A Field Guide to Demons, Vampires, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits

by Carol K. Mack, Dinah Mack, Stephen Jones (Foreword)

Now back in print in a new gift format, the classic field guide to the demons that have never stopped inhabiting our world.

If you met a werewolf on the eve of a full moon, would you know how to tell what he really was? Could you resist the dark charms of a vampire or the lure of a fallen angel? Did you know that the razor-sharp tail of the Mbulu of South Africa has a mind of its own? Or that the Kuru-Pira of Brazil has eyes that glow like embers and fangs ripping from its mouth? In this updated edition of A Field Guide to Demons , Carol and Dinah Mack bring to life some of the most horrific and fascinating creatures ever described in lore and legend. With a deft pen and global perspective, they profile more than ninety bogies including demons, fairies, ghouls, mermaids, vampires, kelpies, werewolves, and more.

Readers will delight in exploring the origin, characteristics, and cultural significance of each creature. Organized by habitat, and offering helpful dispelling and disarming techniques in every instance, A Field Guide to Demons will entertain readers of all ages while shedding light on religious and cultural traditions from around the world. It is a must for students, writers, academics, aspiring demon watchers, and anyone interested in mythology or the occult.

This edition has a new foreword by Stephen Jones.

Genres: Mythology, Supernatural, Folklore, Fantasy, Audiobook

336 pages, Hardcover

Published September 21, 2021

Reviews

[Aly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book. It's part a guide to mythical beasts and part fictional tales of them. Some creatures I knew, like kitsune, werewolves, and kelpies but many I had never heard of. It was fun hearing their origins, abilities, and how to escape one should you encounter it. The stories of people who were either killed by one or got away were entertaining and I would watch a T.V. show about this (side note: I understand Supernatural kind of fits the bill)

If you're interested in all kinds of killer creatures, you should check this story out!

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed it. Very informational with the description, lore and description. Also how to de spell and disarm

[Christine]

To start with, if you are looking for a serious treatise about Demons, Demonology, or even a comprehensive book about the different specters that various cultures around the world have created then why did you pick this book up? It is only about 7 hours long, that is not nearly long enough to cover a fraction of the information out there. This book is not even pretending to be comprehensive and barely makes a pretense at being serious. There are some creatures out there that I had not heard of, and some aspects of creatures I had heard of that were interesting. They do mix some psychological principles in with psychic creatures which, if you or your theology believes in those spirits, could be seen as demeaning. There is a definite Christian, specifically Catholic, Bias because with over half of the creatures the sign of the cross is a warding mechanism, if not a dispelling mechanism.
The entries are divided up into the terrain on which the creatures can be found, with some cross referencing like you would see in an encyclopedia. Mountains, deserts, oceans, forests, domicile, and psyche are the terrains referenced. Each creature that they mention, they do specify that this is not a comprehensive list, is given some information and often a tale about their activities. The tales are interesting and often have some speculation about why the tale might have occurred, 'to keep children out of the forest at night' etc.

If you are interested in some causal information about a wide variety of creatures as well as some amateur psychology about what might be behind the creation/existence of the creatures then this is a decent book. If you are actively interested in paranormal phenomena, specific creatures, or extensive lore behind certain beings, then give this a skip.

For very casual paranormal fans, or those with a passing interest in mythology, give this book a try. Everyone else, just skip it for some in depth information elsewhere.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not necessarily all-encompassing, what this does cover is a great multicultural approach to the monster, supernatural, and faefolk across the world. What is here covers description, lore, and means of disarming/defeating this creatures. It's a great sourcebook for any storyteller.

[Joshua Key · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stay safe out there.

[Simon Trent · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfectly fine book that sometimes feels too dense for how little there actually is there.