The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures

By: Aaron Mahnke

Narrated by: Aaron Mahnke

Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's Summary

A fascinating, beautifully illustrated guide to the monsters that are part of our collective psyche, featuring stories from the Lore podcast - now a streaming television series - including “They Made a Tonic, ,“Passed Notes”, and “Unboxed", as well as rare material.

They live in shadows - deep in the forest, late in the night, in the dark recesses of our minds. They’re spoken of in stories and superstitions, relics of an unenlightened age, old wives’ tales, passed down through generations. Yet no matter how wary and jaded we have become, as individuals or as a society, a part of us remains vulnerable to them: werewolves and wendigos, poltergeists and vampires, angry elves and vengeful spirits.

In this volume, the host of the hit podcast Lore serves as a guide on a fascinating journey through the history of these terrifying creatures, exploring not only the legends but what they tell us about ourselves. Aaron Mahnke invites us to the desolate Pine Barrens of New Jersey, where the notorious winged, red-eyed Jersey Devil dwells. He delves into harrowing accounts of cannibalism - some officially documented, others the stuff of speculation...perhaps. He visits the dimly lit rooms where séances take place, the European villages where gremlins make mischief, even Key West, Florida, home of a haunted doll named Robert.

In a world of “emotional vampires” and “zombie malls”, the monsters of folklore have become both a part of our language and a part of our collective psyche. Whether these beasts and bogeymen are real or just a reflection of our primal fears, we know, on some level, that not every mystery has been explained and that the unknown still holds the power to strike fear deep in our hearts and souls. 

As Aaron Mahnke reminds us, sometimes the truth is even scarier than the lore.

The World of Lore series includes:

• Monstrous Creatures
• Wicked Mortals
• Dreadful Places

©2017 Aaron Mahnke (P)2017 Random House Audio

Critic Reviews

"Truth can often be much scarier than fiction - something Mahnke proves as he dives deep into the world of folklore and the darker side of history in a quest to root out the fragment of truth at the bottom of our fears." (Entertainment Weekly)

"Unlike so much horror that needs over-the-top viscera to scare you, this podcast leans on history - folklore, myth, the stuff people once thought was true - to tell its tales." (The Atlantic)

Just a rehash of the podcast

This book offers little to no new content beyond the podcasts. Not worth it if you listen to lore.

Just listen to the podcast?

I was super hyped for this audio book, especially since it is narrated by Aaron Mahnke. I was excited for new stories just in time for Halloween. Unfortunately, it just seemed like it was a repeat of stories that I have already heard on the podcast. I wish I had known that, and I could have saved myself an audible credit. Pretty disappointing.

it's a podcast repeat

I am a huge fan of the Lore podcast. I was excited to listen to more, but it's just a repeat of stories I've already heard. if you have never listened to the podcast before, you will likely enjoy the book, but if you are a lore fan, there is nothing new here

waste

the scariest part of this book is the fact I just wasted $20 on old free podcasts I've already heard.

Needs a Professional Narrator

The material is good, but it really needs a professional narrator. Too choppy with his diction

Absolutely horrid

Don’t wait your time and money on this fifth rate piece of garbage. The only thing of interest was.... NOYHING

Vary bad barely any lore on creatures just ghosts

Vary bad 80% of the book is ghost storys not what i got this book for, i did like all the facts from documents this author took great lengths to to research these subjects sadly i knew 80% of it from YouTube.

Disappointed.

90% of the stories were from the podcast. I wasted my time and money. 15

Just not that exciting.

I tried to get into this book, but just couldn't. It delivers what it promises, folklore. Somehow it just ended up being really boring. Maybe I am just more of a modern urban legend girl. There isn't anything awful about the book, it's just not that exciting. I felt like I had to force myself to pay attention most of the time.

Maybe a Better Read in Book Form Than Audio

I really wanted to enjoy this book and there were parts of it that I did enjoy. However, I struggled with the narration because it lacked a sense of energy and intonation for an audio book. It sounded like he was reading the book for the first time which wouldn't make sense if it was his book. I also found the story difficult to follow and some chapters had no relation to their following counterparts. There were several great chapters and the author does have a nice way with words. This might have been a better read in book form rather than audio. Also, I haven't listened to the Lore Podcast so I am not sure how his voice relates from the podcast to this narration.