Mothman, the "winged man" whose appearances may have foretold a West Virginia disaster. The chupacabras, or goatsucker, whose vile deeds were first witnessed in Puerto Rico. The Dover Demon, sighted in only one place and time but become a permanent part of Massachusetts history. Are these and other monsters real or merely the stuff of nightmares? This book examines that question through eyewitness accounts and expert commentary.
"England's Borley Rectory, the Whaley House in San Diego, and the infamous Amityville, NY, house are examined in the first book. Three essays offer historical background and anecdotal evidence that support the supernatural theory. Three more writings describe means of investigating haunted properties and dealing with ghosts. The second half of the work is devoted to studies that reveal more ordinary explanations for perceived evidence of ghostly activities. Patricia D. Netzley's Haunted Houses (Lucent, 2000) objectively discusses the Amityville house and Borley Rectory and is illustrated with photographs. Monsters are everywhere according to the essays selected for Mysterious Monsters. In the 1960s, West Virginians began seeing "Mothman," a man-sized, feathered creature with glowing red eyes. Originating in Puerto Rico in the mid-1990s, the "Chupacabras" (goatsucker) left precisely drilled holes in its animal victims in Mexico, Florida, and even Long Island, NY. Strangest, perhaps, is the "Dover Demon," whose oversized head, long, spindly legs and arms, and glowing eyes frightened Massachusetts teenagers in 1977. Journalists and authors selected for this volume stress eyewitness sincerity. Yet O'Neill's introduction tells of many specific incidents of so-called sightings that have been conclusively proven to be cases of mistaken identity fed by hysteria. Both volumes end with a section of procedures for analyzing reports and doubters' statements objectively. Numerous bibliographical references and generous indexes add a scholarly framework to topics some folks find frivolous while others see as endlessly fascinating."
--School Library Journal (August 2004)
Price: US $36.55