

MonsterTalk
Blake Smith
MonsterTalk: The Science Show About Monsters is a free audio podcast that critically examines the science behind cryptozoological (and legendary) creatures, such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, or werewolves.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 30, 2019 • 1h 29min
Skinwalker Ranch Dressing
This is Patreon Bonus content edited slightly for the regular MonsterTalk feed. (Expect more of this content thanks to the generous support of our Patrons.) This episode is a deep dive into the Skinwalker Ranch mystery and a discussion of the new documentary, Hunt for the Skinwalker. Dr. Jeb Card (Spooky Archaeology) joins me for the discussion.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Jan 29, 2019 • 1h 11min
Teaching with Monsters
In episode 182 of MonsterTalk, we are delighted to introduce Dr. Thor Hansen to listeners. For several years he’s been teaching a course at Western Washington University that uses monsters to teach science. I think you’re going to enjoy what he’s been up to — and I know some of you may want to reach out to him about similar projects or check out his course online. Listen to MonsterTalk via iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, TuneIn, and Stitcher. Get the MonsterTalk Podcast App for iOS, Android, and Windows.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Dec 25, 2018 • 30min
The Monkey’s Paw
For the Annual MonsterTalk Christmas Special, Blake Smith reads The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs. Read the episode notesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Dec 25, 2018 • 52min
La Corriveau
In this episode of MonsterTalk, we’re joined by historian Joseph Gagne to discuss the many legends and interesting facts about one of Quebec’s most legendary historical figures. Witch? Murderer? Whatever she was in life, her story has seeded hundreds of legends and fictions. Read the episode notesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Dec 18, 2018 • 1h 12min
Ghosts, Gears, Gadgets and Golems
Peter Bebergal studied religion and culture at Harvard Divinity School, and is the author of the new book Strange Frequencies, which chronicles many of the ways people have sought to use technology to transcend the mundane to reach the numinous. We talk about the ways people have used (and continue to use) technology in fringe research, art, entertainment, and in pursuit of revelation. Listen to MonsterTalk via iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, TuneIn, and Stitcher. Get the MonsterTalk Podcast App for iOS, Android, and Windows. Read the episode notesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Nov 30, 2018 • 1h 18min
Monsters and Folklore of the Balkans
In this episode of MonsterTalk, we are joined by Christopher Klimovitz in a wide-ranging discussion of the history and monstrous folklore of the Balkans. From ghosts and vampires to fairies and Baba Yaga, this region has been fractured by war but bound together with stories. Listen to MonsterTalk via iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, TuneIn, and Stitcher. Get the MonsterTalk Podcast App for iOS, Android, and Windows. Read the episode notesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Nov 26, 2018 • 1h 16min
The Bunyip Seal of Approval
In this episode, we go down to the billabong to look for a monster indigenous to Australian folklore and myth — but perhaps with a foot (-er flipper?) in the real world: The Bunyip. We are joined by cultural history professional Paul-Michael Donovan for a fascinating look at the legend (and a possible non-monstrous explanation) for this famous chimeric creek critter. Listen to MonsterTalk via iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, TuneIn, and Stitcher. Get the MonsterTalk Podcast App for iOS, Android, and Windows. Read the episode notesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Nov 12, 2018 • 1h 15min
Appalachian Monsters
Asher Elbein and Tiffany Turrill join us to talk about monsters and folklore of Appalachia. Their new project about fictional witch Anna O’Brien draws heavily from authentic folklore of this storied region of the United States. Read the episode notesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Oct 30, 2018 • 49min
Big Footprints, Big Voice — Wild Thing
Bigfoot nests, the Patterson-Gimlin film, DNA testing — it’s all new to journalist and former NPR producer Laura Krantz. She’s digging into the world of Bigfoot in the popular new podcast Wild Thing, and she joins MonsterTalk to discuss what it’s like to walk into the strange world of cryptozoology as an outsider. Listen to MonsterTalk via iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, TuneIn, and Stitcher. Get the MonsterTalk Podcast App for iOS, Android, and Windows. Read the episode notesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Oct 29, 2018 • 1h 21min
MT/AF Cross-Over 3: Attack of the Killer Tangents
Our third annual cross-over event with the Archy Fantasies Podcast features our combined efforts to find movies which highlight a theme familiar to listeners - and in keeping with our respective shows’ motifs. You’ll find ghosts, mummies, curses and plagues a plenty. We hope you enjoy it. Read the episode notesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.