What you don't know can hurt you!
There are things
that only exist on the edges of human consciousness. They are terrible things that lurk in the shadows. Pretending they don't
exist offers no protection because sooner or later they will emerge from the darkness to prey. These are the horrifying and
elusive monsters of legend and abominations science refuses to acknowledge. Relegated to the realms of imagination and hoax
these mysterious creatures will make believers out of their victims. Skeptics beware.
In his latest
book, Cryptic Creatures, horror author Brian C. Anderson serves up five tales of crypto-zoological madness. Bigfoot and The
Loch Ness Monster are only the tip of the arcane iceberg. This collection of short stories adds several new cryptids to the
roster of hidden monsters. Pigmalion is a swamp-dwelling hog-man hybrid that has a taste for human flesh. The living god Hi'Lana
is a bat-like beast that passes violent judgement upon mankind. Controlled by a cult, the sea monster Isabella destroys ships
and feeds on the hapless sailors. There is also a toxic waste fueled insect hoard and an inter-dimensional soul-sucking parasite.
Each creature is more terrifying than the last.
Buried between these tales of the macabre are a series
of vignettes called Terrible Taxonomy. They detail some of the more famous cryptids such as Mothman and El Chupacabra. Not
content to simply rehash old information, Brian expands upon the legends giving them a few new wrinkles. Ranging from the
hilarious story of Big Foot's love child to the disturbing explanation of teen runaways, these vignettes add to the myths.
In addition, there are some practical tips on hunting these monsters should you be so bold.
With
only two books under his belt Brian has established a very distinct writing style. His punchy to-the-point delivery pummels
the reader unmercifully. He doesn't waste time with endless pages of mood setting. His horror arrives in unrelenting shock-waves
that repulse and terrify. He likes to explore themes of fate and nonconformity, but what sticks out the most are the conspiratorial
undertones. His writing presents the reoccurring idea that big business and government are inherently evil and their interests
run contrary to that of the common man. Maybe he is a little too paranoid, or maybe we're not paranoid enough.
This
book is definitely not for the feint of heart. If you are looking for stories about vampires and werewolves falling in love:
move along. However, if you want horror that exposes the dark and disturbing underside of our world, this is for you. With
Cryptic Creatures, Brian C. Anderson wants the reader to fear the unknown.
