Monsters have been spotted everywhere, not just hiding under a child's bed, lurking in the closet, or springing forth from folkloric tales.

For many people, monsters are nothing more than myth, folklore, and legend combined. For others-and particularly those who have encountered monstrous forms surfacing and emerging from shadowy caves, from the dark waters of ancient lakes, and from the vast jungles and forests of our worlds-monsters are all too terrifyingly real. Werewolves, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, the Chupacabra, Mothman, the Abominable Snowman, and sea serpents may represent the most famous monsters, but they are not alone. In fact, quite the opposite: monsters can be found all across the planet.

Exploring the history, folklore, pop culture, and the world of the supernatural, The Monster Book: Creatures, Beasts, and Fiends of Nature is a comprehensive resource of the monster menagerie that exists on planet earth. This fascinating look at monsters has 120 photographs, drawings, and illustrations to bring the nearly 200 entries to life, including The Mongolian Death Worm; The Beast of Bray Road; The Owlman of England; The Yeren of China; Mokele Mbembe; Living Pterosaurs; The Flatwoods Monster; The Labynkyr Devil; Alien Big Cats; Lizard Man; Lake Worth Monster; The Beast of Gevaudan; Megalania, the Monstrous Monitor; South American Sasquatch; Nessie's lesser known cousin; The Jersey Devil; Sea Serpents; Orang Pendek; and Phantom Black Dogs.

Stories of these creatures are told around flickering campfires on chilly nights in the woods, before tucking excited kids into bed, on prime-time television documentaries, and on late-night radio talk shows. Tales of terrifying creatures that the world of science assures us don't exist. But try telling that to the witnesses. This richly researched reference overflows with fascinating information to make readers think about-and reconsider-their next visit to the woods. This fascinating read also includes a helpful bibliography and an extensive index, adding to its usefulness.

Nick Redfern is the author of 30 books on Bigfoot, lake monsters, the Abominable Snowman, and other unexplained phenomena, including Monster Files: A Look Inside Government Secrets and Classified Documents on Bizarre Creatures and Extraordinary Animals; Monster Diary: On the Road in Search of Strange and Sinister Creatures; Memoirs of a Monster Hunter; The Real Men in Black; and - with fellow Texas-based researcher and author Ken Gerhard - Monsters of Texas. He has appeared on numerous TV shows, including: Fox News; the BBC's Out of This World; the SyFy Channel's Proof Positive; the Space Channel's Fields of Fear; the History Channel's Monster Quest, America's Book of Secrets, Ancient Aliens and UFO Hunters; Science's The Unexplained Files; the National Geographic Channel's Paranatural; and MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Originally from the UK, Nick lives on the fringes of Dallas, TX.