MonsterTalk

S05E17 - America Bewitched with Owen Davies (part 1)

In part one of our two-part interview with Owen Davies, we discuss the history of witch trials, accusations, murder, and other troubles bubbling up from post-Salem accusations in America. In part two, next week, we will continue the discussion with thoughtful considerations of the meaning of witch and how it can be an identity or an accusation.  Be sure and catch both parts of this fascinating chat. Some related viewing/reading:A curious case of Black Magic in NorfolkBlake's article about the "PA Hex Hollow" murders (Skeptoid #996)Books by Owen*:Grimoires: A History of Magic BooksPopular Magic: Cunning-folk in English HistoryMagic: A Very Short IntroductionFolklore: A journey through the past and present (with Ceri Houlbrook)The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft and Magic America Bewitched: The Story of Witchcraft After Salem*We use Amazon affiliate links for books when availableBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.Some product links may be affiliated with Amazon revenue sharing.

S05E16 Greenland Sharks with Greg Skomal

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 SkomalThe Great White Shark HandbookAdditional online reading:Greenland SharkCookie Cutter Shark Ommatokoita - the eye parasite endemic to Greenland SharksNew 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. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.Some product links may be affiliated with Amazon revenue sharing.

S05E15 Ghosted with Alice Vernon

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 ItGhostwatch (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.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.Some product links may be affiliated with Amazon revenue sharing.

S05E14 The Case of the Missing Thunderbird Photo

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 creatureKarl 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.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.Some product links may be affiliated with Amazon revenue sharing.

S05E13 - Liminal Space Invaders

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)Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.Some product links may be affiliated with Amazon revenue sharing.