7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A rollicking romp of an adventure tale -- great fun all around, October 8, 2005
This is a rollicking romp of an adventure novel with a science fiction skeleton -- or maybe it's the other way around. The action ranges from China to Washington, D.C. to the Olympic rain forest and points in between, and the story is told in several voices which are as distinct and characteristic as they are engaging. The characterization is strong, the pace is brisk without being rushed, the surprises are neither telegraphed or short-changed, and the whole thing is an absolute hoot from start to finish (in the sense of being great fun). Penz resists the temptation to tie everything up in too tidy a bundle at the end of the novel, so that the intrigue lives on when the last page is turned -- in other words, it delivers (grin). I particularly enjoyed the integration of long-dead voices into the living narrative, phonetic spelling and all. Recommended for a fun read, but maybe not to take camping with you if you're going to the woods!
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best cryptozoology novels, September 5, 2006
Cryptid is much better than I expected, and much better than most novels with similar themes.
There's a lot to like in this thriller, beginning with the fact that Penz has clearly done his historical and scientific homework.
I am no scholar of the Lewis and Clark period, but Penz' descriptions of this era and the re-created correspondence of the explorers and President Jefferson are convincing.
Concerning the structure of the novel, it's pretty sound - the search for gigantopithecus remains and the search for sasquatch are neatly brought together in a well-plotted tale that involves a few coincidences, but nothing that feels too unlikely.
Penz' sasquatch (nine feet eight inches tall for a subadult male) is larger than sighting reports and footprints seem to indicate, and maybe too large for a workable bipedal primate, though the rest of the ape description works very well. Penz has tried hard to create a believable, scientifically founded tale of Giganto's evolution and migration, and he's done it well. He does make an odd error when he describes most known ape species as nocturnal, which they are not.
What is really outstanding in Penz' writing is his gift for description. Very few authors can completely immerse the reader in an environment, and I don't think it's reaching to compare Penz with naturalist Diane Ackerman or even novelist Barbara Kingsolver on this point. As the reader, you see, hear, and smell everything along with the characters.
The characters are good, from the dedicated scientist Dr. Ostman (a nice nod to sasquatch history in that name) to the lovers separated by professional ambitions. The Indian hunter feels a bit sterotypical, although he's very well-drawn.
I would have given this novel five stars, but it relies too much on the idea that a giant conspiracy stretching back 200 years could go undiscovered, that it has no problem finding ex-American soldiers willing to kill innocent Americans with no conscience, and that it's so powerful its agents can follow Cabinet officials around openly. While I understand the dramatic purpose, Penz could have written more limited villians and delivered a more believable novel.
Penz' writing style is sure-footed: he knows what's important, and he doesn't waste words. He puts in the scientific and historical background without slowing the story. Some strained metaphors and cliches creep in toward the end of the novel, but overall it's very well-written.
I greatly enjoyed this book, and I hope Penz has many more novels in him.
Matt Bille
Science writer
[...]
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A thought-provoking, pulse-pounding adventure, December 25, 2005
Everyone loves a good conspiracy, and Eric Penz presents an intriguing one in his debut novel regarding a cover-up of the Bigfoot legend led by--who else?--those two great, faceless evils: big business and the U.S. government. A bit of a stretch, at first glance, to imagine that one or both have found it in the best interests of the American people to hide the existence of Sasquatch from the common man. But with copious research and meticulous attention to historical detail, Penz raises some convincing arguments. As any conspiricist knows, it's not about proving your theory IS true, only raising the possibility that it COULD be.
But this story is not merely about telling us how evil Big Brother can be. It's an adventure, filled with all of the requisite chills, horrors, and romances one might expect. Think JURASSIC PARK rather than HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS. How would an eight-foot primate trained to hate man really react when encountered by him? The answer, very believably, is with a unique blend of animal savagery and human cunning, with the hunters quickly becoming the hunted.
The juxtaposition carries nicely throughout, as the story balances between scientific theory and heart-stopping thriller. There are some anticipated moments, and some jaw-dropping ones. Most importantly, the characters come across as real people with believable motives. If certain matters seem somewhat unresolved in the end, keep in mind, that's how life usually works. Besides, the moment a conspiracy theory is forced fully into the light, it ceases to become conspiracy.
If you're a fan of early American exploration, a Sasquatch aficionado, or if you simply enjoy modern-day adventure and edge-of-your-seat thrills, Eric Penz's "Cryptid" offers plenty for you to enjoy.
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