Make room in your suitcase for this monstrously entertaining guide to fantastic creatures around the world — and how to elude them. I did not make any of this up. Do you know why you should have baby teeth handy when visiting the Midwest? Or why you should bring a cucumber with you when swimming in Japan? How good are you at solving Russian riddles? From Boston to Bejing, from Moscow to Mali, any place you visit has its own terrifying tales of very real creatures. Complete with handy "gruesomeness ratings," this guide offers all the important facts on some sixty-three folkloric monsters and how (if possible!) to survive an encounter with them. Meticulously researched by Judy Sierra and illustrated in grotesque detail by Henrik Drescher, here is the ultimate resource for any world traveler, armchair or otherwise, hoping to make it home alive.

Spotlighting news articles, historical accounts, and firstperson interviews, this chronicle of human interactions with monsters will convince even the most hardened skeptic of the existence of the bogeyman, bigfoot, werewolves, and swamp creatures. Offering an array of wild reports—from the police officer who begrudgingly responded to a call about a longhaired woman flying over a suburban neighborhood only to find himself calling for backup when she attacked his patrol car to the motorist whose headlights illuminated a sevenfoot tall, wolflike creature that stood on its hind legs—this historical record highlights scary and unbelievable narratives. From slightly demented humans to spinetingling paranormal encounters, each outlandish occurrence is detailed with thorough research and recounted with a storyteller's crafted voice.

Just in time for Halloween, this lavishly illustrated sequel to the "New York Times" bestseller "A Practical Guide to Dragons" showcases the spooky, unexpected, and always fascinating world of such monsters as giants, goblins, and mummies.

"Here there be dragons"--this notation was often made on ancient maps to indicate the edges of the known world and what lay beyond. Heroes who ventured there were only as great as the beasts they encountered. This encyclopedia contains more than 2,200 monsters of myth and folklore, who both made life difficult for humans and fought by their side. Entries describe the appearance, behavior, and cultural origin of mythic creatures well-known and obscure, collected from traditions around the world.

Humorous verses inform travelers about the dangers posed by monsters and other exotic creatures from many lands.

From vampires and demons to ghosts and zombies, interest in monsters in literature, film, and popular culture has never been stronger. This concise Encyclopedia provides scholars and students with a comprehensive and authoritative A-Z of monsters throughout the ages. It is the first major reference book on monsters for the scholarly market. Over 200 entries written by experts in the field are accompanied by an overview introduction by the editor. Generic entries such as 'ghost' and 'vampire' are cross-listed with important specific manifestations of that monster. In addition to monsters appearing in English-language literature and film, the Encyclopedia also includes significant monsters in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, African and Middle Eastern traditions. Alphabetically organized, the entries each feature suggestions for further reading. The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters is an invaluable resource for all students and scholars and an essential addition to library reference shelves.

Insights into the lives of monsters from a world-famous monstrologist.