Download or read book The Killer in the Back Seat Urban Legend written by Drac Von Stoller and published by Drac Von Stoller. This book was released on 2012-04-20 with total page 2 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If you ever find yourself driving down Old Hollow Road after midnight, whatever you do, don't say these words "The old man's on fire," three times or you will end up like all the rest. That's exactly what happened to Johnny Waters. Johnny wasn't afraid of a legend, especially because he never heard of anyone dying on Old Hollow Road. Johnny's grandfather told him that there was an old man who lived in the woods across from Old Hollow Road. Legend has it that a group of young teenagers had been drinking heavily and decided to play a prank on the old man. The teenagers didn't like the old man because he would run them off his property with his shotgun. This just made them angry. They wanted to teach the old man a lesson. The old man's property was their favorite place to camp out because it was secluded deep in the woods. One day when the group of teenagers came by the old man's property after dark they decided it was time to teach the old man a lesson. One of the teenagers went back to his car to get a gas can. When he returned to the group, he told them he was going to burn the old man's cabin to the ground. After about two more six-packs the teens were out for blood. They poured gas all around the cabin and set it ablaze. The teens stood and watched the old man's cabin burn to the ground. They heard the old man screaming from the cabin, "I'm burning, please save me!" The teenagers just laughed and passed the two six-packs around until the beer was gone. They tossed their empty beer cans in the fire where the old man's cabin used to sit. Supposedly, one of the teenagers heard the old man say, "If you ever ride down Old Hollow Road in your car, don't look in your rearview mirror. If you do, the old man will get you."

Download or read book Encyclopedia of Urban Legends 2 volumes written by Jan Harold Brunvand and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2012-07-16 with total page 820 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This revised edition of the original reference standard for urban legends provides an updated anthology of common myths and stories, and presents expanded coverage of international legends and tales shared and popularized online. From roasted babies to vanishing hitchhikers to housewives in football helmets, this exhaustive and highly readable encyclopedia provides descriptions of hundreds of individual legends and their variations, examines legend themes, and explains scholarly approaches to the genre. Revised and expanded to include updated versions of the entries from the award-winning first edition, this work provides additional entries on a wide range of new topics that include terrorism, recent political events, and Hurricane Katrina. Entries in Encyclopedia of Urban Legends, Updated and Expanded Edition discuss the presence of urban legends in comic books, literature, film, music, and many other areas of popular culture, as well as the existence of "too good to be true" stories in Argentina, China, Italy, Japan, Mexico, and several other countries. Serving as both an anthology of stories as well as a reference work, this encyclopedia will serve as a valuable resource for students and a source book for journalists, professional folklorists, and others who are researching or interested in urban legends.

Download or read book Are You Afraid of Darkseid 2021 1 written by Elliott Kalan and published by DC Comics. This book was released on 2021-10-05 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gather ’round the fire, fellow campers, because it’s time for that most terrifying of traditions-campfire stories so scary you’ll never sleep without a night-light again! The Teen Titans guide those brave enough through tales of Batman and the hidden killer, Superman and Lois Lane and the killer in their back seat, Harley Quinn and Darkseid versus a furious Bloody Mary, and four more stories so hair-raising you’ll call your momma to come pick you up. So toast your marshmallows, pull up a s’more, and answer the only question that matters this Halloween: Are you afraid of Darkseid?

Download or read book Too Good to Be True The Colossal Book of Urban Legends written by Jan Harold Brunvand and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2011-02-07 with total page 485 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "If you enjoy these too-good-to-be-true tales, Brunvand's new book will give you hours of pleasure."—Chicago Tribune A fabulously entertaining book from the ultimate authority on those almost believable tales that always happen to a "friend of a friend." Alligators in the sewers? A pet in the microwave? A tragic misunderstanding of the function of cruise control? No, it didn't really happen to your friend's sister's neighbor: it's an urban legend. And no matter how savvy you think you are, you are sure to find in this collection of over 200 tales at least one story you would have sworn was true. Jan Harold Brunvand has been collecting and studying this modern folklore for over twenty years. In Too Good to Be True he captures the best stories in their best retellings, along with their latest variations and examples of how the stories have changed as they move from person to person and place to place. To help you find your favorite, Brunvand has arranged the tales thematically. "Bringing Up Baby" is full of episodes of child-rearing gone wrong, including the grisly tale of the drugged out baby-sitter who mistakes the kid for a turkey. "Funny Business" showcases stories of infamous lapses in customer service, such as the story of the shockingly expensive chocolate chip cookie recipe. And "The Criminal Mind" features both brilliant --if they were real --scams, as well as the purported antics of the less mentally gifted. Whether you want to become an expert debunker or just have plenty of laughs, this book will surprise and entertain you. Illustrated throughout. "Informative and entertaining.... Brunvand has collected more than 200 of the most-repeated and best-known examples of modern folk-myth."—Tampa Tribune "[N]ot only an entertaining anthology, but an excellent introduction to the study of folklore itself."—Publishers Weekly "A fun read... . All the classics are here from the killer upstairs to the Kentucky Fried Rat."—New City "Resonant stories that express our hidden anxieties ... make us laugh, [or] arouse our fascinated horror."—San Francisco Chronicle Book Review "Informative and entertaining... . Brunvand has collected more than 200 of the most-repeated and best-known examples of modern folk-myth."—Tampa Tribune "[N]ot only an entertaining anthology, but an excellent introduction to the study of folklore itself."—Publishers Weekly

Download or read book The Choking Doberman And Other Urban Legends written by Jan Harold Brunvand and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2003-12-17 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A wonderfully entertaining book of American folklore and humor."—Elaine Kendall, Los Angeles Times Book Review Professor Jan Harold Brunvand expands his examination of the phenomenon of urban legends, those improbable, believable stories that always happen to a "friend of a friend."

Download or read book The Mexican Pet More New Urban Legends and Some Old Favorites written by Jan Harold Brunvand and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 1988-04-17 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A uniquely entertaining book: edifying scholarship, diverting social history."—Elaine Kendall, Los Angeles Times "[The book] captures the spirit of convivial storytelling and even encourages the activity. . . . Many readers . . . will be gratified to know that Brunvand intends to continue this series of relaxed, unofficial excursions into popular legends. Admirers of curiosa and the psychology of crowds cannot afford to miss them." —Kirkus Reviews

Download or read book The Urban Legend Killings written by Drac Von Stoller and published by Drac Von Stoller. This book was released on 2012-09-19 with total page 6 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sally Edwards didn't have many friends at Gravendale High School. Whenever Sally tried out for sports she would be picked on by her classmates because she was a tomboy. Sally had buck teeth and matted hair and slurred her speech. She also wore the same clothes to school every day. Sally was poor and was being raised by her alcoholic grandfather who didn't have long to live, maybe weeks at best. When her classmates got wind of the passing of her grandfather the following week they started picking on her pretty hard. Classmates would say things like "I can see why your grandfather died so soon. It's because you're so ugly and stupid. Just the looks of you helped shorten his life." Sally was boiling inside and had nowhere to turn or seek comfort in the arms of her parents. Sally's parents were both killed in a home invasion and the only living relative she had was her alcoholic grandfather. Sally's dreams of having a loving family, were shattered by the pull of a trigger. Sally never got much food to eat from her grandfather, because he was always spending what little money he had on alcohol. In her grandfather's mind alcohol is the only friend he had and cared about. Sally had to revert to going through neighbors' trash cans for her daily meals. Sometimes the neighbors felt sorry for her and would welcome her into their home and feed her, but what little the neighbors did for her still didn't heal the wounds she was bottling up inside her broken heart and the years of being picked on by her classmates. Things were about to come to a head with her classmates that would turn deadly for them all. Prom night was around the corner and Sally always dreamed about being asked to the prom by the high school's most popular guy. Sally's dream was about to become a reality, but only for a brief moment. Doug Stevens was Gravendale's star quarterback and the most popular guy in school. Doug and a few of his buddies had a plan to make Sally the laughingstock of the school. Their plan would push Sally over the edge and bring devastating consequences to Doug and his friends.

Download or read book Kent Urban Legends written by Neil Arnold and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2013-03-01 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do motorists pick up a phantom hitchhiker on Blue Bell Hill during stormy nights? Does Satan appear if you dance round the Devil's Bush in the village of Pluckley? Do big cats roam the local woods? And what happens if you manage to count the 'Countless Stones' near Aylesford?For centuries strange urban legends have materialised in the Garden of England. Now, for the first time, folklorist and monster-hunter Neil Arnold looks at these intriguing tales, strips back the layers, and reveals if there is more to these Chinese whispers than meets the eye.Folklore embeds itself into a local community, often to the extent that some people believe all manner of mysteries and take them as fact. Whether they’re stories passed around the school playground, through the internet, or round a flickering campfire, urban legends are everywhere. Kent Urban Legends is a quirky and downright spooky ride into the heart of Kent folklore.

Download or read book American Myths Legends and Tall Tales 3 volumes written by Christopher R. Fee and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2016-08-29 with total page 1842 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fascinating survey of the entire history of tall tales, folklore, and mythology in the United States from earliest times to the present, including stories and myths from the modern era that have become an essential part of contemporary popular culture. Folklore has been a part of American culture for as long as humans have inhabited North America, and increasingly formed an intrinsic part of American culture as diverse peoples from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania arrived. In modern times, folklore and tall tales experienced a rejuvenation with the emergence of urban legends and the growing popularity of science fiction and conspiracy theories, with mass media such as comic books, television, and films contributing to the retelling of old myths. This multi-volume encyclopedia will teach readers the central myths and legends that have formed American culture since its earliest years of settlement. Its entries provide a fascinating glimpse into the collective American imagination over the past 400 years through the stories that have shaped it. Organized alphabetically, the coverage includes Native American creation myths, "tall tales" like George Washington chopping down his father's cherry tree and the adventures of "King of the Wild Frontier" Davy Crockett, through to today's "urban myths." Each entry explains the myth or legend and its importance and provides detailed information about the people and events involved. Each entry also includes a short bibliography that will direct students or interested general readers toward other sources for further investigation. Special attention is paid to African American folklore, Asian American folklore, and the folklore of other traditions that are often overlooked or marginalized in other studies of the topic.

Download or read book Be Afraid Be Very Afraid written by Harold Jan Brunvand and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2004-10-05 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of over ninety frightening urban legends, arranged by theme.

Download or read book The Vanishing Hitchhiker American Urban Legends and Their Meanings written by Jan Harold Brunvand and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2003-12-17 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The groundbreaking book that launched America's urban legend obsession! Folklore scholar Jan Harold Brunvand assembles the best-known urban legends—including "The Hook," "The Spider in the Hairdo," and "The Baby-Sitter and the Man Upstairs"—and provides an enlightening and entertaining analysis of their variants and evolution. The Vanishing Hitchhiker was Professor Brunvand's first popular book on urban legends, and it remains a classic. The culmination of twenty years of collection and research, this book is a must-have for urban legend lovers.

Download or read book The Watercooler Effect written by Nicholas DiFonzo and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2008 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Psychologist DiFonzo has studied hearsay for more than 15 years, and in this book he argues that rumors--and the tendency to believe them without question--stem from people's deeply rooted motivation to make sense of the world.

Download or read book The Watercooler Effect written by Nicholas DiFonzo Ph.D. and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2008-09-11 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A fresh look at informal communication, and how information spreads rapidly...An absorbing and compelling book." -Daniel J. Levitin, author of This Is Your Brain on Music and The World in Six Songs "Nicholas DiFonzo is one of the world's experts on why rumors spread. If you've ever wondered where rumors come from or whether some new rumor is true, this book will fascinate you." - Chip Heath, coauthor of Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die During the 2008 presidential election, both campaigns sought to detect, decipher, and defuse a host of derogatory rumors. After Hurricane Katrina, rumors swirled about stranded residents shooting rescue workers. Tipping off the economic crisis, costly rumors crippled financial institutions as they flew through the stock market. Pyschologist Nicholas DiFonzo has studied hearsay for more than fifteen years, and in this book he shows how the process that gave rise to these troubling rumors is fundamentally the same as a tête-à-tête around the company watercooler. With The Watercooler Effect, you'll learn: *how businesses or campaigns can control destructive rumors *how to sort fact from fiction *why a "no comment" response can be more detrimental than helpful *how an organization can increase trust from within *why rumors can actually become more truthful the more they spread DiFonzo argues that rumors stem from our deeply rooted motivation to make sense of the world and are a window into both individual and group psychology. Using fascinating case studies and surprising research findings, The Watercooler Effect gives you the tools to find the truth behind the rumor.

Download or read book The Watkins Book of Urban Legends written by Gail De Vos and published by Watkins Media Limited. This book was released on 2024-11-12 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive and entertaining collection of urban legends from around the world, with a history and analysis of the origin of each tale, compiled by a leading authority in the field. A rich and unique collection of folktales and urban legends from around the world. Each story comes with an accompanying brief note to provide context. Including new tales reflecting new concerns; old tales repurposed for new audiences and new ways of telling. The collection illustrates that these stories are now alive across many new media. This is the first such popular book to bring together stories with both traditional and digital media origins and to examine how the phenomenon of social media has affected both the spread of urban legends and their very nature. Features the uniquely modern manifestation of folk mythology and legend, now made ubiquitous by the internet; the conspiracy theory. Includes urban legends such as: The Pickled Hand, The Babysitter, The Sandman. Includes conspiracy theories such as: Wild Fires, Fifteen Minute Cities and Organ Theft. 40% of the stories originate in North America, 30% in Europe, 20% in Asia, 10% in Africa and elsewhere The book also shows how stories spread and change from the country of origin to become global.

Download or read book A Terrifying Taste of Short Shivery written by Robert D. San Souci and published by Yearling. This book was released on 2011-04-20 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ghoulies, ghosties, and long-leggedy beasties inhabit these 30 chilling tales gathered from around the world—perfect for fans of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark! Creepy classic and contemporary stories from Australia, Germany, India, El Salvador, and elsewhere--including a healthy helping of American apparitions--will keep readers and listeners scared stiff. Do you dare walk down the lane where "Crooker Waits"? Or would you rather shake "The Hairy Hands"? Twenty eerie illustrations highlight this companion to Robert D. San Souci's earlier collections of scary stories, which School Library Journal called "an absolute delight. . . . Young readers will gobble up these thirty thrilling snacks and beg for more." Savor this supernatural treat for spine-tingling fun!

Download or read book Film Folklore and Urban Legends written by Mikel J. Koven and published by Scarecrow Press. This book was released on 2008 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Alien to When a Stranger Calls, many films are based on folklore or employ an urban legend element to propel the narrative. Films, Folklore and Urban Legends explores the convergence of folklore with popular cinema studies and focuses on the study of urban legends and how these narratives are used as inspiration for a number of films. Beginning with a general survey of the existing literature on folklore/film, this book addresses discourses of belief, how urban legends provide the organizing principle of some films, and how certain films "act out" or perform a legend.

Download or read book An Anthology of American Folktales and Legends written by Frank de Caro and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-12-18 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For folklorists, students, as well as general readers, this is the most comprehensive survey of American folktales and legends currently available. It offers an amazing variety of American legend and lore - everything from Appalachian Jack tales, African American folklore, riddles, trickster tales, tall tales, tales of the supernatural, legends of crime and criminals, tales of women, and even urban legends.The anthology is divided into three main sections - Native American and Hawaiian Narratives, Folktales, and Legends - and within each section the individual stories explore the myriad narrative traditions and genres from various geographic regions of the United States. Each section and tale genre is introduced and placed in its narrative context by noted folklorist Frank de Caro. Tale type and motif indexes complete the work.