Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #272982 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 180 pages

Synopsis
What's in the Woods? Bigfoot? Check. Phantom black dogs? Check. Werewolves? Check. Giant mystery birds? They're here, too. Toss in some haunted woods, spooky cemeteries, crop circles, and crashed UFOs and you've got Nick Redfern's latest road trip across two continents for all things cryptozoological or otherwise mysterious. This is the third in a series of excursions into the occult fringe for the indefatigable Redfern. It all started with "Three Men Seeking Monsters," which Booklist called "lively and entertaining," and was followed by "Memoirs of a Monster Hunter," which his colleagues have called "wild and wooly" and "fascinating." Now, in this latest volume, Redfern defies all the laws of self-preservation and offers himself as bait in the face of the unknown --- to learn, if indeed, "There's Something in the Woods."

Customer Reviews

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Redfern's '3 Men Seeking Monsters' was something of a Fortean classic: his follow-up 'Memoirs Of A Monster Hunter' a considerable disappointment. 'There's Something In The Woods' - the third in his monster hunter adventures - is a definite improvement on its predecessor, if not totally shaking off some its deficiencies. Redfern is an engaging protagonist with an emphasis on presenting fresh tales of weirdness - the 'confessions of a crop circle maker' included here being a good example. Although presented as a cryptozoological tome, Redfern's 'gonzo' investigative practices (camping in the desert to encounter a ghostly devil dog, for example) and his explicitly occultist take on the phenomenon mark him closer to John Keel than Loren Coleman. Aficionados of cryptozoology as science may therefore find Redfern's paranormal conjectures - and the relative ubiquity with which he encounters the monsters - a strain on their credulity. However, fans of 'high strangeness' stories will find much to enjoy within - recent encounters with the 'man-monkey', werewolves, giant insects, and shamanic dimensional portals to name a few. My major criticisms (shared with 'Memoirs') would be a degree of repetition of material from his other writings (such as some background material on the man-monkey and the chupacabras) and the need for more assiduous editing - the term 'diabolical' expires from overuse over the course of the book.

There certainly is something in the woods
Apart from Loren Coleman, Nick Redfern is my favourite author on the cryptozoological matters. In his latest book Nick Redfern investigates cases in both the UK and USA, from Cannock Chase to the Big Thicket. If you are not familiar with cryptozoology, I would recommend this book as an extremely readable and hugely entertaining introduction. I particulary enjoyed the chapters covering cases in the UK, even the most ardent sceptic couldn't fail to get a tingle down the spine. Nick Redfern achives what every good author on the supernatural should, he produces that strange spooky, yet comfortable feeling. Read this book along with Three Men Seeking Monsters, which I read and re-read endless times.

Thin on the ground
Being a huge fan of Three Men Seeking Monsters, my interest in the books of Nick Redfern has declined of late. One should never judge a book by its cover, but this exceptionally slim volume, flimsy small run printing and more blank paper than I've ever seen in a book makes me think Redfern has finally run out of steam - if such a rich seam of available transatlantic subject matter makes for such a slight tome, then maybe he should have waited till he had something more to say.