Take a spirited tour through the supernatural history of America, from its haunted sites to its famous ghosts to its ghost-obsessed pop culture.

Ghosts are everywhere–whether you believe in them or not. Every town has its local legends, and countless books, movies, and television shows are haunted by their presence. But our obsession with ghosts runs deeper than we know–and is embedded in the very fabric of American history.

Writer and historian Marc Hartzman dons the mantle of tour guide, taking listeners on a fascinating journey through supernatural history, including:

The Fox sisters and the rise of spiritualism,

The supernatural obsessions of famous figures like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,

Famous haunted sites like the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia and the LaLaurie House in New Orleans,

Famous ghosts like the Bell Witch of Tennessee and the Greenbrier Ghost of West Virginia, and

Paranormal investigators like Ed and Lorraine Warren.

Deeply researched and highly entertaining, Chasing Ghosts will satisfy believers and skeptics alike.

Filled with entertaining history, pop culture ephemera, and interviews with NASA scientists, The Big Book of Mars is the most comprehensive look at our relationship with Mars-yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Mars has been a source of fascination and speculation ever since the ancient Egyptians observed its blood-red hue and named it for their god of war and plague. But it wasn’t until the nineteenth century when “canals” were observed on the surface of the Red Planet, suggesting the presence of water, that scientists, novelists, filmmakers, and entrepreneurs became obsessed with the question of whether there’s life on Mars.
Since then, Mars has fully invaded pop culture, inspiring its own day of the week (Tuesday), an iconic Looney Tunes character, and many novels and movies, from Ray Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles to The Martian. It’s this cultural familiarity with the fourth planet that continues to inspire advancements in Mars exploration, from NASA’s launch of the Mars rover Perseverance to Elon Musk’s quest to launch a manned mission to Mars through SpaceX by 2024. Perhaps, one day, we’ll be able to answer the questions our ancestors asked when they looked up at the night sky millennia ago.