I fell in love with scientific cryptozoology ever since I discovered Bernard Heuvelmans’ work when I was in college in the early 1980s. In the spirit of full disclosure, I must confess that I spent more time reading Heuvelmans than actually studying for some of my courses, but that is a story for another time.
That fascination with cryptozoology never left me, but over time, I had to become more selective in my choice of books to read on the topic. The sad reality is that there are, let’s say, ‘less than reliable’ cryptozoology books out there, and even though some of the allure of cryptozoology is the part that kindles the imagination, by temperament and training, I like the scientific side as well. The saying “So many books, so little time” is more true than ever, and more than once I wished to have an accessible, carefully curated source, to help me choose my cryptozoological readings.
Enter Matt Bille.
Mr. Bille is a talented science writer, novelist, naturalist, and historian with a wide range of interests. I discovered him in the mid-1990s via his book “Rumors of Existence: Newly Discovered, Supposedly Extinct, and Unconfirmed Inhabitants of the Animal Kingdom”, a short, yet delightful book that displayed the perfect combination of scientific accuracy and imagination. In 2006, Mr. Bille followed “Rumors of Existence” with “Shadows of Existence: discoveries & speculations in zoology”, an equally rigorous, yet with a more speculative (dare I say more fun?) bent. These two tomes have a permanent place in my personal library.
Happily, Mr. Bille has done it again.
In his most recent book: “Of Books and Beasts: A Cryptozoologist’s Library” (Dec 2021), Mr. Bille reviews some 400 cryptozoology books to “… help researchers find reliable information”, yet this book is much more than that!
The book is divided into four sections: 1. Cryptozoology Books: A Basic Library of Cryptozoology (primates, terrestrial and aquatic animals), 2. Related Sciences (paleontology, evolution, ecology and exploration), 3 Crypto-Fiction (probably my favorite section), and 4. Miscellany. It also includes some personal reflections (with some hidden gems that I suspect you will love—I did!), a thorough index, and an announcement of an upcoming book on marine monsters (Which I can’t wait to read!).
The information and perspectives included “Of Books and Beasts” will prove quite useful for the serious scholar and enthusiast, as well as entertaining for the more casual reader. Moreover, “Of Books and Beasts” is not only a thorough catalog and critical review of cryptozoology writings, it is also a FUN book! In essence, this is a cryptozoology book about cryptozoology books; what’s not to love?
If you are interested on cryptozoology at any level, I strongly suggest you get “Of Books and Beasts”. I have a feeling you will not regret it.
Image credit: Hangar 1 Publishing
ISBN-13 : 978-1955471275
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