Aaron Mahnke

Contains stories from the Lore podcast, as well as rare material.

Monstrous Creatures

The World of Lore

World of Lore, Volume 2: Wicked Mortals

Captivating stories of the places where human evil has left a nefarious mark--featuring both rare and best-loved stories from the hit podcast Lore, now a streaming television series Sometimes you walk into a room, a building, or even a town, and you feel it. Something seems off--an atmosphere that leaves you oddly unsettled, with a sense of lingering darkness. Join Aaron Mahnke, the host of the popular podcast Lore, as he explores some of these dreadful places and the history that haunts them. Mahnke takes us to Colorado and the palatial Stanley Hotel, where wealthy guests enjoyed views of the Rocky Mountains at the turn of the twentieth century--and where, decades later, a restless author would awaken from a nightmare, inspired to write one of the most revered horror novels of all time. Mahnke also crosses land and sea to visit frightful sites--from New Orleans to Richmond, Virginia, to the brooding, ancient castles of England--each with its own echo of dark deeds, horrible tragedies, and shocking evil still resounding. Filled with evocative illustrations, this eerie tour of lurid landmarks and doomed destinations is just the ticket to take armchair travelers with a taste for the macabre to places they never thought they'd visit in their wildest, scariest dreams.

The World of Lore: Dreadful Places

Aspiring author Ben Simmons hates imposing himself upon others, so when he breaks down in the small Rhode Island town of Kettering, he's forced to grit his teeth and lean on strangers for help.It's not all bad, though. His temporary host could not be more accommodating, and the local librarian quickly takes an interest in Ben, as well as the research for his next novel. Though unexpected, his short stay has the potential to be enjoyable. But when he stumbles upon the second murder in Kettering within a week, he realizes his presence in town might actually be life-threatening.Ben soon finds himself torn between leaving as soon as he can and his feelings for the alluring Ellen Hornsby. However, the longer Ben stays in town, the more questions he has. Who is the killer? How are these murders connected to similar crimes committed thirty years before? And why haven't the townspeople done anything?As Ben's list of allies grows, so too does the threat that haunts the people of Kettering. Together, these individuals must set aside their differences and find the killer before the body count climbs any higher, but time is running out.Something is in the woods, something hidden among the shadows that grow ever longer with winter's approach, and it's hunting all of them.

Consumed

Delilah S. Dawson

Meet the Duke of Wellington--one of England's most decorated military heroes and, unknown to most, her most daring monster hunter. Wellington features an amazing cast of characters and calls upon centuries of supernatural myths, folktales, and, well, lore to tell the secret history of this illustrious figure.

Wellington

The guilt of our childhood can haunt us for decades. Twenty years ago, a childhood tragedy drove six friends apart. But when one of them is found dead in the historic, wooded ruins of the New England settlement known as Dogtown, old acquaintances find themselves drawn together. Now they must work together to solve the meaning behind a message written in blood, a series of attacks, and the mysterious quills that seem to tie them all together. But time is quickly running out. Indian Summer is a chilling tale of six childhood friends and the things that haunt them-both natural and otherworldly.

Indian Summer

Sam Hawthorne has lived a nomadic life, wandering through small midwestern towns for the past two decades. He is known among the people he meets as an oddity and a troublemaker. He has a secret, however; one that has given him the chance to help dozens of people over the years. But that secret has also created a trail, and now someone with violent intentions has begun to follow it. Forced to run for his life, Sam returns to his hometown for the first time since the death of his family. There, Roger Sandbrook, old family friend and local history professor, welcomes him in and gives him aid. Sam quickly learns that he isn't the only one with secrets, however, and that Roger just might be the only person who can help him. From the tired small towns of the Midwest to the streets of historic Salem, Sam's journey will carry him through painful memories and across centuries of forgotten history. But as the questions stack up, will he also find the answers he needs?

Grave Suspicion

A fascinating, beautifully illustrated collection of stories from the hit podcast Lore - now an online streaming series They live in shadows - deep in the forest, late in the night, in the dark recesses of our mind. They're spoken of in stories and superstitions, relics of an unenlightened age, old wives' tales, passed down through generations. And 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 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, and explores 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. Mahnke 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, and Key West, Florida, home of a haunted doll named Robert. The monsters of folklore have become not only a part of our language but 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... Praise for the Lore podcast '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 'Narrated by Mahnke in a style that evokes spooky campfire stories, Lore is a history lesson like no other.' - Esquire

Now a major online streaming series

The World of Lore, Volume 1: Monstrous Creatures

Harry Marks

A Historical Tour of the Unbelievable, the Unsettling, and the Bizarre

Cabinet of Curiosities

Captivating stories of the places where human evil has left a nefarious mark, featuring stories from the podcast Lore—now a streaming television series—including “Echoes,” “Withering Heights,” and “Behind Closed Doors” as well as rare material. Sometimes you walk into a room, a building, or even a town, and you feel it. Something seems off—an atmosphere that leaves you oddly unsettled, with a sense of lingering darkness. Join Aaron Mahnke, the host of the popular podcast Lore, as he explores some of these dreadful places and the history that haunts them. Mahnke takes us to Colorado and the palatial Stanley Hotel, where wealthy guests enjoyed views of the Rocky Mountains at the turn of the twentieth century—and where, decades later, a restless author would awaken from a nightmare, inspired to write one of the most revered horror novels of all time. Mahnke also crosses land and sea to visit frightful sites—from New Orleans to Richmond, Virginia, to the brooding, ancient castles of England—each with its own echoes of dark deeds, horrible tragedies, and shocking evil still resounding. Filled with evocative illustrations, this eerie tour of lurid landmarks and doomed destinations is just the ticket to take armchair travelers with a taste for the macabre to places they never thought they’d visit in their wildest, scariest dreams. The World of Lore series includes: MONSTROUS CREATURES • WICKED MORTALS • DREADFUL PLACES Praise for World of Lore: Dreadful Places “Well-written, rooted in deep historical research, and ridiculously entertaining . . . Each chapter brings a creepy story from folklore to life. . . . Hair-raising stuff.”—SyFy Wire “Fans of the Lore podcast won’t want to miss this latest volume in the creator’s series, a collection of illustrated versions of both rare and well-known stories about ‘lurid landmarks and doomed destinations.’”—io9 “Dreadful Places is a delight for Lore fans and newbies alike. In the book, [Aaron] Mahnke visits places around the world that are steeped in a supernatural legacy.”—Refinery29

The Hand of Andulain

Every tale must have a beginning, a birth, a point of departure. Some tales begin long, long ago, while others in a land far away. Some begin with both, and for some, that is where they end as well.It is said that stories give life to people long dead and forgotten. That the mysterious path to immortality is a life worthy of remembrance. Tales can last thousands of years, or vanish with the coming spring. They can be heirlooms, passed from father to son with love and reverence, or trinkets tossed aside like unwanted toys. Some tales birth gods, and some conceal the truth. This tale does not lay claim to the former, but it certainly deals strongly in the latter. For truth is better digested when taken with honey...Orphaned at birth with a mysterious key, Simon Kendrick was raised in the quiet village of Bywood unaware of his true story. But when a traveling knight presents him with the opportunity to search for answers outside his home, Simon jumps at the chance.Now, Simon must undertake an unforgettable journey if he is to discover who he truly is.

Destiny - A Fairy Tale

Delilah Dawson

As if a supernatural murder mystery wasn't enough trouble, Arthur Wellesley must also deal with a talking crow, a magical crone, and an otherworldly monster roaming the countryside. All in a day's work for the Duke of Wellington. The supernatural thriller from Aaron Mahnke, creator of Lore, the hit podcast, continues here!

Wellington #2

From Aaron Mahnke, the creator of the Lore podcast, comes an amazing new supernatural thriller that shines a light on the mysteries and monsters lurking in the shadows. Meet the Duke of Wellington—one of England’s most decorated military heroes and, unknown to most, her most daring monster hunter. The secret history of the Duke of Wellington begins here!

Wellington #1

A chilling, lavishly illustrated who’s who of the most despicable people ever to walk the earth, featuring stories from the Lore podcast—now a streaming television series—including “Black Stockings,” “Half-Hanged,” and “The Castle,” as well as rare material. Some monsters are figments of our imagination. Others are as real as flesh and blood: humans who may look like us, who may walk among us, often unnoticed, occasionally even admired—but whose evil deeds and secret lives, once revealed, mark them as something utterly wicked. In this illustrated volume from the host of the hit podcast Lore, you’ll find tales of infamous characters whose veins ran with ice water and whose crimes remind us that truth can be more terrifying than fiction. Aaron Mahnke introduces us to William Brodie, a renowned Scottish cabinetmaker who used his professional expertise to prey on the citizens of Edinburgh and whose rampant criminality behind a veneer of social respectability inspired Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Then there’s H. H. Holmes, a relentless and elusive con artist who became best known as the terror of Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair when unwitting guests were welcomed into his “hotel” of horrors . . . never to be seen again. And no rogues’ gallery could leave out Bela Kiss, the Hungarian tinsmith with a taste for the occult and a collection of gasoline drums with women’s bodies inside. Brimming with accounts of history’s most heinous real-life fiends, this riveting best-of-the-worst roundup will haunt your thoughts, chill your bones, and leave you wondering if there are mortal monsters lurking even closer than you think. The World of Lore series includes: MONSTROUS CREATURES • WICKED MORTALS • DREADFUL PLACES

The World of Lore: Wicked Mortals

With a giant bloodthirsty supernatural wolf wreaking havoc across the countryside, The Duke and his strange new friends search for answers where the first victim died--inside the dangerous tunnels of the abandoned mine! But what they find there will cast a dark shadow over one of their own...

Wellington #3

Lore Membership Collection 2016

Lore Potworne istoty

For fans of Neil Gaiman and Welcome to Night Vale, Aaron Mahnke's The World of Lore (based on the popular LORE podcast) explores the chilling truth behind the legendary creatures, peculiar people and horrific places that arouse our deepest fears. For you see, sometimes the truth is more frightening than fiction... Volume 3: Dreadful Places Humans have an uncanny ability to leave their indelible mark. Homes can sometimes reflect the characteristics of their occupants and even cities become more and more like living beings after a century or two. So, it's logical to assume that darker deeds, horrible tragedies, and the worst of human nature all might leave a nefarious taint on some of these places. This third book in The World of Lore series will explore dark and dreadful places on land and at sea, places haunted by tragedy and filled with echo es of evil. These are the stories about cities, and buildings, too, from New Orleans to Louisiana and Richmond, Virginia, as well as infamous places like the Stanley Hotel in Colorado and England's most frightening and brooding castles.

Dreadful Places

The World of Lore, Volume 3

A chilling, lavishly illustrated who's who of the most despicable people ever to walk the earth, featuring stories from the Lore podcast--now a streaming television series--including "Black Stockings," "Half-Hanged," and "The Castle," as well as rare material. Some monsters are figments of our imagination. Others are as real as flesh and blood: humans who may look like us, who may walk among us, often unnoticed, occasionally even admired--but whose evil deeds and secret lives, once revealed, mark them as something utterly wicked. In this illustrated volume from the host of the hit podcast Lore, you'll find tales of infamous characters whose veins ran with ice water and whose crimes remind us that truth can be more terrifying than fiction. Aaron Mahnke introduces us to William Brodie, a renowned Scottish cabinetmaker who used his professional expertise to prey on the citizens of Edinburgh and whose rampant criminality behind a veneer of social respectability inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Then there's H. H. Holmes, a relentless and elusive con artist who became best known as the terror of Chicago's 1893 World's Fair when unwitting guests were welcomed into his "hotel" of horrors . . . never to be seen again. And no rogues' gallery could leave out Bela Kiss, the Hungarian tinsmith with a taste for the occult and a collection of gasoline drums with women's bodies inside. Brimming with accounts of history's most heinous real-life fiends, this riveting best-of-the-worst roundup will haunt your thoughts, chill your bones, and leave you wondering if there are mortal monsters lurking even closer than you think.

Aaron Mahnke

Books

Your next favorite book is out there