Linda S. Godfrey (1951–2022)

Ok, so this is a Cryptozoology book. Don’t click away just yet.

Everyone I know has seen something or heard something they couldn’t explain. You were driving most likely and saw this thing on the side of the road, it doesn’t look quite right, and when you get a closer look it is something you’ve never seen before. You know it’s real. You go through the entire range of emotions, are you crazy? Could it be a trick of the light? Is it some kind of joke or hoax? In the end, you only show more know for sure that you aren’t wrong, it is real and if you tell anyone they laugh at the thought.

Do we laugh because we are uncomfortable with the unknown? Mostly, yes, I think so. Can there be animals that we don’t know about? Why is that so far fetched?

Linda Godfrey compiled an entire book of first-person experiences that are recent. This isn’t that book you checked out of the library as a kid with the blurry Loch Ness Monster pictures. Everything from dire dogs to deer people and of course Bigfoot gets some coverage within this book.

I think it is a worthwhile project to chronicle sightings that otherwise get immediately dismissed from the public. No one knows how many if any of these sightings are true, but they are abundant and I do think we owe it to our neighbors to keep an open mind.

Even if you aren’t a squatch enthusiast, no one knows this area quite like Linda. You’ll find these accounts interesting and thought-provoking no matter whether you want to believe or not. show less

I thought this was Godfrey's best book yet because while she did throw in a bit of humor here and there, there was far less of it than in her previous works. It made the subject seem less of a joke. I so firmly believe in the Beast of Bray Road and am so afraid, that I will go nowhere near that area of the state. Some of the encounters she reports on in this book, a few of which are significantly closer to where I live, had me so frightened that I slept with the lights on for 3 nights in a show more row! Many thanks to my LibraryThing Secret Santa for that gift! show less

[b: Real Wolfmen: True Encounters in Modern America|13542895|Real Wolfmen True Encounters in Modern America|Linda S. Godfrey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1337182057s/13542895.jpg|19107186] is the second book that I've read by [a: Linda S. Godfrey|102574|Linda S. Godfrey|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1371234107p2/102574.jpg]. While this book was not as well organized as the previous book I read by her, it was a bit more comprehensive when it came to theories as to what the show more reported upright-canids may be. I appreciated her delving into the North American traditions that may account for such creatures - whether spiritual, flesh and blood, or shamanistic in origin. I love learning more about local folklore, and this book was richer in it than I truly expected.

[a: Linda S. Godfrey|102574|Linda S. Godfrey|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1371234107p2/102574.jpg] truly warmed to her subject in this book. Without the need to focus on other anomalous creatures (Bigfoot, mysterious mists, lizard people, etc.) she got to allow her knowledge of wolf-lore shine, and she delved into animal psychology briefly alongside the spirit-guardians and mound builder legends. This made for better reading, although ultimately I still wish she would dig deeper into these traditions as well as the cognitive ethology of the wolf that would allow for a better understanding of the predatory habits of the 'upright canids'.

I enjoyed her look at the amphicyon's, as well as the dire wolves as possible origins of some of the legends. I also enjoyed her look into the legend of the "Hairy Hearts", as that is something scarcely mentioned. I look forward to reading more by Godfrey, although ultimately she has shone best in interviews in my experience. She is a wealth of knowledge on American folklore, and I wish her books reflected that a bit more deeply - but this was a fantastic start. show less

Good collection of first-hand accounts of monsters reported in the US although heavy on dogmen, with less detail on Bigfoot.
Interesting speculation on unusual fog banks, the quantum universe, portals, UFO influence, and more. I expected a more balanced survey, but don't regret learning about this area of interest. Clearly written, photos, lots of fascinating material. Even an account from my Alton, Illinois, hometown.