Alligators in the Sewer and 222 Other Urban Legends: Absolutely True Stories that Happened to a Friend...of a Friend...of a Friend Hardcover – July 1, 1999 by Thomas J. Craughwell
 
Urban Legend (ur/ben lej/end) n. a fictional story, circulated by word-of-mouth, that is perpetuated by the continual assertion of truth.

All the rumors that have passed through office e-mail networks, the fantastic stories that have "happened to a friend" and the horrifying tales told around campfires are gathered here for the first time in one fascinating, unbelievable collection.

Organized by subject, chapters include: Naked at His Own Surprise Party and Other Sexual Escapades, The Stolen Kidney and Other Medical Disasters, The Gulf War Computer Virus and Other High Tech Scares, Roswells's Area 51 and Other Extraterrestrial Encounters, Elvis's Motorcycle and Other Celebrity Rumors, and many more. Each story runs one-to-two-pages long.

Many of the stories have been told with a different twist--variations are included at the end of each tale.
 
From the Inside Flap
Alligators in the Sewer, a comprehensive collection of urban legends, compiles hundreds of thse wild and entertaining tales. With themes that run the gamut from funny to sick, risque to informative, frightening to disgusting and bizaree, urban folklore can chill spines, spark smiles or turn stomachs, aand the stories are remarkable for their uncanny ability to travel by word of mouth--often with a few subtle changes catering to the needs of whoever is retelling them. They've been celebrated in newspapers, movies, and , most notably, on the late 20th century's misinformation superhighway: the internet. But far from a contemporary phenomenon, the urban legend has been around since medieval times, and it's the irresistible and intriguing nature of the stories--distinctly dark, invariably humorous, and always just plausible enough to be believed--that allows them to endure. These tales play on our collective fears and anxieties, and they're compelling because no one can be sure which stories are true, which are elaborate embellishments of facts, and which h are the result of nothing more than a twisted imagination and a flair for story-telling.
All the favorites are hear and arranged by genre--from "The Stolen Kidney and Other Medical Mishaps" to "Naked at his Own Surprise Party and Other Sexual Escapades," plus hundreds more strange-but-perhaps-not-completely-untrue anecdotes. Some of these legends have resurfaced in different forms again and again through the years--like the tales of King Arthur's life-after-death that bear a striking resemblance to rumors about the afterlives of modern heroes like Elvis Presley, Andy Kaufman, and Tupac Shakur. When available, each story's variations through history have been included, along with all the modern versions. From Roswell, New Mexico to the thieves who left only the toothbrush and the camera, Alligators in the Sewer is a novel examination of pop culture's shady underbelly as well as an authoritative reference of contemporary folklore with stories guaranteed to amuse, enlighten and freak you out.
 
 
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