The Strange and Unusual Podcast

In this new, weekly addition to the podcast, The Strange and Unusual Headlines, we discuss an article from the San Francisco Chronicle in 1921: "Beware of Blue Eyes!” "More Alluring Than Grey or Brown Eyes, Declare the Doctors, Who Would Banish All Blondes, And Hide Blue Eyes Behind Smoked Glasses" Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection a...

Join me for Chapters 2-4 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Every other episode for the next few months, I will be reading Frankenstein for about an hour per episode. One traditional episode a month and one Frankenstein through the late autumn and into the winter. After finishing, there will be an episode on man-made monster, Mary Shelley, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use o...

Join me for to learn more about Victorian prowling ghosts, including the infamous Spring Heeled Jack Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me for a journey into the strange Victorian practice of Ghost Hoaxing. Starting with the death of Thomas Flynn, the mystery of the Hammersmith Ghost and it's origins is explored. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Here’s a special preview of the new season of Cautionary Tales from Pushkin Industries. On Cautionary Tales, bestselling author Tim Harford shares stories of human error, natural disasters, and tragic catastrophes from history that teach us important lessons for today. In this preview, you’ll hear about the 1981 Hyatt Regency Hotel collapse, a shocking design failure that resulted in 114 deaths an...

Join me for a revisit to Killer Green and some St Patrick's Day facts. Thank you for today's sponsors: Magic Spoon. Visit magicspoon.com and use promo code UNUSUAL Microdose Gummies. Visit microdosegummies and use promo code STRANGE Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

To end the year, please take a listen to Episode 18: A Haunting Winter, originally released on January 2, 2019. In this episode I explore the old tradition of telling ghost stories in the winter. The custom of telling winter’s tales is not known to most of us today, but it was custom that stretches back hundreds of years. And more often then not, these winter tales turned to horror.  The popularit...

In this episode, I discuss the Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian trend of ghost hoaxing and its motivations. Join me for part 1 on this old school, ghost cosplay. Visit the podcast website: thestrangeandunusualpodcast.com Instagram: @thestrangeandunusualpodcast Twitter: @thesandupodcast Thanks to this week's sponsor, Talkspace! Visit talkspace.com and use promo code STRANGE for $100 off. Hosted b...

Join me for a preview of an original haunted house ghost story 'The Shadows of Burton Hall' that I wrote for the upcoming episode(s) on haunted houses. Also, I’d love to hear some questions from you, the listeners. I’m now starting to put together my schedule of new episodes for 2022, and I’d love to take into account what makes you curious, what strange events, stories, myths, urban legends, and...

In this episode, beliefs and fear surrounding wells is discussed before a reading of the terrifying tale 'The Well' by W.W. Jacobs. Visit the podcast website: thestrangeandunusualpodcast.com Instagram: @thestrangeandunusualpodcast Twitter: @thesandupodcast Thanks to this week's sponsor Vodacast! Download the app in the App Store or visit their website at vodacast.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWi...

In anticipation of the next episode of haunted houses, I present you with tales of haunted places and minds with Edwardian author, W.W. Jacobs, best known for his story, 'The Monkey's Paw'. Visit the podcast website: thestrangeandunusualpodcast.com Instagram: @thestrangeandunusualpodcast Twitter: @thesandupodcast Thanks to this week's sponsor Vodacast! Download the app in the App Store or visit th...

Tales of women mysteriously wearing ribbons around their necks, and the secret they keep beneath from their husband have been with us for centuries, perhaps most famously with Alvin Schwarz's "The Green Ribbon" from the book, 'In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories'. In this episode we look into the tale, its meaning, and its origins in the 18th century revolutionary days in France...

In this episode we take a peek into Halloween true horror, from accidental hangings to mistaken corpses, to kick off the spooky season. Visit the podcast website: thestrangeandunusualpodcast.com Instagram: @thestrangeandunusualpodcast Twitter: @thesandupodcast Thanks to this week's sponsor Vodacast! Download the app in the App Store or visit their website at vodacast.com Hosted by Simplecast, an A...

In the concluding episode on this series on the Axeman of New Orleans, we see the axeman returns after a long break.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Taphophobia (tap-oh-phobia), the fear of being buried alive has existed for as long as, well, we’ve existed. In this episode, we touch on the history of this fear and end with Ambrose Bierce's 'One Summer Day', a story of premature burial with a twist. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me for 3 Edgar Allan Poe Tales of Obsession and Death - The Oval Portrait, The Premature Burial, and The Tell-Tale Heart. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me for a bonus horror story reading of 'The Waxwork' by A.M. Burrage. In this tale, madness is brought on by the uncanny valley, a concept discussed in Episode 7, Raising the Dead, Part 2. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me for a bonus horror story reading of 'The Body-Snatcher' by Robert Louis Stevenson. If you haven't listened to episode 10, 'Grave Matters in Edinburgh', you may want to listen to that first, to hear the real-story of Burke and Hare, that inspired Stevenson's fiction. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data f...

In part two we explore Congo Square, the development of jazz, the culture of New Orleans, and finish coverage of the axeman's first attacks. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ash and Alaina from 'Morbid: A True Crime Podcast' are joined in a discussion with the wonderful and charming Rachael O'Brien from the podcast 'Seven Deadly Sinners'. Take a listen and fall in love with more of the Morbid Network family! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join me as I tell part 1 of the story of New Orlean's history, it's complicated relationship with race and immigration, its soul and joy, and how one masked himself in darkness to terrorize the city. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode is a collection of haunting winter tales, some new to the podcast and others are old friends from past episodes. So, get cozy and comfortable, get a roaring fire going, and join me as we revive the old Victorian custom of telling scary ghost stories. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for adver...

In this conclusion of our journey through the Victorian cult of death, we delve into the rise of post mortem photography, 19th century viewings and funerals, the rise in desire for corpse preservation, the birth of the garden cemetery, mourning wear and widows weeds, and the annoyance and perils of crepe, especially crepe veils. You'll also hear the tale of Percy Shelley's death, cremation and how...

On this supernatural look at the 19th century Victorian cult of death, as we explore banshees, ominous clocks, death tokens, harbingers, the birth of Victorian gothic literature, and madness brought on by death and body snatchers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.