There are places where stories refuse to die.
Forests that remember what passed through them.
Landscapes shaped as much by fear and folklore as by history.
Animals that slip between fact and myth, never fully explained, never fully forgotten.
Black Beast Books exists in that space.
This blog, and the work behind it, has always been about the meeting point between wildlife, folklore, fear, and storytelling. About the creatures we fear, the ones we misunderstand, and the ones we invent to make sense of the world around us. Sometimes those creatures are real. Sometimes they’re not. Often, they’re something in between.
As I move into 2026, I wanted to pause — not to reinvent this space, but to recommit to it.
Going forward, Black Beast Books will be a home for regular, thoughtful writing and storytelling, built around a few recurring threads:
- Long-form essays exploring beasts, monsters, and man-eaters
- Reflections on horror, folklore, and creature cinema
- Monthly deep dives into UK big cat sightings
- Behind-the-scenes insight into research, writing, and place
- Occasional updates on my novels — because these stories feed directly into the fiction I write
This isn’t about chasing trends or shouting into the void. It’s about building something slowly, consistently, and honestly, creating a body of work that grows over time, shaped by curiosity rather than urgency.
If you’re drawn to strange animals, half-remembered legends, the uneasy relationship between humans and the wild, or stories that linger longer than they should — you’re in the right place.
Thank you for being here.
The beasts aren’t going anywhere.
The blog of author Luke Phillips 