If you know me in person, it's likely that on more than one occasion I have stopped the conversation completely to tell you all about my favorite podcast: Lore. Lore is a one-man talk show, with no guests other than the spirits that exist throughout the world's folktales and scary stories. Narrated, oh so effortlessly, by Aaron Mahnke, a writer that is simply obsessed with the things that go bump in the night and the ghosts that have haunted our world since days of old.

As children, curiosity is our best attribute and worst fault: helping us to explore the world around us, and pushing us to places we shouldn't always be. Lore exists in the space between the best and worst, giving us the chance to be curious again. Not only is Mahnke's voice comforting amidst the scary stories being told, but its also grounding for the 20-30 minutes where your reality is thrown into question. And as a result, I believe everyone should listen to at least one of the many stories that have been told. If you're feeling like you don't know which episode to pick, fear not! Here are my top five favorite stories produced on Lore.

1. Episode 4: "Dinner at the Afterglow"

Dinner at the Afterglow was one of the first episodes I tuned into back in 2016 when I stumbled across this magnificence. What I found so terrifying about this story though was that you can still experience what is being talked about for yourself. While all the folklore told is real and true in that it comes from cultures and societies in our history, this story positions itself entirely around a real landmark in the woods near Washington state. It's so real, in fact, that my friend has been there, explored the ghost-ridden area, and came back to tell more stories. For me, this is when Lore became something I'd always keep up with because these tales were no longer far off in the distance but right in my face.

2. Episode 8: "The Castle"

In this heightened age of scary story proliferation in many different mediums, we're bound to come across stories that have already been told. To many who come across Lore, "The Castle" will be one of those repeats. Familiar to those who are avid watchers of "American Horror Story," "The Castle" recounts the very bone-chilling story of a man who went by H. H. Holmes and was the leading architect and owner of a hotel in Chicago. Yes, this is the truest version of the story that inspired the season "Hotel." And let me tell you, these 23 minutes are a thousand times more terrifying than the vampire-infested hotel that so many know already.

3. Episode 9: "A Devil on the Roof"

Folklore has always existed as a way for people to explain the unexplainable; "A Devil on the Roof" is definitely an example of that. Sometimes Lore exists only to tell the story, with no solace at the end by saying the murderer has died or the folktale was proven false with science. But with no real resolution, the Jersey Devil still could be out there for all we know.

4. Episode 24: "A Stranger Among Us"

So much folklore from all around the world covers the shapeshifter/trickster archetype. From the Pucca to the spider Anansi to Skinwalkers to Changelings, Mahnke covers many different incarnations of the universal folklore of the shapeshifter. This is one of them, focusing on the Christmas time as an unusual crux for this particular tall tale.

5. Episode 66: "Where There's Smoke"

The beauty of this episode is that it shows that not all folklore is from centuries ago, from times that are so old, we have no connection to. But this episode, in large part, is about the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. One of the most tragic domestic incidents of the early 20th century in the United States, this episode teaches and illuminates parts of the story that have never been told or taught. It shows us that folklore and these tall tales can and do often have close connections to us, our societies, and our cultural traditions.