The internet: a cornucopia of informational videos, alternative news sources, and real-time footage of fantastic encounters too outrageous to believe. Or are they? Three friends for the video channel Skeptic Soup are out to debunk sensational claims, but when a first-hand account involving a missing boy takes them to the wilds of Canada, what they find may — or may not — align with their personal beliefs.
Will they survive their foray into the field? Or worse, will they have to eat their words?
This novelette is from a series called “Systema Paradoxa” which features stories about cryptids. This particular book involves a creature known as the Gugwe.
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“Books by Michael A. Ventrella never fail to delight me and Skeptic Soup was no exception. This book is short, one of a series of books unrelated to each other, in which people deal with mythical or supernatural creatures. Other than that, these books are independent and you can fully appreciate one book without having to read the others. They do not even have creatures or characters in common.
In Skeptic Soup, the staff of an online series produce shows about reports of mythical creatures. This time, they are covering reports of the Gugwe in Canada. Is it Bigfoot? Is it a bear? Is it something else completely explainable? Or is it the supernatural creature people think it is? But the biggest question is: when a group of kids were in the area, what happened to one of them who is now missing?
The investigators try to answer these questions and get themselves into some trouble.
Michael Ventrella presents this story with his usual delightful style, showing just the right amount of humor when humor is called for and seriousness when seriousness is called for. Reading Skeptic Soup is a complete joy from beginning to end. I highly recommend Skeptic Soup.” – Richard Fine
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“This was such a fun read that I couldn’t put it down. I really like the cryptid he chose. He did an excellent job to make this pretty believable! Highly recommended!” – Maryanne Pacheco Chappell
Michael A. Ventrella 