Suburban Legends gives you a scare before knocking on those doors

Everyone loves a good ghost story. The best though is when those ghost stories are true. And on top of that, focus on one of the creepiest things of all: suburbia. The houses that all look eerily the same. The people who wear the staple work attire, weekend attire, and sports watching outfits. The cars that all seem to be the same shade of silver. The uniformity is supposed to make you feel better, more secure in your setting. It is supposed to be this safe haven away from the wayward lifestyles and choices of the big city. But in reality, Sam Stall has it right, “the sources of crime, vice, and depravity don’t live in the city… They dwell in the human soul.”

Sam Stall set out to prove just how scary and strange suburbia is with his collection of “True Tales of Murder, Mayhem, and Minivans” in Suburban Legends (Quirk Books). It is the perfect book to read from as you ready your little ones for knocking on doors and begging for candy from strangers. They might think twice before accepting more than just a Snickers, or messing with that recluse who lives around the corner.

The stories are separated into sections, such as Hellish Commutes, Inhumanly Bad Houseguests, and Really Desperate Housewives. The stories are all short, based on fact and yet filled with Stall’s witticisms and writerly add-ins. Stall tell tales that were new to me, and probably to most since they are set in not so recognizable zip codes. From full on family slaughters to poltergeists that make their presence very much known, these are stories that won’t be forgotten and will be hard to ignore. I’m a believer in the unbelievable, but these stories aren’t told to prove something or disprove. They are told in a way that makes them accessible, truthful. Even those involved aren’t completely convinced that this could all be something explainable. They too have doubts and questions.

There is a fear factor, a haunting ora that lingers and makes you want to whip out this book each year when the leaves begin to turn and darkness falls a little earlier. Suburban Legends isn’t just for kicks and will leave you with more than a chill across the skin. Stall has filled this book with facts and knowledge of the paranormal world that I have never heard before. For instance, apparently poltergeists are really attracted to and driven by teenage hormones. Also, ever heard of Amityville Horror? Well, the story, and real life happenings, that started it all are featured in this book. You’ll find out things about hometowns, current dwellings and maybe even a stretch of highway that you might use to get to Disney World. You’ll find out that you were lucky enough to survive a Dead Zone.

Stall’s Suburban Legends will make you rethink moving from the city to have a picket fence and Victorian style home. You will probably want to stay in your townhome that is protected by the natural, and completely out there, freakiness of the city. Listen to Stall, don’t go to the burbs, it is incredibly frightening.

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