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The Mysterium: Unexplained and extraordinary stories for a post-Nessie generation
THE MYSTERIUM is a celebration of the strange and unexplained corners of modern life.
Drawing on contemporary folklore, unsolved mysteries, and unsettling phenomena from the dark corners of the internet, you'll uncover the joy of asking unusual questions and the thrill of finding answers which stop you dead in your tracks.
Featuring a group of men who scared themselves to death, outer space's version of the Bermuda Triangle, a cat who can sniff out the dying and the tale of Slender Man, the monster who stepped out of Photoshop and into our nightmares, this fascinating book is a catalogue of the extraordinary, the strange, the mysterious and the downright creepy. It's also a celebration of the enduring power of tall stories and the things we believe to be true - or want to be true.
Drawing on contemporary folklore, unsolved mysteries, and unsettling phenomena from the dark corners of the internet, you'll uncover the joy of asking unusual questions and the thrill of finding answers which stop you dead in your tracks.
Featuring a group of men who scared themselves to death, outer space's version of the Bermuda Triangle, a cat who can sniff out the dying and the tale of Slender Man, the monster who stepped out of Photoshop and into our nightmares, this fascinating book is a catalogue of the extraordinary, the strange, the mysterious and the downright creepy. It's also a celebration of the enduring power of tall stories and the things we believe to be true - or want to be true.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
256 pages, Hardcover
Published October 16, 2018
6 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
About the author
David Bramwell
17 books14 followersDr. Bramwell is a man who likes to keep busy. A magpie by nature, he is the creator of the successful Cheeky Guide series, founder and host of Brighton’s Catalyst Club and singer-songwriter in the band Oddfellows Casino (Nightjar Records). His music and spoken word material have been featured on BBC radio 1, 3,4 and 6.
David has written books on subjects ranging from difficult words to sexuality for Penguin, Harper Collins and DK, has spoken at and hosted TEDx events, curated a tent at Port Eliot Festival and, together with fellow musician Eliza Skelton, entertained festival and cinema audiences with “Sing-along-a-Wickerman”.
His one-man show, The Haunted Moustache, won him awards for “Outstanding Theatre” and “Best Comedy Show” during the Brighton Festival, a BBC R3 commission for the series Between the Ears and a Sony Award in 2011.
His second one-man show, the No9 Bus to Utopia was based on a year spent travelling round communities in Europe and America in search of a better life. The show premiered in the Earth Ship in Brighton’s Stanmer Park and has since featured as a TED lecture and been performed at Alain de Botton’s School of Life, 5X15, the Idler Academy and Port Elliot Festival. He is happiest, however, performing it in the back room of a pub.
It is worth noting that Dr Bramwell is a medical man by rumour only; approach with extreme caution, particularly if he offers to whip out your tonsils in exchange for a packet of biscuits.
David has written books on subjects ranging from difficult words to sexuality for Penguin, Harper Collins and DK, has spoken at and hosted TEDx events, curated a tent at Port Eliot Festival and, together with fellow musician Eliza Skelton, entertained festival and cinema audiences with “Sing-along-a-Wickerman”.
His one-man show, The Haunted Moustache, won him awards for “Outstanding Theatre” and “Best Comedy Show” during the Brighton Festival, a BBC R3 commission for the series Between the Ears and a Sony Award in 2011.
His second one-man show, the No9 Bus to Utopia was based on a year spent travelling round communities in Europe and America in search of a better life. The show premiered in the Earth Ship in Brighton’s Stanmer Park and has since featured as a TED lecture and been performed at Alain de Botton’s School of Life, 5X15, the Idler Academy and Port Elliot Festival. He is happiest, however, performing it in the back room of a pub.
It is worth noting that Dr Bramwell is a medical man by rumour only; approach with extreme caution, particularly if he offers to whip out your tonsils in exchange for a packet of biscuits.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 12, 2017
People are drawn to the strange and the unknown, those stories that even after a second time of hearing make little sense. Some of these are deeply rooted in our oldest legends, but there are a number of mysteries and contemporary folklore that still managed to defy explanation in our modern, always connected, internet age.
In the Mysterium, we will encounter mysteries that have been around for years like the number stations, tragic deaths that no expert has been able to explain such as when a girl was found in the water tank of a hotel after CCTV showed some very peculiar behaviour when she was in the lift. There are entities that have slipped from the virtual domain to become the elements of our nightmares and words that appear embedded in the road. We will learn from those that hear a hum in the place that they live, and of dunes that sing, You may have heard of the darknet, a place where various nefarious activities take place but have you have ever heard of the Deep Web? Me neither.
Some of the stories that David Bramwell and Jo Keeling have collected are seriously creepy and they have managed a fascinating sum up of the current raft of mysteries and what can now be considered modern folklore. It is nicely written as they take care to explain the background to the story. I particularly like the way that they have given pointers to other things that you go and read or watch if a specific tale interests you. A great little collection of the truly bizarre.
In the Mysterium, we will encounter mysteries that have been around for years like the number stations, tragic deaths that no expert has been able to explain such as when a girl was found in the water tank of a hotel after CCTV showed some very peculiar behaviour when she was in the lift. There are entities that have slipped from the virtual domain to become the elements of our nightmares and words that appear embedded in the road. We will learn from those that hear a hum in the place that they live, and of dunes that sing, You may have heard of the darknet, a place where various nefarious activities take place but have you have ever heard of the Deep Web? Me neither.
Some of the stories that David Bramwell and Jo Keeling have collected are seriously creepy and they have managed a fascinating sum up of the current raft of mysteries and what can now be considered modern folklore. It is nicely written as they take care to explain the background to the story. I particularly like the way that they have given pointers to other things that you go and read or watch if a specific tale interests you. A great little collection of the truly bizarre.
September 8, 2021
Would have preferred a book about some of the world’s most curious conundrums to have been a little less dry.
March 30, 2018
A very entertaining read which works best as an introduction to the bizarre, the mysterious and the just plain odd, rather then as a full blown or in depth examination of such phenomena. But it is a lot of fun, written in an easy going, engaging style which makes me want to hunt out more work by the different contributors.
October 15, 2018
Living up to its title, this is an entertaining. curious and intriguing collection of mysterious happenings, thoughts and the unexplained.
Filled with strange occurrences and even more bizarre characters, it also has links for those who like their oddities to have more space than just one reference book.
An unusual, engaging and thought-provoking collection of the downright weird.
Worth escaping into.
Filled with strange occurrences and even more bizarre characters, it also has links for those who like their oddities to have more space than just one reference book.
An unusual, engaging and thought-provoking collection of the downright weird.
Worth escaping into.
November 8, 2017
Some very incredibly interesting articles. But a lot were of no interest or where too long.
December 7, 2017
Interesting book for dipping into, not a book to sit and read for long periods. Can be good for those of us who like to follow up on the stories as there are links for further reading and research.
November 24, 2018
Must read for anyone interested in the word, the eerie, the uncanny. Great mixture of science, internet and good old human quirks.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews