Joe Nigg’s books have garnered multiple awards and have been translated into more than twenty languages. Jeff VanderMeer, The New York Review of Science Fiction said of Joe: “Nigg has done for the world of fantastical animals what Joseph Campbell did more generally for the world of myth.”
Nigg joined the Colorado Authors’ League in 1980 and has remained an active member ever since. He served on the CAL Board both as publicity and membership chairs. He counts many CAL Writing Awards among his awards.
Among his popular titles are: The Book of Gryphons, A Guide to the Imaginary Birds of the World, Wonder Beasts, The Book of Fabulous Beasts: A Treasury of Writings from Ancient Times to the Present, The Book of Dragons & Other Mythical Beasts, How to Raise and Keep a Dragon, Sea Monsters: A Voyage Around the World’s Most Beguiling Map, and The Phoenix: An Unnatural Biography of a Mythical Beast.
“Griffins, the Phoenix, dragons, unicorns, and other traditional animals of the imagination are all around us in words and images, “Joe said. “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.”
Bloomsbury Review published Joe’s “Master of Mythology” interview with Joseph Campbell, the piece was later included in the Living in Words collection. He participated in the Ancient Mysteries “Dragons” segment on the Arts & Entertainment network and served as the show’s historical consultant. Joe was a guest speaker for the 2008 Dragons: Between Science and Fiction exhibit at Edmonton’s Royal Alberta Museum.
Joe remains circumspect about his success. He insists his good fortune in writing can be assigned to luck as much to skill. He adds, with a wry smile, that the Harry Potter series certainly gave his books a boost.