What are the most important features of an urban legend?
As stated on p. 10 of The Vanishing Hitchhiker: “a strong basic story-appeal, a foundation in actual belief, and a meaningful message or ‘moral’.” I still agreee with myself, as expressed back in 1981. It’s also necessary to say that any legends are “too good to be true,” that is, unverified and too coincidental to be taken as literal truth.
