Episodes

  • S05E16 Greenland Sharks with Greg Skomal

    S05E16 Greenland Sharks with Greg Skomal
    Jan 26 2026
    We are joined by author and researcher Greg Skomal to talk about the mysterious and long-lived Greenland Shark.

    Books by Greg:
    Chasing Shadows: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Great White Shark - Greg's book about Great Whites

    The Shark Handbook 3rd Edition: The Essential Guide for Understanding the Sharks of the World by Greg Skomal

    The Great White Shark Handbook

    Additional online reading:

    Greenland Shark

    Cookie Cutter Shark

    Ommatokoita - the eye parasite endemic to Greenland Sharks

    New paper on the visual system of Greenland Sharks (Jan 2026) suggests the parasites don't make the sharks blind, despite longstanding belief that they must.

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    Some product links may be affiliated with Amazon revenue sharing.
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    48 mins
  • S05E15 Ghosted with Alice Vernon

    S05E15 Ghosted with Alice Vernon
    Jan 19 2026
    In this episode we talk with Dr. Alice Vernon about her fascinating look at the history of ghost hunting and psychical research, from the late 19th century to today.

    Ghosted: A History of Ghost Hunting, and Why We Keep Looking (Affiliate Link)

    Night Terrors: Troubled Sleep and the Stories we Tell About It

    Ghostwatch (wikipedia) - (our previous coverage)

    The Society for Psychical Research (UK)

    Most Haunted (wikipedia)

    The Haunting of Borley Rectory - the text of this critical book appears to be on the Harry Price website.

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    51 mins
  • S05E14 The Case of the Missing Thunderbird Photo

    S05E14 The Case of the Missing Thunderbird Photo
    Jan 12 2026
    Blake and Karen discuss the legendary photo said to capture 19th century cowboys or soldiers with a giant bird or pterosaur.

    SHOW NOTE LINKS:

    The original Tombstone Epitaph article about the winged creature

    Karl Shuker's blogged several times on the Thunderbird Photo and wrote a eulogy for Mark Chovinsky, author of a thorough Strange Magazine article about the Thunderbird photo.

    Ivan T. Sanderson figures into the story prominently. Kevin J. Guhl has written an extensive article about this.

    I think all the researchers - the serious researchers - are converging on the "False Memory" hypothesis to explain this story.

    However, debates about the photo continue.

    Some of the online photos were promotional photos for Freaky Links TV show.

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    40 mins
  • S05E13 - Liminal Space Invaders

    S05E13 - Liminal Space Invaders
    Jan 5 2026
    We talk with journalist Lana Hall about her piece The Dead Mall Society, which details her journey to decaying malls in the Toronto area in search of Liminal Spaces.

    Liminality (Wikipedia)

    Victor Turner: Liminality and Communitas (PDF)

    The Liminality Project (blog)

    Liminal Space (Wikipedia)

    The Backrooms CreepyPasta (Wikipedia)

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    45 mins
  • S05E12 The Secret History of Lizard People

    S05E12 The Secret History of Lizard People
    Dec 29 2025
    Friend of the show Dr. Joe Laycock returns to talk about LIZARD PEOPLE with us. He also has a new book: The Penguin Book of Cults

    Joe's Books:
    Penguin Book of Cults (publisher) (amazon affiliate link)
    The Exorcist Effect: Horror, Religion, and Demonic Belief (affiliate link)

    Other topics of discussion:
    Shadow Kingdom
    Brotherhood of the White Temple
    Shaver Mysteries
    Kull
    Dark Shadows (Soap Opera) "Leviathan" storyline
    The Naga who wanted to be a priest
    Serpent People
    Aum Shenrikyo Japanese death cult
    Skeptoid looks at famous rumor that Aum Shenrikyo had a nuclear bomb
    The Secret Rulers of the World - Jon Ronson (YouTube)
    V - the Mini Series

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    51 mins
  • Christmas Special #13 - The Mezzotint by M. R. James

    Christmas Special #13 - The Mezzotint by M. R. James
    Dec 22 2025
    It took a minute but I finally managed to read one of these "live" to my own family for the holidays. This is such an evocative story that I wanted to add a little art to the mix. I really want to put together a slow but detailed "animated gif" that goes through the cycles of the print as described in the tale - and maybe I'll get around to that at some point.

    But for now here is some really nice artwork that captures the ideas of the tale in gothic majesty.

    This piece is by Catherine Gogerty. (link to her work)
    In 1986, the BBC ran a series featuring Robert Powell reading ghost stories. The episode featuring The Mezzotint included creepy illustrations such as this:
    I've been unable to track that series down, but the illustration is quite chilling. Artist Richard Svensson produced this remarkable and evocative work - which is available in his self-published collection of M. R. James inspired images. Some previews from that set look really great over at DeviantArt.
    Finally - UK artist Rich Johnson has a lovely set of James inspired images that generally aspire to haunt without beating you over the head with explicitness.

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    34 mins
  • S05E11 Ghostly Encounters with Richard Estep

    S05E11 Ghostly Encounters with Richard Estep
    Dec 15 2025
    Blake and Karen visit again with Colorado author of paranormal and true crime, Richard Estep. Richard's Books

    discussed in this episode:
    Ghostly Encounters

    The Horrors of Fox Hollow Farm

    Mothman: Sightings and Investigations of the Iconic Flying Cryptid

    Help is on the Way (pre-order for Feb 2026 Richard's memoir of being a paramedic)

    Monsters: Myths, Legends and Real Encounters (pre-order March 2026)

    Additional Links:The Hamlyn Book of Ghosts (affiliate)

    The Haunting of Borley Rectory: The Story of a Ghost Story by Sean O'Connor (affiliate)

    The World's Greatest Ghosts book that Karen remembered from her youth

    BBC's 2025 Ghost Story for Christmas







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    49 mins
  • S05E10_Monstertalk

    S05E10_Monstertalk
    Dec 8 2025
    Episode Summary: In this episode, hosts Blake Smith and Dr. Karen Stollznow catch up on recent headlines and new literature. First, Blake discusses a "ripped from the headlines" update regarding the 2014 Slender Man stabbing case. We revisit the tragic story of Morgan Geyser, her recent escape from a halfway house, and the media’s handling of the mental health and transgender aspects of the story.

    Later, Karen reviews a pre-publication copy of the upcoming book How to Build a Haunted House: The History of a Cultural Obsession by Caitlin Blackwell Baines. Does the book provide a blueprint for creating ghosts, or is it a cultural tour of famous haunts? Karen breaks down the architectural history, the folklore, and where the book lands on the spectrum of skepticism.

    Key Topics
    • Shout-outs for the Cryptid and Godzilla Advent calendars.
    • Slenderman Segment:
    • Recap of the 2014 Waukesha stabbing (MonsterTalk Ep #86).
    • Morgan Geyser’s conditional release and subsequent escape attempt.
    • A critical look at the prison industrial complex, mental health care in the US, and the current moral panic surrounding transgender individuals in media coverage.

    • Book Review Segment: How to Build a Haunted House (Coming April 2026).
    • A review of the book for the Society for Psychical Research (SPR).
    • Analysis of the Myrtles Plantation, Borley Rectory, and the Winchester Mystery House.

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    49 mins