Mysteries and Monsters

Alaska is vast, remote, and indifferent to human comfort. It's a place where the wilderness stretches unbroken for hundreds of miles, where the nights last for months, and where the line between the known and the unexplainable grows thin. In Stranger Alaska, the tenth book in the acclaimed Stranger series, paranormal investigator and 40-year field researcher John Olsen collects the most chilli...

It's a warm welcome back to our good friend Jason Offutt as we head on the hunt for some of the worlds more overlooked cryptids from around the world. From Asia to South America, Antarctica to Australia, the rest of the world is not left behind some of the more well known areas of cryptid hotspots and it seems they've some of the weirdest members of Team Cryptid we've ever heard about. Jason'...

In Philip Mantle's new book, he looks back at 5 decades of involvement in the field of Ufology from his first tentative steps joining the Yorkshire UFO Society in 1980, to lecturing across the world in the 1990s, some of his favourite overlooked cases and much more. Philip takes us on a journey that saw him visit several notable locations both here and abroad and how he sees his career investi...

As a special bonus, the lovely team at Crossed Wires recorded the live show in July at their Festival and I was delighted to be joined by my good friend, Dr David Clarke. We covered some of our local cases of high strangeness that David found himself involved in during his time working at the Sheffield Star. Thanks to everyone who came to see us and the team at Crossed Wires for inviting me. ...

Clare's debut two part book is a landmark exploration of modern pixie and piskie encounters in Devon and Cornwall, blending folklore research, contemporary testimonies, mythic ecology, and West Country fairy traditions. Ideal for readers seeking authentic British fairy lore, real‑world faerie experiences, and the living traditions of Pixieland, Clare explains her genesis on this journey in to ...

Author and lover of all things cryptid Luke Phillips returns on this show to discuss his double release of two fantastic new books, his marine monster thriller "Dark Tides" and his collection of terrifying horror short stories "Werewolves and Wildmen" which have both been released in the last month. We discuss the real life encounters that inspired both books and how the history of sea monster...

Filmmakers Tim Whittard and Paul Cowmeadow join me on this episode as we head out in to the South West of England on the trail of all kinds of Fortean mysteries. From out of place big cats, to King Arthur, Haunted locations, the Holy Grail and two of Britain's most notorious serial killers, there is something for everyone in this overlooked area of the UK.. The Fortean Film Festival can be fou...

This episode we look back at centuries of dark folklore, lost legends, and the wild inspirations behind Bram Stoker's immortal classic. Volcanic cataclysms, secret aristocratic scandals, mysterious societies, and ominous landscapes all converge to cast their spell. Historian Steven J. Rolfes guides us through a web of real events, eccentric creators, and uncanny myths that shaped and informed S...

Flying Saucers, Unidentified Flying Objects, Unidentified Anomalous Objects, Foo Fighters, Ghost Rockets, Phantom Airships, Chariots of the Gods whatever you call them strange things have haunted our skies since the dawn of time. Are they invaders from outer space as imagined in Hollywood movies? Are they the product of psychological, sociological, and cultural factors? Are they nonterrestrial ...

The Wild Hunt has stalked the folklore of Britain and the wider world for centuries, while a ghostly gallery of lone huntsmen continue to haunt the fields and hedgerows. From prehistory to the modern age, Hugh Williams joins me as he follows the ride of the Wild Hunt to the Midlands of England where amid its history, traditions and landscape a host of spectral hunters emerge. Hugh's website a...

In the world of the Fae, one term strikes fear in to humans that find themselves tangled up in the mysterious ways of the Fae, The Fairy Court, held by both the Unseelie and Seelie Fairy's and both with no guarantee you'll get your freedom back! The Seelie and Unseelie courts have become a staple in fiction and a common idea in pop culture, yet their origins and how they were and are understoo...

As above, so below. Soon, the unseen will put on a show. We measure the world with finite concepts such as up and down, left and right, dark and light, north and south, and so on. In this reality of many realities, our world is a quantum leap beyond our perceptions, so vast that it is understandable that we should feel safer mapping our perceptual plot of land in the universe. It is when we sp...

From upright-walking apes to goatmen and beasts that resemble werewolves, our world seems rife with a host of frightening forms that occasionally cross paths with everyday people. Known as cryptids, these mysterious creatures may defy scientific explanation, yet they have been reported by countless credible witnesses who stand behind their experience. Joining me to share some of the first hand...

In his latest book, Paranormal and UFO researcher Malcolm Robinson has compiled a diverse collection of strange and paranormal testimonies from across the globe. These accounts cover everything from children's 'imaginary friends' and 'time slips' to near-death experiences, as well as UFO sightings and abductions from around the world. Malcolm shares some of the encounters in book as well discu...

It's been far too long since we journeyed to the East Yorkshire coast to catch up with our good friend, Paul Sinclair but on this episode we make up for lost time. Paul updates on some new encounters and cases, strange eye witness testimonies, unusual lights in the skies and on the ground, mysterious figures seen at night and some unnerving sightings of strange creatures. As always, you can f...

What if a quiet seaside pub held secrets that defied time, logic, and belief? In Paranormal Perspectives: The Royal Oak Investigations, paranormal researcher Ashley Knibb takes readers on a chilling, deeply personal journey through more than a decade of ghostly encounters, unexplained phenomena, and life-altering revelations at a historic English pub. Ashley joins me to discuss his investigati...

For centuries, the Sámi people have preserved their spiritual traditions across the Arctic regions of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia's Kola Peninsula. Mythology of the Sámi (Minorities within Minorities) brings together the rich tapestry of Sámi spiritual traditions, revealing the profound differences between the various Sámi cultures that outsiders often fail to recognize. From the wester...

This week, we venture to a place of mystery, myth, legend and spirituality, Japan. With a rich tapestry of the supernatural, animism, Yokei, urban myth and true fortean cases and creatures, the acceptance of the unusual in Japanese culture is a refreshing change to hum drum attitudes that hold the conversation back. Joining me to look in to some of the myriad aspects of strangeness is Kevin O...

It's a very warm welcome back to author and spiritual medium, Antoinette "Tiyi" Schippers to dive into her latest book, "Grace in the Cabin" in which she shares the unsettling experiences they came across at a family fishing cabin located in rural Wisconsin. What started as a dream location very quickly revealed itself to be far darker than anyone in the family presumed as all manner of unsett...

Atlantis Through Time is the first book to chart the fascinating cultural history of Atlantis from its origin in Plato's dialogues to its strange and compelling rebirths in pop culture, occultism, and fantasy. Rather than treating Atlantis as either hoax or truth, Sian Ingham takes the myth on its own imaginative terms, showing how different generations have used the legend to reflect their hop...

Where better to celebrate 400 episodes than a trip to one of the most haunted locations in the world and its suburbs, Edinburgh! Joining me to discuss some of the stories included in his latest book "Lothan Region Terror Tales" is author, musician, investigator and ghost walk guide, John Tantalon. With a lifetime love of the supernatural, John is a natural storyteller and shares some of his f...

It's a warm welcome back to the Fortean Times dynamic television reviewing duo, Stu Neville and Ruth Morris as we dive in to the strange and often frustrating world of Fortean Television. What's been on their must watch, which shows seem to be repackaged boring old cases and which show seems to contradict itself reporting on a case they've already solved several years ago and where has this my...

Noted expert of the strange Jeff Belanger is your guide to all that’s local and strange as he joins me to discuss his new book, "Wicked Strange", a journey and a celebration of all the things that make New England like no other place on earth. In a time when so much of the world is becoming homogenized—as big-box stores and chain restaurants move in and so many communities lose their identity—...

After ten books, it's finally the end of the saurian trail. Newspapers of the Old West frequently chronicled encounters with large, reptilian creatures that sound suspiciously like remnant dinosaurs and which align with some modern-day cryptid encounters. This volume gets down to the nitty-gritty to explore which of those stories were true, revisiting classic cases like the Tombstone Thunderbir...

Adena: Mound Builders of the Ohio Valley is a richly detailed, accessible exploration of one of North America’s earliest mound-building societies. Drawing on archaeology, early surveys, and modern research, this book traces the rise of the Adena people from scattered Woodland communities into a tradition defined by monumental earthworks, long-distance exchange networks, and complex ceremonial l...

This week, the north of England is our destination as I am delighted to welcome author and the host of the marvellous How Haunted podcast, Rob Kirkup to the show. Rob's had a long fascination with the paranormal and takes us to some of his favourite locations around the northern counties of England to the site of his first live ghost hunt, the reason a town changed its name and one of the most...

We catch up with Mike Familant, a Producer and Lead Investigator from New Jersey, as he recounts his journey in uncovering the truth about North America's most renowned cryptid, Bigfoot. Known by various names such as Sasquatch, Grassman, Skunk Ape, or Big Red Eye, this elusive bipedal hominid has been the focus of Mike's extensive research for over 15 years, during which he has gathered signif...

When a loved one goes missing, families find themselves in a terrible position. They are overcome with worry and stress. Their life as they once lived has completely changed forever.  After filing reports with police and frantically searching for their loved one, a sort of shell-shocked state sets in as  time goes by and the investigation goes colder. Joining me to discuss their work as part o...

Are ETs healing humans?In his landmark book, The Healing Power of UFOs, leading UFO researcher, Preston Dennett, presents a fascinating compilation of more than 300 cases of people who have been healed by extraterrestrials. Supported by firsthand eyewitness testimonies, stretching back more than 100 years to the present day, coming from across the United States and the world, this book proves t...

We welcome back author Jason Offutt to the show as we head on the hunt for some of America's more unusual cryptids from states all over the country, from mysterious creatures in Lake Iliamna to strange flying creatures, Odd reptilians and some unusual creatures that don't seem to fit in anywhere. Jason's books can be found here: (https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AJason%2BOffutt...

In September 1961, an incident occurred that still resonates throughout Ufology to this day and that is of course the Betty and Barney Hill incident. What seemed like a regular journey home turned into an event that confounded their friends and family. Joining me to discuss the legacy of the case and the additional information and evidence the case provided is the wonderful Kathleen Marden, ni...

We return to the world of Cryptids this episode as I welcome author, Bigfoot enthusiast, experiencer and host of the brilliant Sasquatch Odyssey Brian King-Sharp to the show. Brian had a childhood encounter with something that escorted him out of the woods and despite a professional respite when serving as a Police Officer, the lure of Bigfoot has pulled him back to the subject. His show is a...

It's a warm welcome back to W G Gilbert on this episode as we head to Ireland on the hunt for some of its lesser known cases and hauntings that he's covered in his latest installment in the Hidden Haunts series. A richly woven collection of encounters that transcend the usual cliches about Irelands haunted history is once again presented in Wayne's lyrical style as we visit all points of the c...

The Pine Tree State awaits us on this episode as I welcome author and researcher Nomar Slevik to the show for the first time. Nomar and I discuss a variety of cases covering UFOs, Cryptids, Ghosts, Missing People and one of the creepiest Dogman encounters ever recorded. With Stephen Kings legacy seemingly around every corner, Nomar guides us around some the unusual cases as well as some of hi...

This episode I welcome Kate Rae to the show to dive into her love of the Fae and Folklore and the paranormal whilst also looking at one of Nottinghamshire's strangest cases, that of the Wollaton Gnomes. Kate and I discuss her overcoming her paranormal fears, embracing the weird and her fascination with the Wollaton case and how it almost seems to have called to her throughout the years. You c...

On this episode, we travel the globe on the hunt for some of the most dangerous vegetation in the world, the plants that view humans as prey: you’ll be meeting such fearsome plants as the Man-Eating Tree of Madagascar, the Vampire Vine of Nicaragua and the Terrible Tiger Tree of India! Joining me to dive in to this cavalcade of Boys Own Adventure stories on a whole different level is our good ...

This episode I welcome author and Bigfoot enthusiast Kevin LeStarge to the show to dive into his fascination with the legendary cryptid. Kevin grew up in Wisconsin and has always had a fascination with Sasquatch, which has led him to go on many expeditions across the country seeking the great mystery. Kevin shares life lessons he’s learned through friendship, exploration, the power of patience...

Back in 2020, I had an opportunity to speak with renowned Ufologist Peter Robbins, but once the interview had concluded, when I went to find the file, it was seemingly corrupted. That was until last weekend, when searching for something else, I stumbled across the actual edited show that I had done, and clearly misfiled back in October 2020. So as a Christmas bonus for you all, here is that l...

Ruth Roper Wylde's databases have been mentioned on our previous converstations over the years, but we've never discussed some of the trends, facts and peculiarities of the date Ruth has collated. In the Paranormal community, certain cliches, tropes and bad information often gets trotted out. Nobody sees modern ghosts, all Black Dog encounters are frightening, nobody sees the Fae anymore and s...

For the most part, the investigation of strange events or an alleged haunted site can cause many to be excited, intrigued and even mystified by strange sounds, snatched glimpses of figures and movements in the corner of your eye. Yet, even the most experienced researcher and investigtors have a line in the sand for their fear factor and Steve Mera returns to discuss some of the occasions that ...

We head to Asia today as I welcome authors Komal Salman and Shaherzaad Laila to the show to discuss their fantastic new book "Heartstrings of the Kyhber - A Collection of Pashto Folktales". This collection of stories has been published in English for the first time thanks to the diligent work of Komal and Shaherzaad in locating, researching and translating these wonderful stories for our enjoy...

October 20th 1967 is a day burned in to most lovers of Bigfoot as the day everything changed with 59 seconds of footage of alleged undiscovered hominid striding through Bluff Creek in California. For the two men who caught that footage, Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin, life would never be the same again and in his new film, Bigfoot Enterprises: The Trueish Adventures of Patterson and Gimlin, di...

It's a warm welcome back to author, journalist, creator and film critic, Peter Laws as we delve in to his love of the supernatural and his stellar YouTube channel, Into The Fog. We touch on some cases, the power of belief, the reluctance to come forward and the perils of dealing with the supernatural in an every day situation. Peter's channel can be found here: (https://www.youtube.com/@IntoT...

Some of Texas's strangest locations await us tonight as head out on the hunt for some of its overlooked haunted locations and sights of high strangeness inside it's borders. Joining me as our guide around the lone star state is the marvellous Adam Lynch, host of Houston Strange and co-host of Weekly Creep with his wife Dulce! We visit the site of America's largest loss of life through natural...

In 1977, the quiet island of Colares, Brazil, became the center of one of the most astonishing UFO investigations in history. Known as Operation Saucer, this secret Brazilian Air Force mission documented strange lights, unexplained burns, and encounters that terrified an entire community. Now in his new book, MUFON Brazil's International Director, Thiago Ticchetti has compiled an extensive ove...

On this episode, we dive in to the mysterious cases from around the world of allegedly fatal attacks by Cryptids. From infamous Sea Serpent attacks, the mystery of the Lusca, Brain eating bears in Africa and probably the most famous cryptid serial killer ever from France. Returning to share these stories with us is our good friend Richard Freeman. Richard's books can be found here: (https://w...

It's a warm welcome back to the show for the wonderful Dr Kate Cherrell. We catch up with her to discuss the success of her recent gothic fiction novel "Begotten", her continued adventures in graveyards around the UK, celebrity seances and the preservation of a county's heritage and accents along with ghosts and ghouls. The book can be found here: (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Begotten-Gothic-Nove...

It's a warm welcome back to Ruth Roper Wylde as we dive in to a selection of new experiences that feature in the upcoming sixth volume of These Haunted Times. We've a collection of witness accounts from a trio of haunted hospitals from around the UK along with an intriguing animal ghost encounter as well. Ruth also tells us about a few recent ghost hunts along with some unusual haunts as well....

As long as there has been a movement in the corner of your eye, a strange noise in the dark, or a chilling feeling in your stomach, there have been ghost stories. In her latest book, Ghostlore, Icy Sedwick collects 50 of the worlds most unusual hauntings to chill our blood at any time of the year. We cover a few from international borders, from Australia to South Africa and an unusual collecti...

Travel puts us all in liminal spaces. But despite many practitioners' affinity for spaces betwixt and between, these areas have many practical and magickal dilemmas. A Traveler's Guide to Making Magic provides templates and examples for practicing in a broad range of locations and circumstances. Lisa McSherry provides an experienced and insightful guide for modern practitioners seeking to inco...