The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures

When I bought the book I expected some new stories but it turned out to be recycled content, just the manuscripts of previous Lore podcast episodes. Don't get me wrong, I'm in love with all things Lore but I was a little disappointed. That's why it's getting 4 stars instead of 5

A well done collection of some of the greatest hits of the podcast. While it's mainly just transcripts of the episodes, it's a good way to enjoy Lore when you can't listen or a great introduction to new fans. Art and cover are also well done, just a beautiful book to read in the cool October air.

The stories are great and Aaron has a special voice and one of the best deliveries around, but the stories in this book are mostly from the podcast. Nothing really new. I honestly didn't hear anything I hadn't heard through the podcast before, but I was listening through audible at work so I can't 100% confirm. Still, kind of a bummer.

You could just listen to the podcast for free...
Most of this book is just transcripts of that.
The illustrations are a nice touch but listeners of the podcast will not get any new information.

I was really hoping for a deeper dive into the stories of lore but sadly this book does not deliver that.

While I love supporting and listening to the Lore podcast, I am greatly disappointed that the book is literally a transcript of the podcast. I thought new material would have been published. I’m curious to see if his tour will be the same way. Love you Aaron, but I’m completely disappointed by this. I guess I’ll be gifting this book.

I purchased this book as a longtime fan and someone wanting to help support the future of Lore. That being said, the author Aaron Mahnke failed to disclose the extent of which this book is mostly transcripts of the podcast. While the description does say that the book contains "both rare and best-loved stories from the hit podcast Lore" the extent is not "made *crystal* clear in the book description".

1 star update. It seems as though ego is a ravenous force. Success can expose.

Love, LOve, LOVE seeing these creatures through Aaron's (The LORE Lord) eyes! I am a huge fan of the podcast and am ANXIOUSLY awaiting Friday, October 13, 2017, (woooooo) when LORE TV Series will air on the store Prime. I can't decide if the hardcover version of World of LORE will go on the shelf next to my Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual or Grimm's Fairytales. Maybe right in between! I guess I should rearrange my bookshelf......

This book is a perfect gift for anyone who loves history, folklore, scary stories and things that go BUMP in the night! Prepare for Halloween LORE Fans.. I'm getting my costume ready!

"Because sometimes the truth is more frightening than fiction". I plan on telling these tales around the campfire for years to come.

Add this to your Christmas Shopping list!!

Oh, how I love this author’s World of Lore books!! This is the second one of his that I’ve read so far (the other one being World of Lore - Wicked Mortals). In the present case, he focusses on Monstrous Creatures. These vary from vampires and werewolves to zombies and ghosts. In each case, the author presents some historical and cultural contexts for these many myths and legends. He recounts historical events with dates, locations as well as people’s names and he describes what allegedly happened according to the details that were recorded, as per what people thought they saw/experienced. In most cases, a reader (and the author) may well imagine some alternative, more plausible scenarios than what was believed to have happened. But in other ones, well, one can only wonder.

The author is clearly a master raconteur who dearly loves his subject matter. And it certainly shows in this book which was, for me, an extremely captivating page-turner, as was his other one. Needless to say, I’m already “in line” to buy his next book (World of Lore - Dreadful Places), scheduled to be released soon.

This book is a lot of fun. Having been converted from a podcast, it's not surprising these stories are told in an enjoyable, often humorous voice. They don't just concern "creatures," but vampires, ghosts, haunted houses, haunted dolls, and at least one evil cat (are there other kinds)? Few of these tales are famous, which adds to the enjoyment - you often don't know how it turns out (or allegedly turns out). The problem lies in not knowing what to believe. Everything is from secondary sources at best, so this book doesn't serve as a serious study of its topics, and it's often unclear how much of it the author believes. But the fun factor is strong with this one.

This was published as a book to collect. Every little detail was done to perfection and the illustrations by M.S. Corley are amazing.

I haven't gotten to far into the book yet, and yes there is overlap with the podcast (how can't there be). I am so happy I have a copy and have already pre ordered Wicked Mortals.

Buy this book as a book lover or just to support the podcast

I stumbled upon LORE as a podcast not long after Aaron Mahnke started it. I've had the pleasure of watching the podcast evolve into the yet unreleased series on the store Prime Video and have been excited about this book, "The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures".

As a long-time listener of the podcast, I was worried that "Monstrous Creatures" would simply be recycled content from the show. Luckily, that is not the case. While some of the stories are familiar, there is a different storytelling quality in the book. Aaron has done an amazing job connecting the thoughts from one story to another.

Idefaulted to the audiobook for a couple of reasons: 1) it is my primary form of content consumption and 2) it only makes sense with my Audible membership. I cannot attest to the wonderful illustrations by MS Corley that grace the physical book at the moment, though it is my plan to grab a copy very soon.

Aaron Mahnke is on a mission, I think. He wants to put story back into the everyday lives of people. This book is one part of his story delivery vehicle, and he employs it to outstanding effect.

The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures is such a wonderful read because it speaks to something common and ancient within all of us, something which has been a part of humanity since the earliest days of our species. It tells us stories. It uses familiar themes and comfortable delivery to awaken a segment of our minds and send us on a journey.

Give it a read. Indulge in the tradition of stories. Our story. Tap into shared humanity.

Oh, and be prepared to feel unsettled at times, too. Stories can do that, and these most certainly will.

Firstly I did receive this book in a Giveaway.

That being said I do still think that this book deserves the 4 star review. Most of the stories/folklore in the book are pretty common, but they are written in such a way that they still keep a readers attention. Mixed in with these stories though are stories about people and creatures that I had not heard of before, and I have done extensive reading on creatures, mythology and folklore. I do feel like there could have been a little bit more research done, and few more interesting and unusual stories represented, but I was more than happy with the way that the book was written and and how the author kept their audience involved despite the common content.

Do you ever wonder where our legends that inspire some of our favorite fictional tales truly come from? Well...THE WORLD OF LORE: MONSTROUS CREATURES will give you the backstories of all the ghosts, vampires, witches, and monsters that go bump in the night.

Mahnke digs into the folklore and history of the monstrous creatures we know all too well. In many ways, the narration takes what could be a very boring retelling of the facts and presents them to the reader in a manner reminiscent of the spooky stories we all tell at a sleepover or around a campfire.

Also, I have to mention the illustrations in this book. Sprinkled through the pages are sketch-like drawings highlighting the sections of the books as well as the chapters. They are a really wonderful addition. I flipped through the book numerous times to revisit them,

For those that don't normally read non-fiction but enjoy a bit of a haunting tale, I strongly suggest reading this book. It is illuminating and entertaining...a combination that I don't always find in a book.

I started out here on the store listening and watching Lore, and then moved to the podcast. The the store show intrigued me enough to start on the podcast. It's okay. His voice is soothing, the cinematography is beautiful, the music is lovely, and the content is interesting - at first. Other reviewers are correct in that it repeats podcast content. His podcast quickly turns into a multitude of stories about witches and New England hauntings. His work is pretty Eurocentric with only 1 story regarding Vodoo culture in New Orleans. So it is somewhat redundant. On the one hand, it would be nice if Mahnke extended his stories to other, "minority" cultures but I am not sure if i trust his narration to be as sympathetic to other cultures as he is to Anglo-European cultures (in an older podcast episode he describes Vlad Tepe's infamous torture as justifiable defense of his homeland against Ottomans...yeah...sure, okay...).
So overall I give it 3 stars: it's good to pass the time while I'm cooking or washing dishes etc. while I wait for the new season of my preferred podcasts to return, but if you are interested in multicultural lore then this is not the podcast for it.
Note to Mahnke if he ever gets to read this: American lore is more diverse than New England witches and "old world" superstition. It's so disappointing there is nothing on Native American cultures, black American cultures, etc.

This book covers a wide range of myths and tell them in an oddly dad-jokey way, which toes the line between entertaining and falling flat. Thankfully it never crossed the line entirely so it was a fun read. It has some beautiful illustrations that are kind of lost on the Kindle Paperwhite - I'd recommend either a print or colour e-book version so you can get the full impact of the artwork.

The different chapters of this book are dedicated to different areas in folklore, like sea monsters and 'small people', but beyond that the structure is pretty free and easy. There are tons of anecdotes and references which have been reassuringly well researched but told in such a way that you can decide for yourself whether or not you believe there's any supernatural influence.

This is a brilliant coffee table book, it's great to read in chapters but not necessarily all in one go.

The stories are creepy and well written.

There are only one real problem, but it is annoying.

In most of these sections, there are a few paragraphs where the author talks about the philosophical significance of each story. These are typically tedious and silly. Most absurdly, in the final story about the possession of Elizabeth Knapp, the author holds that crazed "demon possessed" woman is a model for us to emulate!

I love legends, even if I am easily scared. I love that this (and the podcast eps I have been able to listen to but those usually get me a little too freaked out) play with the cultural and societal moments that lead to the legends, while never fully discrediting them. It would be so easy to say all these people are having similar accounts because they've already heard the existing accounts. But this balances the fine line between skeptic and believer beautifully.

I cannot express how much I enjoyed this book! It was such an awesome experience, and I was hooked almost immediately. I first took notice to "The World of Lore" as the show, but I am so glad I found the book. If you enjoy history, spooky stories, unsolved occurrences, paranormal sightings, and legends and tales from old and new, you're going to love this book! One thing I feel I should mention for Audible users: the author's narration seemed almost... odd at first, but it grew on me the more I listened to the book; the way the author speaks seemed to fit into my mental image of him. I've already started on the second book, and will be pre-ordering the third!

I enjoyed the hell out of this book. I love the podcast as well, but the book helps me to absorb the atmosphere even more at my own pace. I’m a lifelong lover of folklore and legends. I’m from Exeter, Rhode Island the home of the famous Mercy Brown vampire case. I guess you could say I grew up with the unusual and unexplained. Receiving this book in October makes it an even sweeter treat this Halloween season. Thank you Mr. Mahnke. Your work in all its increasing forms never fails to leave me wanting more. I’ll be buying the second book and watching your the store series as soon as they’re available as well as continuing to listen to the podcast. Well done, sir.

My Review and Thoughts:

The World of Lore is an absolutely awesome book. I am a huge fan of the Lore Podcast and the TV series on the store. When this book came out I was super excited because I love all things Folk Lore and myths and legends, and this book did not let me down. It’s another wonderful trip into the world that Aaron Mahnke has created so well with his Podcast. This book is equal parts creepy as hell and equal parts informative history.

If you know me then you know I am a huge history buff. What better way to learn about History than to learn about the darker side of history and all it’s strange and weird realities. From Life and Death. Vampires, Zombies, Elf’s and creatures of all kinds run rampant in this book of mystery. A wonderful mix of non-fiction in the idea that many of these strange happenings mentioned in this book can’t be explained. One can not just simply say: “Oh it’s old Wise tells.” It’s not that easy. Whole cultures of people in the past and even in the present live there lives around believing in things of the dark, or the mysterious, and of the deeper hidden realities in the shadows. From real life people experiencing unexplained ordeals, to cultures worshipping or giving offerings to things only imagination can fathom.

From Invisible creatures, to Goblins and Gremlins and Creatures of the night. To the, all to real idea of making someone a living Zombie. Everything and more that is great about Folk Lore is in this book.

This is rich, enriched book of wonderment and nightmares come to life on page. Told in away with smirks at times, a little spark of humor and then told in times of real life hair raising creepiness.

Aaron Mahnke is a brilliant soul that discovers the past and the present and gives other worldly realities a new life. This book is a brilliant reality of storytelling. He captures the beauty of folk lore and mystery and the unknown, in a graphic detail; a storybook telling that shines in perfect clarity. Aaron Mahnke is the new story teller. He is the folklorist of the modern times. He brings that old wonderful camp fire setting back to reality. He brings that old village story teller to a modern generation. In the past, before the printing press and even after it, villages, towns, cities always had certain persons that could weave a good tale. A person that people would go to, to be frightened and entertained, that is what Aaron Mahnke is and has ultimately achieved with The World of Lore. His Podcasts, his TV series and now this book has created a modern storytelling of the unexplained history of cultures of the past and even the present. For all his wonderment in bringing to life the old tales of mystery, I praise him for that.

History must be told. To forget History no matter how strange or weird or unbelievable it might be, it still is history and should never be forgotten. Tales of the unknown frighten us, entertain us, give us nightmares, bring us together around a camp fire or a library to explore our past in all it’s strange and weird moments. Aaron Mahnke has taken an old story telling reality and created a modern setting. He has brought the world of make belief and folk lore, myths, legends to a whole new light of perfection and clarity.

To be honest there was times reading this book, I had to pause and even put it down for a while because in spots it was thoroughly creeping me out. I read in the dark with a book light and so that added to it's darkened freak out appeal.

I did something really interesting with this read. I held the book and read it, and listened to the audio book at the same time. The audio book is narrated by the author which is another awesome aspect to the audiobook. Following along with the narration and the words on page gave it another plus in my book. I really liked reading along with Aaron Mahnke.

This is one of my new favorite books. The World of Lore is a priceless book of storytelling that creeps you out, entertains you, gives you knowledge and educates and explores the realities of cultures.

Would I Return to Again? Absolutely. I have already reread certain chapters. It’s a book that will be read by me many times. It’s one of those books you want to return to repeatedly.

Would I Recommend: Absolutely. Everyone needs this book. History buffs. Folk lore buffs. Those who like the strange. Anyone who loves to be entertain will love this book.

Pages: 320

My Rating: 5 out of 5

Four Words: Informative. Spooky. Creepy Perfection.

Look at this gorgeous book! LOOK AT IT! The cover, the jacket, the END PAPERS! If that's not enough to get you to buy this then I invite you to feast your eyes upon the table of contents!
Do you enjoy creepy stories based in fact? Do you delight in the macabre? Do you want a freaking bibliography so you can research even more about these ghoulish tales?! Answer to the affirmative my sisters and brothers and buy this book!

This is an EXCELLENT book. Yes, of course it is a companion to the podcast and there are stories that are told through the podcast, but that is expected. The art is great and there are new stories that we haven’t heard from the podcast. This book only makes the lore experience better overall. I love having a visual aid and a physical copy of some of the greatest stories researched by Aaron.

My son just turned twelve - this means, as a father, that I have the obligation to begin getting him into horror and other "edgy" stuff, so that he won't spend his adolescence getting beat up like I was. He's already gotten past his Roald Dahl phase (DAMN IT!) but now 'Lore,' based on a popular podcast of the same name, has given him an opportunity to move into new directions regarding monsters and ghosts and other assorted supernatural creatures. What I wasn't expecting was to like it myself, but what do you know? I did.

The book contains transcripts from the podcast, which are given Edward Gorey-style illustrations and cover discussions about universal monster archetypes in a half-serious, half-jokey tone. It never really covers any new territory, but it has enough quirky appeal to pull in any wayward geek looking for informative reading. My son loved it a lot more than I did, so I can say I'm very happy with the purchase; no respectable horror fan can ever go a few years without brushing up on the origins of the beloved monsters that fill so much of our daydreams and nightmares.

Whether you're a fan of the podcast (I wasn't when I bought this) or a newbie (as I was until I found out there was a podcast), Lore provides a fun little tour through monsters in history, science and folklore. As I found out, it's great for getting a kid into horror as well. There's really no way to go wrong with this, even if it isn't a groundbreaking evaluation of strange creatures in folklore. Check it out, and see how well-versed you are in the lore (no pun intended).

To begin, this book is visually stunning. As the author mentioned, after you have finished admiring the dust jacket, take it off. The actual book cover itself is equally beautiful. There are gorgeous illustrations throughout the book that serve to enhance the written content.

And speaking of the written content, it is amazing. The way in which the author structures the stories in the book allows for full enjoyment of not just each story as a stand alone but as a collection of stories in which one enhances the next. If you are a fan of the Lore podcast, some of these stories may sound familiar. Think of these as a written transcript for some of the more popular episodes. This is something that long-time listeners (myself included) have been clamoring for for years. But there is also plenty of new content for even avid listeners of the podcast to enjoy. And, even if you are not familiar with the author's podcast, you will be able to get just as much enjoyment out of these stories as a day one podcast listener.

Fellow readers, I simply cannot recommend this book highly enough.

This book is a perfect companion to the Lore podcast. Mahnke's tone is exactly what you expect if you listen to the podcast, and is great for print as well. Listeners of the podcast will note there's a lot of the same material in the book, but there's plenty of added stories to make it fresh and new.

Beautiful book, everything about it is great! Aaron is a magnificent writer and story teller, and it is awesome to have some of my favorite episodes in print, to be able to read and tell and join the story myself, and a few things that were new to me as well! So glad I have this on my shelf, or on my nightstand rather. A must have for Lore fans.

I love this book. The cover and artwork are gorgeous. Although I'm a fan of the podcast, reading the stories felt like a different experience. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys creepy stories and folklore. My one "complaint" is that now I'm probably going to have more nightmares about Robert the doll. That doll....

Aaron Mahnke's writing is terrible in substance and style. At least if you read it, you don't have to listen to his annoying elocution. But the prose is so bad, it boggles the mind that this is considered worthy of publishing.