Joseph Nigg

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[PHOENIX IN THE NEWS (October 12-14, 2010) – The most recent appearance of the mythical bird in the modern world was in the shape of the "Phoenix" (Fenix 2) capsule that descended half a mile into the earth to carry the thirty-three Chilean miners and six rescue workers to the light of day.]

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"[Joseph Nigg] has done for the world of fantastical
animals what Joseph Campbell did more generally
for the world of myth."--Jeff VanderMeer,
The New York Review of Science Fiction
For thirty years, Joseph (Joe) Nigg has explored the rich cultural lives of mythical creatures in a variety of styles and formats for readers of all ages. His books have garnered multiple awards, and his current international bestseller, How to Raise and Keep a Dragon, has been translated into more than twenty languages.

"Griffins, the Phoenix, dragons, unicorns, and other traditional animals of the imagination are all around us in words and images," Nigg writes. "But when you delve into the histories of these creatures, you'll find an incredible wealth of cross-cultural lore intertwined with history, myth, religion, art, literature, science, and specialized areas such as alchemy and heraldry. While looking beyond the popular presence of mythical beasts, you'll discover as much about the history and dreams of the human race as about our animal creations."

Nigg has been writing about fabulous beasts ever since he became intrigued by a fantastic animal figure on an antique lamp in his study. The winged lion with a fish tail eventually led him to the local art museum, where he was allowed to hold an ancient Persian silver cup embossed with griffins. That experience resulted in his first book, The Book of Gryphons (Apple-wood Books, 1982), a lavishly illustrated history of the eagle-lion beast.

His scope broadened to multiple creatures in A Guide to Imaginary Birds of the World (Apple-wood Books, 1984), which features a foreword by Roger Tory Peterson and woodcuts by David Frampton. Wonder Beasts: Tales and Lore of the Phoenix, the Griffin, the Unicorn and the Dragon (Libraries Unlimited Press, 1995) introduces the four major imaginary animals to middle-school students. The Book of Fabulous Beasts: A Treasury of Writings from Ancient Times to the Present (Oxford University Press, 1999) presents the literary evolution of mythical creatures across millennia.

Commissioned four-color art enhances the fabulous bestiary, The Book of Dragons & Other Mythical Beasts (Barron's Educational Series, 2002; Portuguese and Dutch translations, Australian edition, 2003). The full-color How to Raise and Keep a Dragon (Barron's Educational Series, 2006) is a whimsical blend of dragon lore and animal-raising guide; under the pen name, "John Topsell," it has been published by HarperCollins Australia, Random House in Germany, and many other publishers worldwide.

After twelve years of research and writing, Nigg recently completed THE PHOENIX: A CULTURAL HISTORY. The most comprehensive Phoenix study to date, the book traces the transmission and transformations of the mythical bird from ancient Egypt to the present. Samples of THE PHOENIX or full manuscript on CD are available to agents and publishers upon request.

Copyright © 2011 Joseph Nigg