For centuries mankind has shared its nightmares with monsters; strange and terrifying creatures that often defy description. We know them by their legends – the Yeti or Sasquatch, the Loch Ness Monster, the goblin – and even today new beings are invading our reality from this hidden dimension. We call them spacemen or aliens. But they all share ne thing: they tantalize and horrify.

It is as though the human mind needs the monsters science tries to deny us and has the ability to make strange creatures appear in a form that is acceptable to those sensitive people who receive them. But are these monsters real or imaginary?

In her determination to find the truth, Jenny Randles examines many case studies of different monsters from all over the world and subjects them to rigorous scrutiny to see what features they have in common which might enable us to draw conclusions about this extraordinary global phenomenon. Her evidence and arguments are drawn from explorers, scientists, psychologists, UFO investigators – people who have experiences monster sightings at first hand. From this wealth of material she reaches fascination conclusions about the origins of monsters – and the equation produces a startling new concept of reality in which our worst nightmares might in some sense be coming true . . .