Cursed Objects: Strange but True Stories of the World's Most Infamous Items

An illustrated compendium that reveals the true storiesbehind the most infamous, creepy, and bizarre real-life cursedobjects throughout history. Spanning decades and continents,subjects range from the opulent Hope Diamond to the humble BusyStoop chair.They're lurking in museums, graveyards, and private homes aroundthe world. Their stories have inspired countless horror movies,reality TV shows, campfire tales, books, and even chain emails.They're cursed objects, and in order to unleash a wave ofmisfortune, all they need...is you. As a culture, we can't seem toget enough of cursed objects. But never before have the truestories of these infamous real-life items been compiled into afascinating and chilling volume.Entries include:• Annabelle the Doll, a Raggedy Ann doll which inspired theacclaimed horror franchise The Conjuring• The Tomb of Tutankhamen, the discovery of which kicked-startedmedia hysteria over a rumored "Curse of the Pharaohs"• The Ring of Silvianus, a Roman artifact believed to have inspiredJ. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit• The Hope Diamond, which was owned by kings and inspired the Heartof the Ocean in James Cameron's Titanic• The Dybbuk Box, which was sold on eBay and inspired the horrorfilm The PossessionWhether you believe in curses or not, the often tragic andalways bizarre stories behind these objects will fascinate you.Many of them have intersected with some of the most notable eventsand people in history. But beyond Hollywood and beyond thehysteria, author J. W. Ocker suggests that cursedobjects are simply objects which have been witness to great humantragedy, and thereafter operate as mechanisms for remembering andretelling those stories. Cursed Objects will be equally appealingto true believers as well as history buffs, horror fans, and anyonewho loves a good spine-tingling tale.