For the first one, I'm going to do something different. Rather than review a book or series, I'll review a podcast I recently started listening to. Its subject matter makes it perfect for a review posted on Halloween.
Lore has been running since 2015, with a new episode posted every other week. Each episode describes one or more real life horror story. Some of the stories investigate urban legends, others focus on true crimes, and still others are about (supposedly) supernatural events. Sometimes it's possible that an otherworldly force or being is responsible. Other times the crimes are clearly the work of human monsters.
Among the stories covered or mentioned are well-known events like the Donner Party and Salem Witch Trials. Other, lesser-known stories include the apparently-haunted Hoosac Tunnel, and the ghost stories told of Owls Head Lighthouse.
I don't know if I believe in ghosts or not, but the podcast describes several events that make me wonder. Some events clearly have a plausible, non-supernatural explanation. The story about Robert the doll, on the other hand, is hard to explain in any way that doesn't boil down to "the doll is evil and somehow animate".
There are a few factual errors I spotted in the podcast. For example, it repeats the old story that the Salem Witch Trials were because men felt threatened by women and accused them of being witches. In reality, both men and women were tried in the witch trials, and the women were usually accused by other women.
On other occasions, the podcast goes out of its way to suggest the supernatural explanation is the most plausible, when there may or may not be a normal explanation that's just as likely.
Overall, though, the podcast is eerie, frightening, and perfect for listening to around Halloween. Warning: do NOT listen to it late at night. Painful experience taught me you will spend half the night wide awake, jumping at the slightest noise. And you'll need a strong stomach to listen to some of the episodes. Especially the one about the Danvers State Hospital.
Is it available online?: It's a podcast, so obviously it is! All the episodes can be heard here.
Rating: 6/10.
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