Richard Hatem's Paranormal Bookshelf

“ I had heard of poltergeists – the spirit of a dead person causing some sort of disturbance in the house where the person resided before dying. For the first time I faced the real possibility that the source of all that had been happening could be my son – dead, but still living.” In this episode, travel with Richard Hatem to – “The Other Side” by Bishop James A. Pike, with Diane Kennedy. This bo...

This isn’t your typical Christmas story—but it is a Christmas story: one that delves into second chances, goodwill towards humanity, ghosts, and hope. And it’s true. Tonight, Richard Hatem brings you one of the strangest and most captivating tales he’s ever heard in Surgeon from Another World by George Chapman and Roy Stemman. It begins with a father’s devastating loss: at 25, George Chapman’s fou...

As a special treat, Richard shares with you a sample of what's happening on his Patreon feed —an interview with Turkish ufologist Farah Yurdozu.  If you recognize the name, it's because she is the author of Love In An Alien Purgatory — The Life and Fantastic Art of David Huggins, which was featured on Episode 2 of Richard Hatem's Paranormal Bookshelf.    In this wide-ranging conversation, Richard...

Losing your virginity, bargain-bin paperbacks, and phone calls from beyond the grave—just another summer in the life of Richard Hatem. This week, Richard dusts off one of his strangest books, Phone Calls From the Dead by D. Scott Rogo and Raymond Bayless. But before he cracks the spine, we a detour back to the summer of 1983—a tale of his teenage years, his friend Larry, his girlfriend Michelle, ...

What do screenwriting, first dates, and electronic voice phenomena (EVP) have in common? For a teenaged Richard Hatem in December of 1982, it was the book: Voices of the Dead? By Susy Smith. Richard discovered something mind-blowing: you didn’t have to go anywhere to find a ghost. You just need a tape recorder, fresh batteries, and some time. With this knowledge, the idea of ghost-hunting went fro...

“Our first instinct was just sheer disbelief. We were trying to tell ourselves that it couldn't be real. It couldn't be happening. But it was.”—The Mammoth Mountain Poltergeist by Jenny Ashford and Tom Ross In this episode, Richard dives into The Mammoth Mountain Poltergeist by Jenny Ashford and Tom Ross—a book that’s part childhood memoir, part full-throttle paranormal nightmare, and less than 15...

“The Saucers don’t interest me anymore. When Barker asked is that because you found out they were too ordinary to be interesting? Or because what you discovered about them is too painful for you to think about?”—They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers by Gray Barker Richard picked up They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers while trying to crack the adaptation of The Mothman Prophecies during a thr...

“As we sat there, watching, she transformed into this huge beastly creature, similar to what people might call a wolf. Right there in the middle of our church. It stood on hind legs and rode a roar that would’ve made a lion cower.”—Monsters Among Us by Linda Godfrey Are you the kind of person who thinks ‘roughing it’ means staying at a hotel without Wi-Fi? Then pour some champagne to get through t...

Join special guests, Scott Philbrook and Forrest Burgess from “Astonishing Legends” for Richard Hatem’s first-ever AMA!

Richard & Susan drop in with some important upcoming dates and announcements about all things RHPB, including a couple of SPECIAL UPCOMING EPISODES you’ll want to know about right away… Enjoy!

"Miracles may potentially occur when large crowds of people who share a similar worldview come together. Their combined faith and emotion may somehow become linked to the world around them. Miracles may be the result." – Miracles by D. Scott Rogo In the final episode of Season 1, journey with Richard as he navigates the tumultuous landscape of his career and personal life, all while finding solace...

“The exact same phenomenon can be investigated very differently depending on whether the investigator is a clergyman -- or a parapsychologist.” – Miracles by D. Scott Rogo By September 13th, 2001 the world was changing hourly. Richard gets a call that the execs at Touchstone want to "re-approach" the original outline that he had toiled over for weeks. This is the kind of news that could undo a wri...

“It is my hope to show in this book that the evidence authenticating the existence of miracles is indeed so strong that its collective falsehood would be, quite literally, miraculous." – Miracles by D. Scott Rogo All book people know this to be true: sometimes you find the book; sometimes the book finds you. And sometimes the book that you wanted to find got sold to someone in Delaware. The book t...

“I decide to do some investigating of my own. I don’t know it yet, but I’m about to begin one of the most complex investigations of my career.” –The Amityville Horror Conspiracy by Stephen Kaplan and Roxanne Salch Kaplan Can you imagine if Richard Hatem wrote the remake of the Amityville Horror? Well, stop imagining it now because it would have deeply offended Stephen Kaplan, the co-author of one...

"The tragic history of 112 Ocean Avenue didn't matter to George, Kathy, or their three children. This was still the home they had always wanted." – The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson You’ve probably heard of Love in the Time of Cholera…but what about love in the time of The Amityville Horror? In this episode, we're packing our lunch boxes and heading to Brightwood Elementary School in 1978. Join R...

"At first, he couldn't believe what was happening. A shape was beginning to form. He could clearly see the head and face of a man. O'Neil was gripped in fear. 'My God, who are you?' Bill said. He was more than surprised when the figure answered: 'They call me Doc Nick'." – from The Ghost of 29 Megacycles by John G. Fuller. Close your eyes and picture this: it's the winter of 1984. Karma Chameleon...

“Someone else knew about the circles! My breath jammed in my throat, and in a storm of terror I hurled the book across the room and fled from the house, too frightened to even say goodbye.”  – Dancing Past the Dark by Nancy Evans Bush Look, no one wants to think about dying, but it’s inevitable, right? So if we can’t talk about it, maybe reading a book about it will be better. Enter: Dancing Past...

Richard delves into challenging misconceptions held by both skeptics and believers through the lens of Jule Eisenbud's "The World of Ted Serios," which underscores the significance of caution in scientific inquiry while also exploring the debilitating doubt often encountered in paranormal exploration. “Certainly an attitude of caution and skepticism should be expected of anyone undertaking to test...

Richard reflects on his complicated courtship with his wife Susan Lambert, while taking us on guided tour through Farah Yurdozu's book of David Huggin's eerie paintings: Love In An Alien Purgatory. “Crescent’s night visits became a routine part of David’s life. She would visit him twice or three times a week. What David experienced with Crescent was much more than a “normal” sex dream. But he stil...

“Whether you believe in ghosts or not—these stories are true.” – Ghosts & Specters by Bruce and Nancy Roberts Being a kid can be scary.  In the premiere episode of Richard Hatem's Paranormal Bookshelf, Richard takes us on a nostalgic journey back to his childhood discovery of the book that changed everything.  Travel back to 1974 as he recounts the pivotal moment when Aunt Sally gifted him Gho...

“Go inside the mind of one of television and movies’ wildest storytellers…”   Richard Hatem's Paranormal Bookshelf is a podcast that feels like discovering a secret diary.  Every episode unravels the mysteries of a book from Richard's bookshelf and a story from Richard’s life, weaving together the excitement of the supernatural and the warmth of personal storytelling.