Fun Gift Ideas for Bigfoot and Nessie Lovers

By Cade Shadowlight

Obviously, I have a strong (some might say unhealthy) interest in cryptozoology, the search for animals that science says probably don’t exist… but maybe, just maybe, they do. Bigfoot, Yeti, Loch Ness Monster are the rock stars, but there are hundreds (maybe thousands) more strange creatures reported from deep forests, remote mountains, and dark lakes all over the world. If you’ve got a friend or family member who geek out over the unexplained, here are some of the best new and classic cryptozoology books of 2025, plus a few fun extras that make perfect stocking stuffers or “just because” gifts.

The Hot New Releases of 2025 (Nonfiction)

1. Catching Cryptids by Kim Long, illustrated by Nicole Miles (Released May 6, 2025) Hands-down the most fun cryptozoology book of the year. It pairs cutting-edge tech (drones, trail cams, eDNA, bioacoustics) with classic monsters like Mothman, the Kraken, and the Loveland Frogman. Gorgeous illustrations and short, punchy chapters make this perfect for teens and adults alike. Kirkus called it “a spark for the next generation of cryptozoologists.” → Perfect for the gadget-loving monster hunter on your list. (Amazon link)
2. Cryptid Creatures of the World: An Illustrated Guide to Myths, Monsters, and Mysterious Creatures Haunting Six Continents by Karen E. Mueller, DVM (Released August 31, 2025) A veterinarian takes a continent-by-continent tour of cryptids with beautiful artwork and just the right amount of healthy skepticism. Early readers are raving about it (#1 New Release in Teen & Young Adult Zoology on Amazon). → Great coffee-table book that doesn’t talk down to the reader. (Amazon link)
3. The Epic Book of Cryptids: The Ultimate Guide to over 90 Mysterious Creatures by Ethan J. Howard (2025) Renaissance-style oil-painting artwork makes this one look like it belongs in a museum. Chupacabra, Bunyip, Ningen, you name it – they’re all here with sighting histories and lore. Feels like a high-end art book that just happens to be about monsters. (Amazon link)
4. The Cryptid Compendium: 2021–2025 edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail, illustrated by JW Harp (2025) Full-color bestiary pulling together every creature from the Systema Paradoxa fiction series, now presented as if they were real specimens. Bigfoot, Yeti, Jersey Devil, and dozens of lesser-known beasts. A visual feast for anyone who loves speculative biology. (Amazon link)

Timeless Classics Every Cryptid Library Needs

• Cryptozoology A to Z by Loren Coleman & Jerome Clark (1999, still the cryptid bible)
  The book that started it all for me. If someone on your list is just getting into the subject, this is required reading. (Amazon link)
• Bigfoot!: The True Story of Apes in America by Loren Coleman (2003)
  Coleman’s deep dive into North American ape sightings. Still one of the most level-headed Bigfoot books ever written. (Amazon link)
• The Bigfoot Casebook Updated: 1818–2004 by Janet & Colin Bord
  Chronological catalog of every major Bigfoot encounter in the U.S. and Canadian history. Recently updated edition is the one to get. (Amazon link)
• The Appalachian Bigfoot by Dr. Russell Jones (2021)
  Focused on my neck of the woods – Appalachia! Tons of modern eyewitness reports and photos. (Amazon link)
• Tracking the Stone Man: West Virginia’s Bigfoot by Dr. Russell Jones (2023)
  Jones' second book expands on his theories on what a Bigfoot is, its habits, nature, and how you may be able to discover if one is in your area. (Amazon link)

Bonus Fun Stuff  

• 2026 National Park Lore - Cryptids in National Parks Monthly Wall Calendar (Amazon link)
• 2026 Cryptids Monthly Wall Calendar (Amazon link) 
• 2026 Legends of Bigfoot Monthly Wall Calendar (Amazon link)

 

• Mothman T-Shirt (Amazon link)
• National Cryptid Society T-Shirt, featuring Bigfoot, Dogman, Mothman, UFOs (Amazon link) 
• Bigfoot Loch Ness Monster Mothman And Aliens! T-shirt (Amazon link) 
• The Cryptids T-Shirt (Beatles parody) (Amazon link)
• I Can't I have Plans With Bigfoot T-Shirt (Amazon link) 

• Archie Mcphee Bigfoot Action Figure (Amazon link) 
• Safari Ltd. Mythical Creatures Toy Set of Bigfoot, Mothman, Werewolf, and Yeti (Amazon link)
• Archie McPhee Bigfoot Basecamp Micro-Cryptozoology Figure Set (Amazon link)
• Safari Ltd. Yeti Figurine (Amazon link) 
• Bigfoot Playing Cards - Standard 52 Card Deck (Amazon link) 

 Whether you’re shopping for a die-hard believer, a curious skeptic, or just someone who loves weird stuff, any of these will put a grin on their face Christmas morning (or Solstice, or Festivus… we don’t judge).

Happy hunting, and keep your trail cams charged – you never know what’s out there.

– Cade

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Iconic Dark Classical Music Playlist

By Cade Shadowlight

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I consider this playlist to the ultimate “Dark Canon” of Goth-aligned classical music. Time-tested, these have sound-tracked every proper goth night, funeral procession, candle-lit bedroom, and foggy graveyard photoshoot since the 1980s. They live on my phone. Turn them into your Spotify or YouTube list, and thank me later.  

1. Frédéric Chopin – Funeral March (Piano Sonata No. 2, 3rd mvt)
   The slow, crushing heartbeat of the entire subculture.
2. Johann Sebastian Bach – Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565
   Phantom-of-the-Opera organ thunder. Instant cathedral darkness.
3. Hector Berlioz – Symphonie fantastique, 5th mvt “Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath”
   Obsession, guillotine, hellish orgy. Romantic goth ground zero.
4. Camille Saint-Saëns – Danse macabre, Op. 40
   Midnight, scordatura violin, clacking bones, devil fiddling on the roof. Pure necromantic party fuel.
5. Giuseppe Verdi – Dies irae from Requiem
   The wrath-of-God chorus that makes the floor shake and the absinthe spill.
6. Modest Mussorgsky – Night on Bald Mountain (original 1867 version)
   Unfiltered demonic chaos straight from the Slavic underworld.
7. Franz Liszt – Totentanz (Paraphrase on Dies irae)
   Death doing a manic solo while the piano tries to exorcise the orchestra.
8. Richard Wagner – Ride of the Valkyries (Die Walküre, Act III opening)
   Storm-maidens, war horns, apocalypse in 5 minutes.
9. Maurice Ravel – Le Gibet (from Gaspard de la Nuit)
   A hanged man swaying in the wind while a tolling bell never stops.
10. Sergei Rachmaninoff – Prelude in C♯ minor, Op. 3 No. 2
    The doom-laden bells that crushes souls and piano strings alike.
11. Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano Sonata No. 14 “Moonlight”, 1st mvt
    The original midnight brooding anthem.
12. Krzysztof Penderecki – Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima
    Nine minutes of string-cluster screams from the abyss.
13. Henry Purcell – Dido’s Lament (“When I am laid in earth”)
    1689 and still the most devastating suicide note in music history.
14. György Ligeti – Lux Aeterna
    Choral void that makes you feel like you’re floating in deep space… forever.
15. Carl Orff – O Fortuna from Carmina Burana
    Theatrical end-of-the-world bombast. The only acceptable closer.
16. Alexander Scriabin – Piano Sonata No. 9 “Black Mass”
    Occult ecstasy collapsing into demonic possession.

Agree? Disagree? Can't believe I forgot your favorite? Let me have it in the comments below!

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Goth: A History, by Lol Tolhurst (Amazon Link). Following his memoir Cured (Amazon link), a fascinating deep dive into the dark Romanticism of Goth music, a misunderstood genre and culture, by co-founder of The Cure, Lol Tolhurst.

 

Do You Know the Words to the Addams Family Theme Song?

The Addams Family Theme Song

They're creepy and they're kooky, Mysterious and spooky, They're altogether ooky, The Addams Family.

Their house is a museum, When people come to see 'em, They really are a screa-um, The Addams Family.

Neat Sweet Petite

So get a witch's shawl on, A broomstick you can crawl on, We're gonna pay a call on, The Addams Family.

Snap snap

Note: The Addams Family theme song was written by Vic Mizzy in 1964.

***Want more dark history or gothic vibes? Drop your thoughts below, check out my other posts on CadeShadowlight.com, and sub to the free email list (just click here).

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