> At a Glance
> – Lore host Aaron Mahnke releases Exhumed: Unearthing the History of the American Vampire this summer
> – The nonfiction book revisits the 1892 Mercy Brown exhumation that sparked New England’s “Vampire Panic”
> – Mahnke links folklore, medicine, and pop culture to explain why townspeople burned Mercy’s heart
> – Why it matters: Shows how fear and pseudoscience collided in 19th-century America-and shaped modern horror myths
Aaron Mahnke, the creator of the hit podcast Lore, is ready to unveil a chilling chapter of American history. His forthcoming book zeroes in on the moment when medicine met superstition in a Rhode Island graveyard.
The Mercy Brown Case
In 1892, tuberculosis-then called consumption-had already claimed Mercy Brown’s mother and sister. When other relatives fell ill, neighbors concluded a vampire stalked the family.
They convinced local officials to exhume the bodies. Mercy’s corpse looked suspiciously intact, so they cut out her heart and burned it, believing the ritual would stop the disease.
From Graveyards to Pop Culture
Mahnke’s investigation doesn’t stop at Mercy Brown. He stitches together a broader tapestry of 19th-century anxieties:
- George Washington’s 1799 death and fears of premature burial
- Mary Shelley’s 1818 writing of Frankenstein amid debates on reanimating corpses
- Public fascination with mummification and medical dissection
- The clash between emerging science and entrenched folklore
| Event | Year | Cultural Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Mercy Brown exhumation | 1892 | Sparked regional vampire panic |
| Washington’s death | 1799 | Popularized burial-security devices |
| Frankenstein published | 1818 | Framed scientific ethics in horror |
Mahnke’s Decade-Long Obsession
The author first encountered Mercy Brown while crafting early Lore episodes. In a statement exclusive to News Of Los Angeles, he recalls:
> “That’s where I discovered Mercy Brown’s tale and started asking bigger questions. Why in the world did those people-in that place and at that time-believe that exhuming her corpse and burning her heart was a necessary and acceptable way to calm their anxieties?”
Key Takeaways
- Exhumed arrives Summer 2026 from Running Press Adult
- The book explores how pseudoscience and genuine medical progress fed vampire legends
- Mahnke argues these stories reveal deep fears about death, disease, and the body
- Readers will see connections between 19th-century panics and today’s horror narratives
By unearthing Mercy Brown’s story, Mahnke exposes the thin line between scientific curiosity and superstitious terror-a line that still shapes our darkest tales today.
