These early works by various authors were originally published in the late 19th century and early 20th century and we are now republishing them with a brand new introduction as part of our Cryptofiction Classics series. 'Sea Monsters and Other Beasts of the Oceans' contains a collection of short stories that include 'A Matter of Fact' by Rudyard Kipling, 'The Monster of Lake LaMetrie' by Wardon Allan Curtis, 'A Tropical Horror' by William Hope Hodgson, and many other classic tales in the genre. Sea monsters hold a special place in the human imagination. Virtually every culture has at some point feared a creature of the deep, and to this day such tales have an enduring affect. True or not, these and other tales of creatures of the deep carry an almost irresistible allure. Short of taking a search party to Loch Ness, the stories which follow may well be the best method we have for getting to grips with how the symbol of the sea monster intersects with the human imagination, and even for envisioning oneself at the moment of encounter.
This early work by H. G. Wells was originally published in 1896 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography as part of our Cryptofiction Classics series. 'The Sea Raiders' is a short story in which a man notices a corpse floating in the sea, but when he investigates sees that it is being devoured by large and unusual cephalopods. Herbert George Wells was born in Bromley, England in 1866. He apprenticed as a draper before becoming a pupil-teacher at Midhurst Grammar School in West Sussex. Some years later, Wells won a scholarship to the School of Science in London, where he developed a strong interest in biology and evolution, founding and editing the Science Schools Journal. However, he left before graduating to return to teaching, and began to focus increasingly on writing. It was in 1895 that Wells seriously established himself as a writer, with the publication of the now iconic novel, The Time Machine. Wells followed The Time Machine with the equally well-received War of the Worlds (1898), which proved highly popular in the USA. The Cryptofiction Classics series contains a collection of wonderful stories from some of the greatest authors in the genre, including Ambrose Bierce, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Jack London. From its roots in cryptozoology, this genre features bizarre, fantastical, and often terrifying tales of mythical and legendary creatures. Whether it be giant spiders, werewolves, lake monsters, or dinosaurs, the Cryptofiction Classics series offers a fantastic introduction to the world of weird creatures in fiction.
Following on from the award-winning 'Real-life Dragons and their Stories of Survival', read on to find out the fascinating stories of ten real-life sea monsters! Around the world, sailors from ancient times onwards have told stories of colossal deep-sea creatures that capsized ships and terrorised crews. Far from home, and often venturing into the unknown, however, it's no wonder sailors put the dangers they faced down to the threat from sinister sea beasts. The oceans are mysterious places, and the deep-sea is one of the last places on Earth to be explored. So, while there may be no such thing as a sea serpent or mermaid, there are plenty of other weird and wonderful creatures lurking down there. Some of these real-life animals are the inspiration behind the sea monsters of myth. Others are so fantastical in their own right, it's difficult to believe that they actually exist. This book brings together 10 real-life sea monsters, with fascinating facts, figures and folklore. There are also tales of how these extraordinary creatures were discovered, and about their adaptations for surviving in the wild. This high-interest approach to the natural world shows the diversity of nature, evolution and adaptation and can be used to support the science curriculum study of living things at key stage two. Full-colour photographs combined with illustrations make this a beautiful and fascinating introduction to real-life sea monsters around the world.
For centuries, the Scottish Highlanders have told of great water beasts said to inhabit particular lochs and burns. The most famous of these is, of course, the Loch Ness Monster, or 'Nessie, ' said to be twenty to forty feet long - far larger than any freshwater animal known to exist in the murky, fathomless lake. In this essential primer, world famous cryptozoologist Ken Gerhard presents the most accurate and indispensable information that's been gathered with regard to the Loch Ness Monster - the best evidence supporting its existence, consensus expert opinions up to this point, the most compelling encounters, and really everything you need to know about the subject in order to become Nessie knowledgeable. In addition, Gerhard discusses other celebrated aquatic cryptids, including Champ, Ogopogo, and so-called sea serpents. The reader will get answers to questions such as: Could they really exist? What do they look like? How many are there? Are they dangerous? Where are the remains? Finally, Ken makes an argument that these elusive creatures may be descended from a line of ancient whales, believed to have gone extinct millions of years ago. For centuries, the Scottish Highlanders have told of great water beasts said to inhabit particular lochs and burns. The most famous of these is, of course, the Loch Ness Monster, or 'Nessie, ' said to be twenty to forty feet long - far larger than any freshwater animal known to exist in the murky, fathomless lake. In this essential primer, world famous cryptozoologist Ken Gerhard presents the most accurate and indispensable information that's been gathered with regard to the Loch Ness Monster - the best evidence supporting its existence, consensus expert opinions up to this point, the most compelling encounters, and really everything you need to know about the subject in order to become Nessie knowledgeable. In addition, Gerhard discusses other celebrated aquatic cryptids, including Champ, Ogopogo, and so-called sea serpents. The reader will get answers to questions such as: Could they really exist? What do they look like? How many are there? Are they dangerous? Where are the remains? Finally, Ken makes an argument that these elusive creatures may be descended from a line of ancient whales, believed to have gone extinct millions of years ago. For centuries, the Scottish Highlanders have told of great water beasts said to inhabit particular lochs and burns. The most famous of these is, of course, the Loch Ness Monster, or 'Nessie, ' said to be twenty to forty feet long - far larger than any freshwater animal known to exist in the murky, fathomless lake. In this essential primer, world famous cryptozoologist Ken Gerhard presents the most accurate and indispensable information that's been gathered with regard to the Loch Ness Monster - the best evidence supporting its existence, consensus expert opinions up to this point, the most compelling encounters, and really everything you need to know about the subject in order to become Nessie knowledgeable. In addition, Gerhard discusses other celebrated aquatic cryptids, including Champ, Ogopogo, and so-called sea serpents. The reader will get answers to questions such as: Could they really exist? What do they look like? How many are there? Are they dangerous? Where are the remains? Finally, Ken makes an argument that these elusive creatures may be descended from a line of ancient whales, believed to have gone extinct millions of years ago.
Zoologica Fantastica includes fifteen stories of devilish creatures, unknown species, and weird beasts from air, sea, and land. Cryptofiction is a form of science fiction, where the excitement of zoological discovery meets imaginative biology and adventure. The stories in this anthology arise from the pulps (primarily the 1920s and 1930s), the bedrock of today's speculative fiction. From giant insects to Sargasso Sea monsters, creatures from past eons, or horrors from the cavernous depths, these stories celebrate the as yet undiscovered creatures that hide in the far corners of our planet, waiting for unwary explorers to cross their paths.
Learn about the history of sea monsters in this photographic nonfiction leveled reader perfect for kids interested in the natural - and unnatural - world! Did you know that the legendary Hercules fought against the hydra, a sea monster with many heads? Or that the giant squid may not sink ships like the hydra, but it is still powerful enough to use its 30-foot-long tentacles to turn a whale into prey? That means that enormous creatures still lurk in the depths of the ocean! Embracing children's delight in the mythical creatures while also imparting fascinating facts about the real ones, discover the history of these special animals and decide for yourself if you believe in sea monsters! With simple language and vivid photographs, Are Sea Monsters Real? is perfect for emerging readers curious about the natural world and these legendary creatures.
Beasts of the Deep: Sea Creatures and Popular Culture offers its readers an in-depth and interdisciplinary engagement with the sea and its monstrous inhabitants; through critical readings of folklore, weird fiction, film, music, radio and digital games. Within the text there are a multitude of convergent critical perspectives used to engage and explore fictional and real monsters of the sea in media and folklore. The collection features chapters from a variety of academic perspectives; post- modernism, psychoanalysis, industrial-organisational analysis, fandom studies, sociology and philosophy are featured. Under examination are a wide range of narratives and media forms that represent, reimagine and create the Kraken, mermaids, giant sharks, sea draugrs and even the weird creatures of H.P. Lovecraft. Beasts of the Deep offers an expansive study of our sea-born fears and anxieties, that are crystallised in a variety of monstrous forms. Repeatedly the chapters in the collection encounter the contemporary relevance of our fears of the sea and its inhabitants – through the dehumanising media depictions of refugees in the Mediterranean to the encroaching ecological disasters of global warming, pollution and the threat of mass marine extinction.
*Includes pictures *Includes accounts of legendary sea monsters *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading The oceans of the world have always had an air of mystery. About 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by water, and until the 20th century no one had plumbed its depths. Even today the bigger seas and oceans remain a largely unexplored frontier, with new species being discovered every year. Thus it comes as no surprise that countless legends have arisen of strange creatures lurking in the depths. What follows is just a sampling of these stories, including sightings of unusual sea creatures by experienced witnesses in the 19th, 20th, and even 21st centuries. The idea that there might be large species still swimming in the oceans that haven't been classified by marine biologists isn't as far-fetched as it might sound. For example, the megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios) was entirely unknown to science until a U.S. Naval vessel off the coast of Hawaii accidentally skewered one on its anchor. The megamouth shark is a deepwater shark that can reach up to 18 feet in length, making it quite a large creature to go unnoticed for so long. In fact, since its accidental discovery, fewer than a hundred specimens have been spotted and the species had only been filmed three times. The Peruvian beaked whale (Mesoplodon peruvians) was discovered the same year and not formally described until 1991. Very little is known about this small species of whale that has only been seen off the west coast of Central and South America. Even more poorly known is the Spade-toothed whale (Mesoplodon traversii), which was first documented in 1872 thanks to the discovery of a partial jaw in New Zealand. It wasn't recognized as a distinct species until a partial skull was found in 1986, and no complete body was found until two specimens washed ashore in New Zealand in 2010. The fact that an entire species of whale is known to exist and yet no one has ever seen one alive adds fuel to the imagination of any monster hunter, who insists that there may be even more intriguing unknown species waiting to be discovered. Cryptozoology is the science that investigates these creatures, which investigators generally call "cryptids". The word is made up of the Greek stem "kryptos" (hidden) and suffix "zoology" (study of animals), thus cryptozoology is the study of hidden, as-yet-undiscovered animals. Cryptozoologists are quick to point out that they are not searching for alien beings or occult creatures; they do not hunt UFOs or ghosts. They are serious scientists, some amateur and some with professional degrees, who want to find, study, and protect these rare species. Sea Monsters: A History of Creatures from the Haunted Deep in Legend and Lore profiles the various sea creatures that people have told tales about for centuries, from ancient sources and doubtful legends to sightings by more reliable witnesses, such as ship's captains and naturalists. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about legendary sea monsters like never before.
