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

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. 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. He visits the dimly lit rooms where s ances take place, the European villages where gremlins make mischief, even Key West, Florida, home of a haunted doll named Robert.

He delves into harrowing accounts of cannibalism-some officially documented, others the stuff of speculation. Aaron Mahnke invites us to the desolate Pine Barrens of New Jersey, where the notorious winged, red-eyed Jersey Devil dwells. In this beautifully illustrated 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. 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. They're spoken of in stories and superstitions, relics of an unenlightened age, old wives' tales, passed down through generations. They live in shadows-deep in the forest, late in the night, in the dark recesses of our minds. 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.

The world of lore monstrous creatures