Real Wolfmen: Reviewed
Posted by: Nick Redfern on September 17th, 2012
At the Magonia blog, John Rimmer gives a thumbs-up review to Linda Godfrey’s Real Wolfmen book (and rightly so!):
“Godfrey examines a number of possible explanations. In the course of her three books she seems to have moved from a ‘misperception’ explanation, through paws-and-pelt creatures, to some sort of spiritual existence, and is perhaps a little too quick to link the phenomenon to Native American spirituality. Obviously there is always scope for misperception when reporting fleeting experiences in unfamiliar locations, and some of the accounts given here could easily be explained as such. Godfrey also looks at the possibility of hoaxing, by and on witnesses, and again finds a few possible instances.
“In the end no explanation, even a sceptical one, really covers the phenomenon in its entirety, as is the case with any ‘paranormal’ phenomenon, and one just has to say, ‘sorry, I don’t know’. But one also has to accept that the ‘werewolf’ experiences of hundreds of people are as valid as UFO or ghost experiences, and that, despite Lon Chaney and cult teen TV, they cannot be confined to ‘literary criticism’.”
About Nick Redfern
Punk music fan, Tennents Super and Carlsberg Special Brew beer fan, horror film fan, chocolate fan, like to wear black clothes, like to stay up late. Work as a writer.
I absolutely love Linda Godfrey’s works on the wolfman phenomena. The big scare of the early 90’s really caught on and she ran with it and in the process, became an expert in all thing pertaining to Lycanthropy in the US. It’s true though, it’s really all sight unseen evidence. There needs to be a concerted effort or a “hunt” no different from a few of these Bigfoot shows. Of course, Linda should be there consulting or given the rough terrain linked up via phone or pad. Keep it up Linda and please, take it to the next level!