The Black Book of Modern Myths: True Stories of the Unexplained

by Alasdair Wickham

' True are The NIGHTmare Of a person that FEARsSafe A re the BODIES Of tHe Silent World'When a young man first saw this message typed out on his computer at home a shiver ran down his spine. It was clear what was happening - the poltergeist which had plagued him for months was now manifesting itself in a most original, modern and terrifying way.As the world around us experiences an epidemic of supernatural events, Alasdair Wickham collects together the strangest, creepiest and most enthralling in a compendium of brilliantly told and chillingly convincing tales. The Black Book of Modern Myths explores the richness and malevolence of the supernatural from across the globe, including possession, witchcraft and Mothmen sightings to cursed movie sets and ritualistic killings in the Cornish countryside. No mystery is left unexamined.But beyond these traditional notions of the supernatural, The Black Book of Modern Myths shows us the paranormal connecting with the hi-tech world. These days, the ghosts really are in the machines...Do you dare enter?

Genres: Nonfiction, Horror

304 pages, Hardcover

First published May 5, 2011

Reviews

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't be bothered to waste much time on this book - the title is misleading and the contents are rubbish. It shouldn't come as a surprise that the book does not deliver in any way on its promises. Spare yourself disappointment and give this book a miss.

[Mersini · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, the title of this book is misleading. A book of modern "myths" evokes the idea that you'll be reading about creatures and practices that some believe to be true, but are ultimately untrue. Instead, what this book gives you is a list of events and occurrences that are accepted by the author to be true. This isn't a bad thing, but the word "myth" itself is misleading. I thought it would be a book about urban legends - vampires, alligators in the sewers, Nessie - but instead I got a book containing case studies of ghosts, demonic possession, curses, witches, poltergeists, all interpreted as fact. Now, I'm not saying there's anything bad about this, I just expected something different when I picked up the book.

In fact, it made for quite an interesting read. Some of it, I believe, is conjecture, but a lot of it, retelling events that happened to people, seems to be believable in the sense that it actually happened. If you're sceptical about paranormal forces and entities, such as ghosts and demons and angels, then this book is hard to take in your stride, as it speaks of each of them as though they're fact. Perhaps they are. Author Alasdair Wickham certainly seems to believe so.

Some parts drag, though I suppose it depends on where your interests in the supernatural lie, while others absorb you into the recount of events. Personal favourites included the chapter about curses and movies, although, in a book talking about that sort of thing, I was thoroughly disappointed to find no mention of the curse of Macbeth, despite the fact that it is associated more with theatre than film. Either it was a deliberate exclusion, or it Wickham is ignorant of it. To add to this, most of the films with a "curse" were horror films, with the exception of Superman and Rebel Without a Cause. I cannot help but feel that if Wickham had taken the time to do additional research, he would have yielded more information on films that were not horrors. With this in mind, it seems that the intent of the book was to make readers feel uncomfortable, as though they are reading a horror novel. And as Wickham is the pseudonym of James Buxton, a horror novelist, this isn't completely out of the question.

Anyhow, this book has its interesting moments. It also has its boring ones. For the most part it's well written, but there are always going to be things that simply don't interest the reader. If anything, this is a good resource for any novelist trying to write in the horror or paranormal fiction genres, as it's teeming with things that set inspiration running.

[Cathy]

someone else wrote this is a misleading title and that it true.... I bought it mostly for my interest in ghost stories, and hauntings....as I have been wanting to to write ghost stories so one must try to read them and take an interest but its also about ghosts possession stories how demonic possession and poltergeists fix to places or people using sounds to communicate or haunt and hunt away those they don't want around, (I didn't believe in much of this til i had a few experiences myself, my mum had told me about fireballs etc but never experienced that) and obscene events ritual killing and sacrifice witchcraft (which I found i avoided reading) and supernatural and the movie myth making of these topics and facts and accounts of experiences of ghosts and poltergeists... historical accounts like the famous grey lady in denmark castle, occultism crowley and sex magik (which I avoided reading also as not to frighten or corrupt myself any further), Christianity and pan mythology, the threefold law of witches "ever mind the rule if three three times your acts return to thee this lesson well, thou must learn thou only gets what thee dost earn"...(WITCH I DON'T BELIEVE IN... which WITCH WOULD DO THIS SORT OF THING?) found spooky but was interested in psychokinesis, psychic vortex, a ripple of air against their face, ghostly imprinted anomalies that manifest repeatedly in same way or another imprints reverberating across time and powerful demonic or spiritual releases and hunts, like ghostly slaps.... or whispers....

I have experienced some things myself and just wanted to read some more on the topic ... oh but there is one grand thing the book does have a small Ouija board on the back.... i left the book out one night and a ghost started communicating with me i swear...but never tried a Seanese.

[Janette Fleming · Rating 3 out of 5]

"rue are The NIGHTmare Of a person that FEARsSafe A re the BODIES Of tHe Silent World'

When a young man first saw this message typed out on his computer at home a shiver ran down his spine. It was clear what was happening – the poltergeist which had plagued him for months was now manifesting itself in a most original, modern and terrifying way. As the world around us experiences an epidemic of supernatural events, Alasdair Wickham collects together the strangest, creepiest and most enthralling in a compendium of brilliantly told and chillingly convincing tales. The Black Book of Modern Myths explores the richness and malevolence of the supernatural from across the globe, including possession, witchcraft and Mothmen sightings to cursed movie sets and ritualistic killings in the Cornish countryside. No mystery is left unexamined.But beyond these traditional notions of the supernatural, The Black Book of Modern Myths shows us the paranormal connecting with the hi-tech world. These days, the ghosts really are in the machines…Do you dare enter? "

Good for dipping into and as an introduction to the subject but is just pulling together a lot of the better stories that do the rounds on the Internet and doesn't really add anything more.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had so much potential to expose and explore a fascinating and unusual subject, but all the author does is meander into dullness and wild speculation. The book starts well, exploring well known hauntings and things that to bump in the night, stories of the 'mothman' still send shivers down my spine just thinking about them. But then it just slips into quite boring writing, about subjects that should insight interest due to their supernatural implications, not immense boredom. The second half of this book does feel like an afterthought and reads like a student's essay that is trying to accept and explain the behaviour of supernatural entities. Perhaps if the writing was a bit more exciting I would have enjoyed this more, definitely not a book for those who have already done a bit of reading on the subjects covered within it uninspiring pages. And on a final note, read The Men Who Stare at Goats by Jon Ronson if you want to explore the military's use of the paranormal, the chapter that covers it in this book is as tepid as you can get.

[Tim Pendry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is entertaining hokum even if it keeps you reading. None of the stories is foot-noted as to source so this is very much a book for the gullible or for the light-hearted.

Having said that, the book could be useful to some as a gold mine of ideas for creative writing in the supernatural and horror genre.

It also makes a few points well - about cultural differences in the treatment of ghosts and demons or the psychic thuggery in the Christian tradition of exorcism - and it may encourage you to do some research.

But, on balance, only read this for the pleasure of its cheap thrills and not for much else ... or if you are prepared to stretch the concept of truth to breaking point.

[ChandaElaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are two ways to look at The Black Book of Modern Myths:

If reading as a writing prompt for paranormal fiction, it is fantastic. The opinions presented along with "facts" can be read as part of the larger "story" discussed in each chapter. With this mindset, the book was an enjoyable, easy read.

If reading as a serious exposition into modern mythology and/or the paranormal, the lack of bibliography, interview citations and true scientific data (with notations) render it unusable as source material and call into question the categorizing the book as non-fiction.

Overall: I liked it. It was interesting to spend a few hours with this view of the world. Had it not been for the non-fiction billing, would have given it at least another 1/2 star.

[Kevinjwoods · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somebody really should have paid attention when editing this to avoid all the urban myths in the little boxes in the middle of each chapter, without these it is a good read.
Up until the chapter on movie curses which is bad even by the standards of chapters on movie curses, somebody needs to realise that it's not a curse if someone dies 25 years after making a movie, and any idea of taking the research on trust is completely blown by mentioning Morgan Freeman played the police chief in Batman Begins and Brandon Rough is in the new Superman movie.
In short if he'd taken the time to check easily checkable facts and thrown out the urban legends this might be useful in s second edition.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is written very well. The tales between these pages make you take a second look on the dark streets, try to find the mysterious creaking on your stairs, and whether or not by recent circumstances, you have a poltergeist.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

Im into the paranormal and all but this was just too boring. I only got up to page 14 then put it down.
Really bad.

[Chichi · Rating 5 out of 5]

love this book! The fact that it's nonfiction makes it scarier. I find myself staring intently at shadows. *shudder*