Encyclopedia of Urban Legends: [2 volumes]

(, 2nd edition)

Publishing Details

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Physical Properties

Description

This revised edition of the original reference standard for urban legends provides an updated anthology of common myths and stories, and presents expanded coverage of international legends and tales shared and popularized online. From roasted babies to vanishing hitchhikers to housewives in football helmets, this exhaustive and highly readable encyclopedia provides descriptions of hundreds of individual legends and their variations, examines legend themes, and explains scholarly approaches to the genre. Revised and expanded to include updated versions of the entries from the award-winning first edition, this work provides additional entries on a wide range of new topics that include terrorism, recent political events, and Hurricane Katrina. Entries in Encyclopedia of Urban Legends, Updated and Expanded Edition discuss the presence of urban legends in comic books, literature, film, music, and many other areas of popular culture, as well as the existence of "too good to be true" stories in Argentina, China, Italy, Japan, Mexico, and several other countries. Serving as both an anthology of stories as well as a reference work, this encyclopedia will serve as a valuable resource for students and a source book for journalists, professional folklorists, and others who are researching or interested in urban legends.

Reviews

As well as an interesting examination of the folkloric origins of urban legends, their sources, permutations, and distribution, this encyclopedia is also tremendous fun to browse. Fans of urban legends will enjoy reading up on the classic stories as well as gaining some insight into legends from other countries and cultures. . . . This volume would be a good addition for humanities collections, but also a good individual purchase for personal use. * Reference Reviews *
This highly readable resource by Brunvand features variations from across the world on common themes such as animal infestations, crimes, academic legends, and celebrity rumors. . . . This will be a useful volume for public and school libraries and undergraduate academic collections. Summing up: recommended. * Choice *
This outstanding reference title represents Brunvand's professional commitment to the preservation and study of urban legends. . . . This comprehensive resource, which contains urban legends found in the United States, as well as numerous foreign ones, should be in the reference collection of all libraries. * ARBA *
The first edition of The Encyclopedia of Urban Legends was a good general resource for legend study, and the revised one is even better. The number and extent of the emendations certainly merits the new edition. * Journal of Folklore Research *
This book is more than just a collection of urban legendsit also includes important folkloric concepts and topics. . . . Accessible enough for the casual reader yet scholarly enough for academic researchers, The Encyclopedia of Urban Legends is an invaluable and fascinating book that merits a place on the shelf of any skeptic and student of folklore. * Skeptical Inquirer *
Brunvand's work, which is considered a standard on the topic, is recommended for public, school, and academic libraries, especially those lacking the earlier edition. * Library Journal *
The cross-referencing in the work is excellent. . . . This is an excellent beginning resource for students interested in the subject. * Booklist *

Author Bio

Jan Harold Brunvand, PhD, is professor emeritus of English at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.