“In a beautiful new exploration of the Carta Marina, Sea Monsters: A Voyage Around the World’s Most Beguiling Map, scholar Joseph Nigg dives deep into the history and wide influence of Olaus’ bizarre creatures.”

Wired

“Nigg, the inventive mind behind How To Raise and Keep a Dragon, has immersed himself in the lore and history of imaginary animals for 30 years. His newest book, Sea Monsters: A Voyage Around the World’s Most Beguiling Map, is itself a neat trick. Unfold the book jacket to reveal a poster-sized reproduction of a richly detailed map of Scandinavia that dates to 1539. The seas on the map are littered with fantastic creatures, such as a sea unicorn and a giant worm that wraps itself around a big ship. Nigg is an extremely capable guide through the treacherous waters.”

Boston Globe

“Nigg explore[s] maps as maps, with monsters as the decorative—and instructive—elements in the mapmakers’ repertory, and bring[s] the story into the present, showing how ‘the geography of the marvellous’ has deeply imprinted the collective imagination and has naturalized ancient sea monsters through different media, including video games.”

New York Review of Books