You can now purchase books directly from Penguin Random House on RIF! Free Shipping on orders over $20.
    • Monthly Favorites
    • Excerpts
    • Giveaways
    • Book Apothecary
    • TBR Time
  • |
    • Articles
    • Videos
    • Author Interviews
    • 8 Great Questions
    • Author Essays
    • Longform
  • |
    • RIF Podcasts​
    • Marlon & Jake Read Dead People
    • The Adaptables
  • |
  • Subscribe

A Conversation with Aaron Mahnke

"Lore" host Aaron Mahnke discusses the podcast, his latest book, and getting to the gut of a story.

By Shawn Speakman • 2 years ago

We caught up with “Lore” host Aaron Mahnke to chat about his latest book, his research process, and of course, his addictive, mind-blowing podcast.

SHAWN SPEAKMAN: Can you tell us more about “Lore” and how you arrived at its creation?

AARON MAHNKE: “Lore” is primarily a podcast—so, a regular audio program you can download for free—that discusses true stories from the darkest corners of history. As a podcast, “Lore” has won awards and accolades, and built an audience of nearly a million listeners. And that’s allowed for some spin-offs. Amazon makes a television show based on Lore (now in its second season), and of course, there are the books.

The books are thematic collections of stories from the podcast, along with brand new tales, all presented in a beautiful hardcover with hauntingly delicious illustrations. It’s perfect for the “Lore” super-fan, for folks who enjoy reading over listening, and for anyone who wants these dark historical tales to live on their bookshelf.

What We're Reading This Week

Get recommendations for the greatest books around straight to your inbox every week.
Great! You've signed up successfully!
We are experiencing an error, please try again.
By clicking Sign Up!, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Penguin Random House Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and agree to receive news and updates from Read It Forward and Penguin Random House.

Dreadful Places is the third installment in the series, and brings together stories about some of the most bizarre and haunting locations in history, where people have left a mark that can still be felt today. Monstrous Creatures is a collection of stories about the mysterious “things” that walk through our work, and Wicked Mortals explores historical humans with a darker side.

SS: Dreadful Places is exactly that — those dark places in the world that seem to be more than what is on their surface. Do you get the “willies” when visiting places like this? Feel something that you can’t explain?

AM: The secret behind most of “Lore” is that I never get to visit these places. If I traveled for every story, it would take up all my writing time. Thankfully, you can explore all sorts of places through books, papers, reports, and the like.

That said, many of my location-based stories end up become inspiration for my listeners. I hear from many who have listened to a particular story and then headed off to see it for themselves. Sometimes they send me postcards, and sometimes they post pictures on social media. It’s always a joy to know that my stories are giving other people a spooky experience.

SS: I know writers who absolutely abhor research when it comes to their writing. But it seems to me the bulk of the work you do on these volumes and your podcast is research, research, research. How much do you enjoy the research part of it compared to the writing?

AM: I love history, and research is part of that. The process of digging deep is satisfying to me. I don’t always have the chance to use 100% of the details my team and I discover, but the journey is fun regardless. These days, I split my time between writing and recording multiple podcasts, so I have a team of researchers who are working behind the scenes to bring me new tales to tell. It’s a blast.

SS: Is there a “dreadful place” out there that you didn’t get to write about but which you’d love to visit? If so, where and why?

AM: I never talk about future topics, but if I can take the hypothetical route, I would love to have been able to visit the Murder Castle of H. H. Holmes, the notorious Chicago serial killer. It was a maze of body chutes, trap doors, and secret rooms, but it sadly burned to the ground before the police could do a full investigation.

SS: What are you currently working on right now? Title? Release date? Do tell!

AM: Right now, Lore is still an ongoing project, but I also write and produce two other shows: Unobscured, which is a long-form documenary podcast that covers one topic for twelve episodes, and Cabinet of Curiosities, a twice-weekly bit of historical trivia that’s reminiscent of Paul Harvey’s The Rest of the Story.

  • The cover of the book The World of Lore: Dreadful Places

    The World of Lore: Dreadful Places

    Aaron Mahnke

    Buy From Penguin Random House
    Also Available From
    Barnes & NobleBookshop.orgApple BooksAmazon
    Buy From Penguin Random House
    Also Available From
    Barnes & NobleBookshop.orgApple BooksAmazon
     
  • The cover of the book The World of Lore: Wicked Mortals

    The World of Lore: Wicked Mortals

    Aaron Mahnke

    Buy From Penguin Random House
    Also Available From
    Barnes & NobleBookshop.orgApple BooksAmazon
    Buy From Penguin Random House
    Also Available From
    Barnes & NobleBookshop.orgApple BooksAmazon
     
  • The cover of the book The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures

    The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures

    Aaron Mahnke

    Buy From Penguin Random House
    Also Available From
    Barnes & NobleBookshop.orgApple BooksAmazon
    Buy From Penguin Random House
    Also Available From
    Barnes & NobleBookshop.orgApple BooksAmazon
     
Buy The Book
  • Amazon
  • Barnes & Noble
  • Bookshop.org
  • Apple Books
Aaron Mahnke is the writer, host, and producer of Lore, as well as the author of a number of supernatural thrillers. His deep love of the mysterious and frightening began with Unsolved Mysteries and The X-Files—and it’s a love that continues to this day. Basically, he’s a nerd for anything inexplicable or supernatural.
Read it Forward: Always Directing You To Your Next Great Read

At Read It Forward, we have a healthy obsession with authors, stories, and the readers who love them.

About Us
Affiliate Program Disclosure
Subscribe for Giveaways + Recommendations

Every week we host a new literary giveaway! Enter to win our favorite new reads, bookish goodies, and so much more.

Get weekly book recommendations delivered right to your inbox and find out What We’re Reading.

Subscribe to our Newsletters
Explore
  • Find your Next Book!
  • Essays and More
  • Author Interviews
  • Our Monthly Favorites

Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Copyright ©1995-2021 Penguin Random House. All rights reserved.

[email_signup id="4"]
Great! You've signed up successfully!
We are experiencing an error, please try again.
By clicking Subscribe, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Penguin Random House Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and agree to receive news and updates from Read It Forward and Penguin Random House.