Lore 298: Almost Alive

Sometimes the more terrifying creatures we encounter are the ones we created ourselves. Don’t let their antiquity fool you, though; artificial life isn’t always pleasant.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by GennaRose Nethercott, research by Cassandra de Alba, and music by Chad Lawson.


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For the curious, here are some links to the various contraptions mentioned in today’s episode. Seeing them in action is truly powerful!

Legends 71: Homewrecker

Home sweet home. We go there for safety, peace, and hopefully love. But for a very long time in some parts of the world, the home was ruled over by something more supernatural than family bonds.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by Alex Robinson and research by Jamie Vargas.


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Lore 297: Bloody

Much of folklore is fun in a creepy sort of way, something that we often revel in here on Lore. But there are darker corners that have used the power of storytelling for dangerous reasons, and they lie closer to the surface that you’ll believe.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by GennaRose Nethercott, research by Cassandra de Alba, and music by Chad Lawson.


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Legends 70: Something Lost

We might call them the Great Lakes, but the folklore in and around them is so much greater. And—if the stories are true—much more terrifying as well.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by Nick Tecosky and research by Jamie Vargas.


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Revisiting Lore 12: Half-Hanged

This week, as the holidays draw near, the Lore team takes a well-earned break to relax with their loved ones. To give them that break, we’re reissuing a golden oldie from over a decade ago: Episode 12: Half-Hanged.

Researched, written, and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with music by Chad Lawson.


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Legends 69: The Last Frontier

Out beyond the edge of the known, where simply existing comes with risk, you will always find stories of threats that defy rational explanation.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by Alex Robinson and research by Cassandra de Alba.


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Lore 295: Making Your Luck

It’s all fun and games until someone has a cursed dream. The history behind these risky gambles is almost as fascinating as their eventual outcome.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by GennaRose Nethercott, research by Cassandra de Alba, and music by Chad Lawson.


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Legends 68: Erupt

Legends often contain clues about our greatest fears. Oftentimes they are small and invisible. But as today’s collection of stories reveals, they can be much bigger than that.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by Alex Robinson and research by Jamie Vargas.


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Lore 294: Upon Reflection

She’s the most famous name in horror, and the theories behind the legend are more frightening than you’d ever expect.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by GennaRose Nethercott, research by Cassandra de Alba, and music by Chad Lawson.


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Legends 67: Northern Exposure

Some stories are fascinating because they go against our expectations. And among them are a few that are absolutely chilling.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by Alex Robinson and research by Cassandra de Alba.


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Lore 293: Mother Knows Best

Figures from folklore are often one-dimensional. But if the popularity of this particular woman tells us anything, it’s that legends can sometimes become more powerful than real life people.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by GennaRose Nethercott, research by Cassandra de Alba, and music by Chad Lawson.


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Legends 66: Devour

The stories of people who cross the line are often the most terrifying. And that fear has turned those tales into weapons of a different kind.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by Alex Robinson and research by Cassandra de Alba.


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Lore 292: Message in a Bottle

Our world can often feel like an open book, with every secret laid bare. But there are still locations that cling tightly to mystery, and the questions they force us to ask are sometimes terrifying.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by GennaRose Nethercott, research by Jamie Vargas and Cassandra de Alba, and music by Chad Lawson.


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Trick or Treat 5: Drained

For the final Trick or Treat episode of the season, we’re taking a tour through some of the lesser-known vampire folklore around the world. But just because they don’t fit the stereotype we’ve come to know and love does not mean these stories are any less terrifying.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing and research by Alex Robinson, Harry Marks, and Alexandra Steed.


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Legends 65: Twin Spirits

At the heart of their dual history and shared rivalry, this pair of midwestern cities hides a darker common ground, and the stories that live there are more than a little frightening.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by Andrew Kelleher and research by Cassandra de Alba.


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Lore 291: Dream Come True

We often use the phrase “dream come true” to describe wonderful things you envision for our lives. But looking at the folklore behind it, there might be a darker, more complicated nightmare at work.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by GennaRose Nethercott, research by Cassandra de Alba, and music by Chad Lawson.


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Trick or Treat 3: Loved and Lost

Our passions create powerful bonds. And it turns out that even something as permanent as death can’t totally separate us from the people or places we love.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing and research by Alex Robinson and GennaRose Nethercott.


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Legends 64: No Rest for the Wicked

Some graves give us answers to the gaps in our understanding of history. A few, though, fill those gaps with terrifying legends that are still alive today.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by Alex Robinson and research by Cassandra de Alba.


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Trick or Treat 2: Too Young

Tragic loss is often the catalyst for powerful tales that haunt us for generations. Today’s collection of stories gathers some of the most chilling examples of that truth.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing and research by Alex Robinson and GennaRose Nethercott.


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