The History of Fear Podcast with Ellen Pompeo cover art

The History of Fear

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The History of Fear

By: Francis Nenik
Narrated by: Ellen Pompeo
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About this listen

The history of mankind is riddled with fear. Fear of terrible forces of nature and dangerous new technology. Fear of revolutionary ideologies and supposedly ominous numbers. Inventors in the 19th century patented dozens of “safety coffins” with notification devices like bells and hollow tubes, so that anyone afraid of being buried alive could rest easy. In 1999, ordinary citizens went to great lengths to guard against an apocalypse they feared would strike at midnight on the new year. Some of these fears still exist today, while others have been lost to history.

In The History of Fear, we go on a journey through time, through the collective fears of entire eras and countries, and trace the often terrifying and strange roots of those fears all the way to where they give us goosebumps today. Written by German author Francis Nenik and narrated by actress Ellen Pompeo, this series is sure to surprise you, intrigue you, and make your heart beat just a little bit faster.

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Episodes
  • Trailer

    Trailer
    Oct 12 2023

    The history of mankind is riddled with fear. Fear of terrible forces of nature and dangerous new technology. Fear of revolutionary ideologies and supposedly ominous numbers. Inventors in the 19th century patented dozens of “safety coffins” with notification devices like bells and hollow tubes, so that anyone afraid of being buried alive could rest easy. In 1999, ordinary citizens went to great lengths to guard against an apocalypse they feared would strike at midnight on the new year. Some of these fears still exist today, while others have been lost to history.

    In The History of Fear, we go on a journey through time, through the collective fears of entire eras and countries, and trace the often terrifying and strange roots of those fears all the way to where they give us goosebumps today. Written by German author Francis Nenik and narrated by actress Ellen Pompeo, this series is sure to surprise you, intrigue you, and make your heart beat just a little bit faster.
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    1 min
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  • Episode 1: The Fear of Bacteria

    Episode 1: The Fear of Bacteria
    Oct 12 2023
    At the turn of the 20th century, kissing loses its innocence. Germs are everywhere, especially the mouth. They have always been here, but with the rise of bacteriology, people must suddenly contend with a new world full of tiny, invisible enemies.
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    57 mins
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  • Episode 2: The Fear of Friday the 13th

    Episode 2: The Fear of Friday the 13th
    Oct 12 2023
    Friday the 13th is statistically a day like any other. In the eyes of many people, however, it is the unluckiest day of the year. But where does this fear come from?
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    48 mins
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About the Creator

Francis Nenik is the pseudonym of a German historian and writer considered "one of the great unknowns in German-language literature." Nenik has written numerous nonfiction books, novels, and radio plays. His works have won several awards and have been translated into English and other languages.

Ellen Pompeo
Additional Details

About the Performer

Actress and producer Ellen Pompeo is best known for her role as Meredith Grey on the hit ABC series Grey’s Anatomy, which continues to be ABC's highest-rated television drama. She also serves as an executive producer on the show and has earned a Golden Globe nomination and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her work on it.
Pompeo has several projects in development through her banner Calamity Jane Entertainment, including Untitled Orphan Project, an upcoming limited series for Hulu that she will star in and executive produce. Pompeo's first foray into podcasting was with her show Tell Me for Cadence13, where she interviewed guests like Melinda Gates, Malcolm Gladwell, Martha Stewart, Adam Grant, and more.
Pompeo strongly believes in the need to improve health equity in the United States and has focused on investing in startups that align with that mission.

The Production Team

Executive produced by: Ben Fawkes, Rachel Hamburg, and Ellen Pompeo
Produced by: Eva Krysiak and Ben Fawkes
Editorial by: Eva Krysiak and Nina Sauerland
Translated from the original German by: Sharmila Cohen
Post production, original music, and sound design by: Nils Gradlowsky
Engineered by: Rich Isaac from Clean Cuts
Edited by: Sharif Youssef
Mixed and mastered by: Nils Gradlowsky
Special thanks to: Lisa Hintelmann, Rachel Kiwi, Zoe Kuhlkin, Amor Yates, Mariela Ferrer, Aja Pilar Simpson, and Blair Preiss.

All stars
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I’m not a big fan of such audible I’m more interested in dramatized-type. But when I finished one of this series,I can’t help myself keep listening to it… The stories are gorgeous.

Good story!

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This has very interesting topics, is well done, and I would listen to it again probably. I hope they make another series maybe. I like that you get to learn about history, the occult, and many other things all in one podcast.

Super interesting

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This podcast is extremely interesting and informative. Please continue this podcast. Love it .

Very interesting

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The "fear" thread is a bit loose, but I really enjoyed this. Each episode is a well-researched slice of history that focuses on details that have often been obscured or just plain forgotten. I particularly enjoyed the witchcraft and flying machine episodes.

An entertaining grab-bag of history

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"The History of Fear" is a fascinating story. I learned so much from it. the narration and storytelling were gripping. I will probably listen to it again.

Fascinating and entertaining

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Absolutely loved the entire series, great ambient sounds and an amazing narrator. I really wish they'd add more episodes

Awesome narration!

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I love little bits of randomness- this short podcast selects topics of societal fear and creates an easy to follow dialog about what happened and why. Kept my attention- I finished all in one day. Very entertaining.

Entertaining and Informative

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It's the story of Salem, basically. Not quite the reason for "fear of witches". If you're interested in learning more about that tragedy, listen to Witch (BBC 4). It's a great podcast about the trials and the witch hunts beginning.

Well...

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