Are urban legends no more than harmless tales of modern folklore, or is there something more sinister lurking beneath the surface? "Urban Legends Uncovered" investigates to reveal the truth behind the legends. From campfire classics that send shivers down the spine to the paranoia that followed the events of 9\11, this compelling book takes us through hundreds of chilling stories from Classic Horror, Crime and Netlore. Analysis of each legend looks at how it originated and what effect it has had. Marvel at how the creators of "The Blair Witch Project" used the power of urban legends as a clever marketing tool, and how Churchill and Hitler used urban legends in their wartime propaganda campaigns to play mind games with each other. Learn how urban legends are manufactured to target large corporations such as Microsoft and McDonalds, and how hoax e-mails and computer viruses have almost brought businesses and governments to their knees. How and why do urban legends exist? Have they been created or manipulated for political, propaganda, or marketing reasons? Don't let a good story stand in the way of the truth!
Urban Legends Uncovered, Mark Barber
As they say, never let the truth get in the way of a good story. From the horror of the KENTUCKY FRIED RAT (the urban legend which was Barber's inspiration for the writing of this book) to the more modern fakery of THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, UK author Mark Barber presents them all. It is not just all about the kitsch campfire stories or teen-scream "it-happened-to-a-friend-of-mine anecdotes"; Barber has detailed the modern day internet scams and spoofs right alongside the creepy or funny stories we all delight in hearing about (of course, as long as they haven't actually been personal experiences of our own).
Working on the premise that each urban legend has a contained moral message or some other reason for its creation, Barber presents his book like an investigative fact file. Many of the cases are referenced back to the author's website or otherwise readily found on the internet, should you wish to take your own investigation that little bit further. There's a lot of "eureka!" moments in the reading of this book as it is impossible not to read of at least one "legend" in each section that you recognise. Barber lists the variations on each, with the possible geographical or culturally diverse reasons for such.