Sacred Monsters: Mysterious and Mythical Creatures of Scripture, Talmud, and Midrash
Rabbi Natan Slifkin
September 3, 2007 Adama books
384 pages
Review by E. Broderick
A good piece of reference material is more than just a way for writers to fact check. For me, reading source texts can in and of itself stimulate new plot developments or inspire entirely new stories. For some authors, those beloved reference books will be histories, memoirs, or science texts. For me, they are works of Jewish folklore, Talmud and other bible study, and works dealing with Jewish mysticism and magic. The epitome of such a book, that has so far sparked my creativity more than any other, is Rabbi Natan Slifkin’s Sacred Monsters.
The book features a discussion of various mythical creature such as unicorns, fire breathers like salamander/dragons, mermaids, and my personal favorite the Shamir. However, do not be fooled by my statement about creativity. This is not a work of fiction or written with any sort of creative license. In fact, the style is rather like a Talmud study – breaking down each possible explanation for references to these creatures in biblical and other Jewish texts, and attempting to find rational explanations for them. For some, the intro explaining the methodology used might be too much information, for others the scientific rational given might dull the magic, but for me, the descriptions have always inspired me to find new ways to incorporate these creatures into my work and to do so from a uniquely Jewish perspective. Many of the featured “monsters” are part of the cultural hive mind with characteristics from other cultures and sources. It is a unique joy to find the Jewish versions and represent them as accurately as I can.
The reading is interesting, but it also makes for good writing. To date I’ve sold at least 3 short stories inspired by creatures I read about in Sacred Monsters and there is one novel in development too. Not a bad haul for a single reference text, and I am sure there are many more stories to come.
This is why I am slightly heartbroken to report that Sacred Monsters is currently out of print (Unless you peak French. It appears to still be available in that language). I have my hardback, one of the most expensive books I purchased and well worth the price, in pride of place on my reference shelf. I refer to it often, and am so relieved I convinced myself to shell out the cash to purchase it a few years ago. For those who don’t yet have a copy – you can join me in hoping it gets reissued soon.