Product Description

Urban Legend (ur/ben lej/end) n. a fictional story, circulated by word-of-mouth, that is perpetuated by the continual assertion of truth. All the rumors that have passed through office e-mail networks, the fantastic stories that have "happened to a friend" and the horrifying tales told around campfires are gathered here for the first time in one fascinating, unbelievable collection. Organized by subject, chapters include: Naked at His Own Surprise Party and Other Sexual Escapades, The Stolen Kidney and Other Medical Disasters, The Gulf War Computer Virus and Other High Tech Scares, Roswells's Area 51 and Other Extraterrestrial Encounters, Elvis's Motorcycle and Other Celebrity Rumors, and many more. Each story runs one-to-two-pages long. Many of the stories have been told with a different twist--variations are included at the end of each tale.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1646455 in Books
• Published on: 1999-06-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

From the Inside Flap
Alligators in the Sewer, a comprehensive collection of urban legends, compiles hundreds of thse wild and entertaining tales. With themes that run the gamut from funny to sick, risque to informative, frightening to disgusting and bizaree, urban folklore can chill spines, spark smiles or turn stomachs, aand the stories are remarkable for their uncanny ability to travel by word of mouth--often with a few subtle changes catering to the needs of whoever is retelling them. They've been celebrated in newspapers, movies, and , most notably, on the late 20th century's misinformation superhighway: the internet. But far from a contemporary phenomenon, the urban legend has been around since medieval times, and it's the irresistible and intriguing nature of the stories--distinctly dark, invariably humorous, and always just plausible enough to be believed--that allows them to endure. These tales play on our collective fears and anxieties, and they're compelling because no one can be sure which stories are true, which are elaborate embellishments of facts, and which h are the result of nothing more than a twisted imagination and a flair for story-telling. All the favorites are hear and arranged by genre--from "The Stolen Kidney and Other Medical Mishaps" to "Naked at his Own Surprise Party and Other Sexual Escapades," plus hundreds more strange-but-perhaps-not-completely-untrue anecdotes. Some of these legends have resurfaced in different forms again and again through the years--like the tales of King Arthur's life-after-death that bear a striking resemblance to rumors about the afterlives of modern heroes like Elvis Presley, Andy Kaufman, and Tupac Shakur. When available, each story's variations through history have been included, along with all the modern versions. From Roswell, New Mexico to the thieves who left only the toothbrush and the camera, Alligators in the Sewer is a novel examination of pop culture's shady underbelly as well as an authoritative reference of contemporary folklore with stories guaranteed to amuse, enlighten and freak you out.

From the Back Cover
SET ASIDE YOUR FEARS SUSPEND YOUR DISBELIEF EMBRACE THE BIZARRE Guaranteed to enlighten, amuse and shock, this endlessly entertaining collection of urban legends compiles all the well-known stories and the shady rumors, arranged by genre and with every obscure variation. They are funny, frightening, and weird tales--that just might be true. INCLUDING: The Stolen Kidney and Other Medical Mishaps Aliens in Roswell, New Mexico and Other Close Encounters The Murderer in the Backseat and Other Legends of the Road Naked at His Own Surprise Party and Other Sexual Escapades Late for Finals and Other Tales from College The Scuba Diver in the Forest Fire and Other Strange Deaths Elvis's Motorcycle and Other Celebrity Rumors Alligators in the Sewers and Other Classic Urban Legends

About the Author
Thomas J. Craughwell has written every edition of the Book Lover's Page-A-Day Calendar since it first appeared in 1995. He is the author of Every Eye Beholds You: A World Anthology of Prayer, which was a Main Selection of Book-of-the-Month Club and Quality Paperback Book Club and a selection of History Book Club. He resides in Sleepy Hollow, New York.