Postcards From Hell
Erika Engelhaupt, Science Journalist & Editor
“I wanted to go back to some of the ancient roots of what we think of hell as now. I started off with ancient Greek and Roman legends and the places they saw as portals to the underworld.”
Photo Courtesy of Penguin Random House
Photo Courtesy of Penguin Random House
Photo Courtesy of Penguin Random House
Throughout history and all around the world, people have long imagined some form of hell or underworld. It's written about in literature, shows up on the silver screen, and even travel destinations.
This episode is about Postcards From Hell, the scary places and spaces made up of awe-inspiring sights in the natural world, from lakes of fiery lava to dark caves and deep pools.
Erika Engelhaupt is a science journalist and editor. Her latest work, Nat Geo’s Go to Hell" - A Traveler's Guide to Earth's Most Otherworldly Destinations takes readers on a journey to more than 50 mysterious and mythical places.
Photo Courtesy of Penguin Random House
Engelhaupt has a smart and thoughtful approach to all things macabre, as she highlights hellscapes from all over the world. She invites readers to experience the chills and thrills offered by devilish destinations including spots in Turkey, Italy, Israel, and Japan, just to name a few.
She explains why the book begins in Greece with the Acheron, or “river of woe.” It sets the overall tone for people searching for doorways or pathways to an underworld of dark and shadowy places.
Engelhaupt explains the origin of Halloween to a cave in Ireland. To most, it appears to be a little hole in the ground. However, it is the entrance to a fantastic hidden cavernous world of pitch black. She talks about the “otherworld,” a land filled with supernatural beings.
From fire, darkness, to portals to spiritual worlds, Engelhaupt delights readers and listeners alike with tales of hells on Earth.
Photo Courtesy of Penguin Random House
Whether visiting a castle in Czechia, which was built to clog up a hole to hell, or stumbling upon a trapdoor to darkness deep in the heart of Pennsylvania, Engelhaupt teaches us a big life lesson—the scary spots are usually steeped in history, there may be a scientific reason for its fear factor, and there is also a good chance it is filled will beauty (think bioluminescent glowworms).
