been.

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