Real Monsters, Gruesome Critters, and Beasts from the Darkside

Over 250 of the most bloodcurdling and bone-chillingly fascinating and true monster stories. Not recommended for reading just before bedtime!


Monsters have been spotted everywhere, not just slithering under a child’s bed or lurking in the closet. Paranormal researcher extraordinaire Brad Steiger, an author of thousands of books and articles on the mysterious and unknown, collects some of the scariest, most unbelievable but true monster stories in his latest collection, Real Monsters, Gruesome Critters and Beasts from the Darkside.



From slightly demented humans to spine-tingling paranormal encounters, each outlandish occurrence is detailed with thorough research and recounted with a storyteller’s crafted voice. This bold telling of verified monster sightings taken from historical records and first-person accounts features:

The British scientists’ discovery of a tuft of hair in the Himalayan mountains containing DNA that cannot be matched with any known animal—the most convincing proof yet that Yetis are real;
The “Mothman” sighted in West Virginia that some believe to be a harbinger of death;
The monstrous creature, complete with horns and tail, that still lurks in the shadows of the Big Easy;
The expectant mother examined by the strange praying-mantis entities aboard a UFO; and
The couple walking near a lake in British Columbia, Canada, astonished to see a reptilian humanoid emerging from the lake's depths;
UFO abductors seeking to create human-alien hybrids;
Lake monsters, lizardmen, and creepy mermaids troll the waters for prey;
Dinosaurs terrorize the jungles;
Yeti and Bigfoot leave clues that they live in the mountains;
Big cats, black dogs, and giant snakes prowl neighborhoods;
And many, many more hair-raising stories!


Highlighting news articles, historical accounts, and first-person interviews, this chronicle of human interactions with monsters will convince even the most hardened skeptic of the existence of the bogeyman, Bigfoot, shadow people, devils, mutant animals, swamp creatures, and all kinds of heinous beasts. Real Monsters, Gruesome Critters and Beasts from the Darkside will leave you constantly looking over your shoulder and wondering about the things that go bump and howl and screech in the night.