In Communion -- Part Two, Whitley Strieber tries to turn the tables on the “visitors” by inviting -- almost daring -- them to make a return visit. Meanwhile, Richard and Matt Reeves (“The Batman”) work around the clock to perfect “Rolling Thunder” -- then retitled “End of the Line” and finally “Dark Territory” -- while the odds of a big sale fade more and more every day. We all know that “Chance favors the prepared mind” and “Assumption is the mother of all fuck-ups” -- but will years of setback...
Jun 27, 2025•54 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Imagine being greeted in the dead of night by a small alien creature, running toward your bed. This disturbing experience set author Whitley Strieber on a dark and devastating path that culminated in the publishing of 1987’s Communion. Strieber’s life changed on the night of December 26, 1985 – and he has spent the last forty years trying to sort out exactly what happened. When Richard Hatem first stumbled upon the book Communion, he refused to pick it up. But after two years of post-USC Film Sc...
Jun 13, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Season 3 of RHPB starts in 2 weeks -- June 13th! Join Richard and his extra special guest, his wife Susan Lambert -- creator and cohost of the podcast 80’s TV Ladies -- as they tease Season 3 episodes, share DATES OF UPCOMING LIVE SHOWS -- and explore a very weird dream Richard had that might mean one of them is psychic! If you have location ideas for LIVE RHPB SHOWS, contact us at [email protected]...
May 30, 2025•24 min
NEW RHPB SEASON 3 PREMIERE DATE -- FRIDAY JUNE 13TH! In this Special Bonus Episode, Richard catches up with good friend and writer Mark O’Connell, author of the modern UFO classic The Close Encounters Man: How One Man Made the World Believe in UFOs -- the wildly entertaining story of J. Allen Hynek, the astronomer who invented the concept of "Close Encounters" with alien life, inspired Steven Spielberg’s classic film and made an entire nation want to believe in UFOs. Mark’s new book, The Year Sc...
May 09, 2025•1 hr 10 min
What does it actually feel like to be a psychic medium? What is it like to have ghosts be a constant part of your otherwise normal life? Cindy Valenzuela and Colleen McKinnie can tell you -- because they are both in touch with the spirit world every day. They are both wives and mothers, they have professional careers -- and they can communicate with those who have passed on. In our conversation, we’ll find out the scariest part of being a medium, what to do when your kid starts demonstrating psy...
Apr 18, 2025•1 hr 34 min
It’s our First Anniversary! Richard Hatem’s Paranormal Bookshelf debuted one year ago today, and to celebrate we’re re-broadcasting the very first episode where Richard receives the book that changes his life -- and gets introduced to his very first paranormal bookshelf. Join Richard and everyone here at RHPB as we celebrate the episode that started it all -- and Richard shares some exciting news about an upcoming live event!
Mar 25, 2025•41 min
On July 27, 2011, Richard Hatem came home from work to find a book waiting for him—Glimpses of Eternity by Raymond Moody. He remembers the date well, because it was also the day he got fired. And if you’ve ever been fired, you know the feeling: shock, relief, maybe a strange sense of joy. It also ushered in a phase of creative revival and exploration, reminding us that the most unexpected transitions can open a door. Raymod Moody knew a thing or two about that. At just 30, he became famous for i...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Investigating Mediums by Julie Beischel, PhD. In this episode, join Richard Hatem as he cracks open Investigating Mediums by Dr. Julie Beischel. In her book, Dr. Beischel attempts a scientific exploration into the world of psychic mediums. What began as an academic pursuit for Dr. Beischel evolved into years of testing and research—none of which have brought her a dime. If that doesn’t convince you of her sincerity, maybe nothing will. But Richard’s own experience with mediums adds another layer...
Feb 17, 2025•54 min•Season 2Ep. 9
It's a SPECIAL RHPB BONUS EPISODE! Grab a drink, sit down by the fireplace and join Richard as he answers the questions you've been asking him since the show began! From favorite authors to TV show plot twists; from Bible classes to the Sex Pistols; from cocktails to cats-and-dogs to cursing — he covers it all! And find out just how and when he'll be coming to YOUR city — LIVE. Relax, get cozy — it's time to "create your own culture" with RHPB! Subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts for t...
Feb 03, 2025•53 min
"The Other Side" by Bishop James A. Pike, with Diane Kennedy Part 2 We’re back on The Other Side, diving deeper into Bishop James A. Pike’s gripping search for a connection with his late son – and Richard Hatem’s high-stakes hijinks as a burgeoning writer chasing his dream. While Pike wrestles with the profound—and sometimes unsettling—realities of life, death, and faith, Richard takes a big swing of his own, trying to break into the world of television by breaking his way into the office of leg...
Jan 20, 2025•47 min•Season 2Ep. 8
“ 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 book recounts the chilling experiences of Bishop Pike, an Episcopal leader who, in the wake of his son...
Jan 06, 2025•54 min•Season 2Ep. 7
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 four-week-old daughter died. Struggling with grief and anger, he turned to spiritualism—hoping to conne...
Dec 23, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 6
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 and Farah talk about: Farah's grandfather's terrifying encounter with Reptilian entities in Baghdad; Göb...
Dec 09, 2024•1 hr 6 min
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, and the he-didn’t-even-know-it-was-life-changing moment when he unearthed this book in a record store...
Nov 25, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 5
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 from a distant dream to an unnervingly close reality. Personal proof of the paranormal was right within...
Nov 11, 2024•46 min•Season 2Ep. 4
“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 150 pages. But don’t let its length fool you, it may be the most important poltergeist story ever writ...
Oct 28, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 3
“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 three-week trip to New Mexico. He bought the book in the morning, started reading that afternoon, and b...
Oct 14, 2024•56 min•Season 2Ep. 2
“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 this episode set, mostly in the great(ish) outdoors. Let’s just say Monsters Among Us by Linda Godfre...
Sep 30, 2024•55 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Join special guests, Scott Philbrook and Forrest Burgess from “Astonishing Legends” for Richard Hatem’s first-ever AMA!
Sep 16, 2024•1 hr 7 min
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!
Sep 02, 2024•25 min
"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 and purpose in the pages of both of his Miracles. As Richard grapples with the ups and downs of lif...
Jul 29, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 10
“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 writer. But, the world was changing. Why shouldn't Miracles? And it is in this moment, dear listener, w...
Jul 15, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 9
“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 that Richard Hatem found was Miracles by D. Scott Rogo. But the book Richard was actually looking for...
Jul 01, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 8
“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 of Richard Hatem’s favorite books of ALL time: The Amityville Horror Conspiracy by Stephen Kaplan an...
Jun 17, 2024•55 min•Season 1Ep. 7
"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 Richard as he devours his favorite Christmas present yet, The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson, while a...
Jun 03, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 6
"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 is on the radio, Ronald Reagan just announced his candidacy for a second presidential term, and a yo...
May 20, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 5
“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 the Dark by Nancy Evans Bush, a book about Near Death Experiences (NDEs). This book serves as a catal...
May 06, 2024•47 min•Season 1Ep. 4
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 a hypothesis according to conventional cannons of scientific inquiry. But not the kind of gnawing, ...
Apr 22, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 3
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 still didn’t know whether Crescent was a dream – or a real woman.” – Love In An Alien Purgatory by Farah...
Apr 08, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 2
“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 Ghosts & Specters by Bruce and Nancy Roberts. This slim hardback, filled with haunting tales and eeri...
Mar 25, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 1
