As someone who loves folklore and think these stories have enormous social import and value—but also a skeptic—I feel like this show strikes a fantastic balance between understanding and acknowledging these stories while also keeping feet glued solidly to earth.

Good show, but using AI to make terribly generic episode icons sucks. Looks like the menus at the local bars.

Somehow, despite the fact that MonsterTalk started in 2009, it wasn’t on my radar until I heard Blake on Richard Hatem's Paranormal Bookshelf in August 2025. I enjoyed that talk so much that I checked out the then-current episode of MT, and 3–4 others from the back catalog. I was immediately hooked, signed up for their Patreon shortly thereafter, and just recently completed listening to the entire back catalog. Since grade school, I’ve been interested in ghosts, monsters, and the unexplained, and while it would be cool if any of it existed, it’s all utter nonsense. I’ve been a big Art Bell fan since the 90s and have listened to, and still listen to, my fair share of “true” paranormal podcasts, but MonsterTalk really hits the sweet spot for me. I really enjoyed Blake and Karen’s dynamic and perspective, the occasional appearances by Matthew Baxter are always welcome, and the guests are top-notch. Highly recommended.

...is speech masked in the guise of concern. Pretending to know the minds and motivations of the multitudes involved is hubris. No one is free of bias. When you are *certain* you are in the right, just remember that is likely what every other person believes about themselves as well. Please stick to monsters and puns, too many shows are spoiled by poorly qualified politicized opinions. Always careful to not offend anyone except people that you may not agree with, and then you call them terrible things. I like your show and have listened for a long time, but I don't think I would like you.

This show is the pinnacle of podcasting. Blake and Karen are extremely knowledgeable, phenomenal interviewers (who get great guests), and come across as genuinely curious and thoughtful people. In their scientific looks at the paranormal and folklore, they are very open-minded and generous towards true believers. But they’re not so open-minded as to dent reality.

Blake and Karen do a great job of balancing the fun of the mysteries with their skeptical approach. It never feels judgey; they don’t ridicule people or the paranormal — they genuinely seem to be interested in finding real answers. Good times!

I love this podcast. Open minded well intentioned skeptics. Heavy on facts and great back and forth with the hosts. Informed guests I have learned fantastic facts and fun history. Many thanks are long overdue and well deserved- Dan B

One of the most relaxing shows to take a nap to.

not bad

Having a skeptical podcast on monsters, aliens, and cryptids is refreshing in the sea paranormal podcasts. A lot of other podcasts that discuss the paranormal have a bad habit at taking things at face value and not really dissect the case they’re presented with. MonsterTalk provides a healthy dose of science and fact checking that I don’t see enough of in paranormal podcasts. Of course, MonsterTalk’s true goal is science, not belief in the supernatural. But I always feel that science needs to come first. The world is a big place, and we still don’t know a whole lot about it. But it can interesting without the existence of monsters.

Thrilled to discover this podcast by way of their conversation with my old teacher Eric Mortensen, with whom I traveled to southeastern Tibet some 17 years ago. Hearing stories of the Tibetan “yeti” reawakened my interest in the storytelling traditions of Appalachia and their extra-Christian maps of the physical and nonphysical world around them. Constant value through each moment of the podcast; no fruitless (but much fruitful) wandering, and no fluff. 10/10 would recommend.

I’m not sure about alien “space ships” but you seem to be positive they don’t exist. Why is it if you can’t explain something you just dismiss it as ridiculous? Einstein thought entanglement was impossible but now it is generally accepted. You don’t know what is possible and I think it is very shortsighted to dismiss something when you have no more scientific proof it doesn’t exist than it does.

Entertaining and informative, a badly needed dose of rational thinking and evidence gathering in an era where misinformation is running rampant. Scholarly while remaining entertaining, the hosts show a remarkable amount of restraint while discussing topics that are at times so silly that they invite disdain and mockery. Highly enjoyable listening, Bravo!

The show use to be quite good but it is really sinking. I remember one sentence the host said to show internally how closed minded he really is. He once said if he actually did see something right in front of his face that was proof positive like big foot,ghost or an alien that he still wouldn’t believe it because “I would not let myself believe it” he stated which means nothing has a chance. I’m a skeptic myself but if two aliens are dragging me to a ship then yes I’ll believe. But Blake still wouldn’t. That’s not s skeptic that’s a fool.

I’ve been listening for years and I look forward to every new episode. Blake and Karen are terrific. The puns are fantastic. The topics are interesting and varied.

I really love this show, and would certainly contribute at the highest support level, if it weren’t for Blake’s incessant puns. I’ve been listening to this show for years, and just as I’m ready to hit the “support” button, Blake unleashes the most groan-and-painful pun that you could ever imagine. At least 99% of Blake’s puns are gut-wrenchingly bad, but the other 1% are slightly funny and grin-producing. Often times, though Blake launches these puns when the guests/authors/Karen are making a valid point about the topic. I truly like the take they give on a lot of the UFO/Cryptid/Paranormal genre, but too often Blake lets fly a pun that’s about as funny as a small and resounding fart during a funeral. Karen - his co-host on the other hand - is insightful, accurate and is unbelievably patient with Blake’s horrific puns. I would happily contribute at the top of the donor heap - however I refuse to pay for bad puns. Blake - please…PLEASE cut the puns. I’m not saying you can’t make a funny comment - just the bad puns need to go. Please.

Always interesting and enjoyable with good guests and topics. Books are recommended and they’re fun, too.

The most recent episode with Skripal is a wonderful reminder that we can have fun and engaging discourse with people we don’t see eye to eye with.

After catching up with “In Research Of” I decided to start exploring the archive of “Monster Talk” on my long car trips. I recently listened to the episode on America’s founding and decided I finally needed to write my review. I was especially intrigued by the portion of the conversation where you discussed how colonizers often viewed Native peoples as a part of the local Flora and Fauna. I am a museum professional, and in graduate school read a lot of pieces related to this. (Despite the fact that I am American, my advisor was Australian, so I got to learn her perspective). One common theme was how Native history is often displayed in “Natural History Museums”while the history of colonizers is viewed as the “real, true history” and therefore is displayed in “History Museums”. Keep up these intriguing, thought-provoking, and engaging conversations! They have kept my academic brain busy since I finished grad school.

Blake and Karen are great hosts and have a talent for telling stories. They are also always respectful of other points of view. I love this show and the variety of topics has taught me a lot about monster, ufo, and ghost lore.

Listening to Blake, Karen, and their guests is like hanging out with friends who can make sense of the facts and folklore of spooky and fantastic creatures—without letting that get in the way of the fun and wonder that draws us to the monstrous.

Karen and Blake have created a really great podcast. They provide a lot of skeptical information on a lot of paranormal topics in a fun way without bashing believers. The guests are often authors and researchers who bring expertise to the conversation. Oh and the puns are ever present.

Karen and Blake are the two best friends you would take with you to explore a haunted house.

Blake and Karen aren't out to debunk monsters. They explain how the folklore started and how it evolves. I especially enjoy the episodes when they have guests whether the guest specializes in one of the many fields of science that explains the natural world, folklorists who expain the monsters, or even the ocassional true believer. Their general enthusiasm makes for great listening.

Monsters, talk, guests and some other stuff too!!!

Listen.

A really thoughtful well-researched show for people who care about these topics but want to actually think about them as cultural phenomena rather.

In one episode they laugh and joke about human babies who are miscarried and calcify inside the mother. I'm open to listening about all scientific subjects even if they're sad or dark, but callously making light of someone else's tragedy is beyond the pale.

I’ve listened to every episode except the Bigfoot-focused ones (I just can’t with that thing). It’s been 12 years and the show has evolved accordingly, with the last few years focusing more on the philosophy and psychology of monsters, and less on debunking. Their guests are, without fail, a joy to listen to, very knowledgeable and articulate and coming to us from places as far-flung as Japan and Australia and Ireland. I found this podcast after binging “Lore” and wanting a little more credulity. The reviews that make me laugh: the ones who say Blake and Karen are condescending (because academic thought is way too much for those listeners) and the ones who say they are mean in their skepticism (TRUST me, they have shown a god-like sense of restraint when speaking with believers. They may even be nicer than they should be!). This podcast hits all the right notes for those who, like the hosts, adore monsters but would really love some actual proof, and those who want to think deeply about the sociology surrounding monsters and what they inevitably, of course, tell us what it is to be human. Love y’all. P.S. Blake, your puns man…you are on thin ice.

I really enjoy this podcast and can’t wait for new episodes.

One of only a handful of podcasts that I make a point of not missing an episode for. Non-condescending (usually) skeptics talking about the love of monster mythology and lore. Always entertaining and informative. Bad puns galore from Blake.

I love monsters and cryptids and a friend of mine and I love talking about real and not so real animals, anything from bonobos and chimpanzees to dodo birds, the Koch ness monster and we recently researched a cryptid in every state. Some paranormal podcasts seem interesting but the hosts are researchers and try to put science into it which is rather annoying. While there might be some science in an episode, the hosts are upbeat engaging and keep everything interesting, I can follow what they are saying without too much trouble.

The hosts are super-enthusiastic and knowledgeable, but also happy to admit when they don’t know something. There’s no supercilious naysaying, no presumption, and certainly no dismissive hand-waving. Just healthy, honest skepticism, and a delight in the monstrous. And puns. Terrible, terrible puns.

I’ve been listening to MonsterTalk since around 2010 so this review is long overdue. What I love about this show is that it finds a balance between skepticism and credulity. Blake and Karen typically don’t believe in the topics they discuss, but they acknowledge that most people who claim to experience the supernatural BELIEVE it to be true; they experienced SOMETHING. Although they are skeptical, the tone is not mocking and they are generally respectful. I love that they focus on primary documents and the guests are always great. This is by far the BEST podcast on this subject.

One of my favorite podcasts! I always look forward to new content.

This is currently my favorite podcast. Blake and Karen are engaging hosts who are extremely knowledgeable and also lots of fun. I love the topics they choose, as well as their interesting guests. Highly, highly recommended.

This show has ruined me for all the other cryptozoology podcasts. It’s nice to hear a skeptical view, and interesting to listen to a rational viewpoint. Edit: Until they went from skepticism to insulting religious views starting with the intro to “speak of the devil.” Skepticism does not equal atheism except for in the eyes of the weak-minded on both extremes. Please read Stephen Jay Gould’s “Nonoverlapping Magisteria”

I absolutely love this podcast! So we’ll researched and presented. I even love the corny dad-jokes. Long may you haunt the podcast community!

It’s sad to see that they continue to produce this show after it jumped the shark. The early episodes are good: great guests, great analyses, cryptid focused shows. But they moved away from that and have largely been focusing on monsters in fiction and film (under the guise of “folklore”), and it’s just not interesting. I would expect “the science show about monsters” to be just that. Listen to the first couple of years and then eschew the rest. At the very least, I feel the creators could have ended Monster Talk and started a different show with a more accurate (and relevant) title and description. But, if you like listening to people talk about movies, then maybe this is for you. If you’re looking for skeptical and open minded discussions about cryptids, look elsewhere.

There are few out there of any genre that I consistently like. I have some ethos based disagreements given my Christian background and yet I’m not getting the overwhelming sense of disparagement or disrespect that some apparently are. Some of my best friends are atheists and they are way worse. ( Actually Blake worships Aaaarrrrgggghh the Norse god of puns) Blake will talk over people but not to silence them. He is just tranquilizer deficient, like many of my patients. Check out in research of also

Listening to these people pontificate about their intellectual superiority takes this show down from what could have been a five star rating. I typically agree with them in principle, which makes this issue even more regrettable, but they really come off as a pretentious creeps. You might as well put Payne Lindsey on a mic at this point.

I’ve listened to a few, it’s a show I really want to like, but I agree with others where I think Blake comes off as arrogant and cocky. Makes it tough to get through.

Love the podcast and all the hard work you & Karen have done. Good luck with the job search too!

I’ve been listening to Monster Talk for years, and the hosts keep it fresh and interesting!

...to catch up with the wonderful history of these episodes! Thanks!

This is........so good!

Here’s a show even an eldritch entity from beyond spacetime can enjoy! Blake and Karen chat, usually with interesting guests, about things that go bump in the night, and weird things that don’t as well, with open-minded straight-talk about all manner of bizarre critters as folklore, myth, urban legend, the occasional hoax, and many other hypotheses as well, all from a scientific perspective that strives for fairness, objectivity, and accuracy. This is, after all, the science show about monsters! I give the show five stars and four tentacular thumb-analog extremities up!

I love the topics, agree with most of the things they say, but they have said multiple things about religious people that are very close minded. I believe in global warming, support science and research, know how to read scientific papers and decipher statistical graphs, and I am a very active Christian. I don’t think religious people need to be more skeptical and logical, I think everyone needs to be. The fact they have called out religious people multiple times and lumped us all in one has been very frustrating to me, as I feel like I don’t belong in that category and don’t feel like being religious is the problem. We can believe different theologies, and still agree on well researched science. Keep up the good work, love the information, maybe tone down the discrimination towards those who practice Christianity.

It can be hard to explain to people that loving paranormal subjects does not mean I believe in it. Monster Talk gets it. Thoughtful and fun deep dives into aliens, Bigfoot, cryptids, and much more. Thank you Blake and Karen for making my favorite show!

As a fellow podcaster in the realm of skeptics and the paranormal, I’ve listened to a lot of these types of podcasts, and this is one of the best. You can tell the host and guests are having a good time, but they’re also providing so much interesting scientific perspective on the topics they cover. I love it and will continue to listen! -Meagan from the Spooky Science Sisters podcast