An ordinary man discovers a hidden world of wondrous supernatural creatures-and an unexpected home-in this enchanting contemporary fantasy debut.
Cryptonaturalist: one who studies cryptids; an expert in or student of supernatural history.
After a series of inexplicable encounters upends his life, Green finds himself alone and terrified in the Appalachian mountains, full of questions about the transformation he's undergoing and the impossible creatures he's starting to see.
When he meets a hermit named Valentina, he realizes that something more than chance has brought him to her door. For she has devoted centuries to researching the hidden world of cryptids that Green is only now beginning to perceive.
As Green begins his studies beneath her watchful eye, he comes face to face with time-stopping giant moths, cyclops squirrels, and doorways to elsewhere. Along the way come clues about his own nature and the powerful beings who led him here-and, most wondrous of all, a sense of fulfillment like nothing he's felt before.
But Green's new happiness promises to be short-lived, because alongside these marvels lurks a deadly threat to this place he's already come to love.
Featuring incredible creatures and an unforgettable cast of characters, Strange Animals is a charming, addictive fantasy about the magic all around us. Jarod K. Anderson is the creator and voice of the Cryptonaturalist podcast, a scripted fiction show that explores strange nature. He has three collections of nature poetry, collectively known as The Haunted Forest Trilogy. His memoir Something in the Woods Loves You, published in 2024 by Hachette's Timber Press, uses his own story to explore nature's role in our emotional and mental health. He lives in Ohio between a park and a cemetery.
