Aaron Mahnke

‘’The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.’’
H.P. Lovecraft

Starting this book, I had the belief that nothing new was in store for me. That it would possibly prove to be a satisfying read on the Paranormal field but with little new to offer. Well, I was wrong. It was very well-written with some exciting changes from the norms that made it all the more interesting.

The title ‘’Monstrous Creatures’’ is show more a bit misleading. I suppose the word ‘’monstrous’’ is loosely used to signify something unnatural, threatening and evil. Something that we cannot understand, something that repels us. In this volume, we find a well-balanced array of traditions from all over the world, folklore from the five continents, although the emphasis is on the Anglo-Saxon world since the written testimonies are heavily broader and properly documented. Vampires, werewolves, the living dead, mysterious creatures of the sea, anthropomorphic being lurking in dark woods, dark entities responsible for dark deeds. There are spirits, superstitions and beliefs that go back ages and ages ago and yet, they are very much alive in our time.

There are two things that I found refreshing and worthy of praise, in my opinion. For starters, the narration is very vivid, very interesting, thoughtful and sincere. The writer comes across as a level-headed person, witty and respectful of the subject. He doesn’t downgrade it, he doesn’t turn it into a smartarse satire. He walks the thin line between the believer and the sceptic comfortably and I found myself in absolute agreement with his views. What makes this book special, in my opinion, is the fact that it links beliefs and traditions of the past with extremely recent unexplained occurrences. We’re talking about phenomena that were reported in the 60s, the 70s, all the way to our decade. The fact that stories whose roots can be found in the past still seem to concern us certainly gives food for thought. I admit that many of the stories- and quite a few were unknown to me- were eerie and chilling. The experience was enhanced by the simple yet effective black-and-white illustrations and I cannot help but give extra points to Aaron Mahnke for the Hannibal (TV series) reference. Nothing beats Mads and his culinary skills. Or any other of his skills and yes, this was totally inappropriate…

So, it takes a lot to impress a reader who has read extensively on the Paranormal subject, but this book managed to do it. I consider myself leaning more towards the believer’s side with a significant dose of doubt (because who knows for sure, right….?) and many of the questions Mahnke poses had me thinking. This is a book that sceptics and believers will enjoy since the writer doesn’t provide answers. He simply states the facts. Speaking for myself, I was a bit influenced and each night I read it (because I obviously such things in the late hours...), I double-checked to make sure the cross I keep on my bedside table was there. It doesn’t hurt to be cautious….

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com show less

Fans of folklore, Lore, and Supernatural, rejoice! Mahnke has created another book of non-fiction essays, this time on “dreadful places” – from haunted houses to mysterious woods. Mahnke’s conversational, smooth delivery tempers the retelling of local legends leaving the supernatural elements ambiguous. Delivered in short yet interconnected snippets, this collection would enchant reluctant readers, especially those fascinated by the paranormal. Engaging fans of true crime, true show more adventure, history, travelogues, and the unexplainable, this audiobook would be an excellent choice for a family road trip. Just as folklore itself brings rationality and emotional distance from the unexplainable, Mahnke’s delivery provides a familiarly, comforting voice – no matter now disturbing or offbeat the story. Each tale reveals a human story, of pain and suffering or of trickery and evil. Like Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, it is the humanity as well as the locations and dread that capture attention.

The improved review was published in Booklist December 1, 2018 issue. show less

I suppose if I were British, a horror book starring the Duke of Wellington might have the cultural impact of a mashup title like Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. But I'm not British, and I found nothing engaging in the fantasy adventures of an imperialistic, aristocratic, and egotistical stuffed shirt who finds himself fighting supernatural forces in a most feeble and faltering manner after being called by an old friend to investigate the case of a missing child, a mysterious death, and the show more sighting of a supernatural black dog.

I was truly done with this book when, with no explanation as to why, the Duke refers to his spouse repeatedly as his "hated wife." The lady barely says two words in the whole book and does nothing to merit such treatment. A quick Wikipedia check says she became ill while the Dick -- I mean Duke -- was abroad for most of a decade ravaging India, and he married her upon his return to England despite exclaiming, "She has grown ugly, by Jove!" What a swell fellow.

This is a poorly told story that is not even complete in this volume. I guess they expect to do a sequel at some point -- perhaps paying off the several Alice in Wonderland references? -- but I shall not bother with it if it does come to pass.

p.s., I didn't recognize any of the creator names when I picked up the book, but I just found that writer Delilah S. Dawson previously earned a one-star rating from me for Ladycastle. I need to remember her name in order to avoid her works in the future. show less

Cabinet of Curiosities is the name of a podcast created, hosted and produced by Aaron Mahnke. The podcast has been around since 2018 and at this point has over 600 episodes available. It specializes in short episodes - most come in at around (or under) 10 minutes. Each episode features two true short stories taken from history and told is such a way as to keep you guessing until the very end.

In his new book Mahnke has taken over 150 of the true short stories from his podcast and brought show more them to the printed page. When I say short stories, I actually mean VERY short stories. Most of these are a page and a half or so, not much longer than my usual book review.

The stories are all structured pretty much the same way. First there’s The Setup, where the facts are laid out but a few key pieces of information are held back. Could be that the main character’s name isn’t fully revealed - maybe just a first name or a nickname. The setup will include some “curious” bits - something to make you wonder, something to make you go “hmm”. Then comes The Reveal. The main character’s name is revealed, or a plot twist you didn’t see coming happens. The Reveal is usually accompanied by some sort of pun.

For the most part that structure yields entertaining and sometimes enlightening history quick hits. Every so often a story will end with a pun so bad that it’s good. These left me chucking and thinking I’d just been the victim of a history buff’s “Dad joke”. Which, honestly, is NOT a bad thing.

If you are a fan of history you may recognize what some of the stories are about very quickly. Others you may have never heard of.

So who is this book for? Well, if you’re a fan of the podcast the book is a no brainer. It would also make a good stocking stuffer for a friend or family member who likes history but is pressed for time and can’t really dive into a book length treatise on a particular topic in history. It would help if they are also fans of Dad jokes.

RATING: Three Stars ⭐⭐⭐

RATING COMMENTS: Aaron Mahnke brings over 150 history quick hits from his long running podcast to the page. A good stocking stuffer for the history buff on your holiday gift list who also has a good sense of humor. show less