The Squonk and the Horned Beast was originally conceived as homage to the 1976 progressive rock album, A Trick of the Tail, by the legendary band Genesis. However, the story quickly transformed into its own entity as Kevin Paul Saleeba explores the themes of isolation, depression, friendship, forgiveness and rebirth in this fantasy tale about an ostracized Horned Beast desperate to find his place in the world. Putnam, born with horns and a tail, was captured by humans and severely beaten by a cruel jailer for being a "freak." Set in the harsh prison of Fort Adams in the town of Worchester, Putnam soon will learn his savior would come in the form of a small spider and a hideous wrinkly rat-like creature with beautiful blue eyes.