STRANGE AND TERRIBLE THINGS

From the Wild Thing series by Laura Krantz ; illustrated by Rafael Nobre Studio ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 11, 2022 A readable précis that offers a decidedly mixed message. A case study in the tension between scientific objectivity and human nature. Not quite convincingly trying to position herself on the side of science, podcaster and science journalist Krantz opens with lucid discussions of taxonomy and human evolution but then runs through the circumstantial evidence—“thousands” of outsized footprints, “thousands” of sightings in every state except Hawaii, numerous blurry photos dubbed “blobsquatches” by aficionados, a set of mysterious ground “nests” discovered in Washington state. And while Krantz acknowledges the so far total lack of “irrefutable proof,” she highlights the importance of keeping an open mind and recognizing that there are still unsolved mysteries in the world. On more personal notes, she records an exciting (but fruitless) overnight expedition with a group of experienced “squatchers” and the (negative) results of a DNA test on a sample taken from one of the aforementioned nests. Along with showing that she’s done diligent research, the backmatter includes an invento...