When a dark shadow passes overhead, do you stop? Or do you run?

Infamous sky monsters have haunted our imaginations for centuries. The Thunderbird, steeped in Native American folklore, supposedly controls evil by throwing lightning. The Jersey Devil is said to roam the Pine Barrens of South Jersey, terrorizing anyone who crosses its path. And the cryptic warnings of Mothman have worried residents of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, since the 1960s. In A Guide to Sky Monsters: Thunderbirds, the Jersey Devil, Mothman, and Other Flying Cryptids, authors T. S. Mart and Mel Cabre introduce 20 flying cryptids with legends that span the United States. With 70 hand-drawn illustrations, A Guide to Sky Monsters details our fascination with these creatures and describes both historical evidence found in the fossil record and the specifics of modern-day sightings. By studying the fact, fiction, and pop culture surrounding these notorious beasts, Mart and Cabre help us lean into the question, "What if?"

A Guide to Sky Monsters, perfect for the believer and skeptic alike, addresses the wider truths about flying cryptids and leaves us all to wonder whether that breeze was the wind or a wing.

About the Author

T. S. Mart specializes in writing true-to-life stories, showcasing ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. Her short story "Delivering Hope" won first place in a national competition and appeared in a bestselling anthology. With a background in social work, she makes her home in a small Midwestern town, writing to inspire and entertain. After graduating high school in 2014, Mel Cabre fine-tuned her passion for designing creatures, cryptids, and monsters by closely studying the world around her and teaching herself the basics of animal and human anatomy. Constantly being inspired by the uniqueness found in nature keeps Mel's imagination alive. She is newly married to a man who rolls with all of her wacky thought processes and loves cats as much as she does. The mother-daughter team co-own and maintain Cryptid World, where they regularly post content about various cryptids.

Reviews

"Winged cryptids are a mainstay of forteana, and appear in may guises across the world. This book concentrates initially on American examples, but offers more than just a basic listing and description of various crypto-species."-Richard Samuels, Magonia Review

"After surveying the world of hairy humanoids in their debut book, The Legend of Bigfoot, the motherdaughter team of TS Mart and Mel Cabre next turn their attention skyward for a similar survey of winged things in their A Guide To Sky Monsters. . . . Beyond reviewing these American monsters' familiar origins and their body of lore, the authors dig a good bit deeper to provide cultural context, helping to explain the significance of, say, birds of prodigious size in Native American spiritual beliefs, while quite carefully equivocating on whether real animals gave rise to those beliefs, or if those beliefs primed people to see the animals (or believe they saw them, as the case may be). . . . If there's another Mart and Cabre book of monsters on the shelf soon, I'd welcome it. FIVE STARS"-Caleb Mozzocco, Fortean Times

"A Guide to Sky Monsters by T. S. Mart and Mel Cabre does more than simply recite creepy critter stories. It's an introduction to a world you might not have realized even exists. One just above your head whose inhabitants are giant birds, terrifying demons, and creatures previously thought extinct. What T. S. and Mel do is open our minds to ideas and beasts . . . in a time where every discovery is thought to have been made. They're to be commended as much for inspiring us to seek out answers as they are for weaving together the various strands of these centuries-old mysteries."-Seth Breedlove, Small Town Media

Book Information
ISBN 9781684352173
Author T.s. Mart
Format Paperback
Page Count 214
Imprint Red Lightning Books
Publisher Red Lightning Books
Dimensions(mm) 9mm * 6mm * 15mm