An interesting read for Ghost Hunters fans
Ghost Files: The Collected Cases from Ghost Hunting and Seeking Spirits is two books compiled into one volume, making for an impressive collection of first-hand paranormal experiences. Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, founders of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (T.A.P.S.) and stars of the popular Syfy show Ghost Hunters, have conducted dozens of paranormal investigations at purportedly haunted locations. Like the TV show, the books are divided into chapters focusing on individual cases. The first book, Ghost Hunting: True Stories of Unexplained Phenomena from The Atlantic Paranormal Society, elaborates on the Ghost Hunters' televised investigations. These include a theater, a lighthouse, a warehouse, and the USS North Carolina, as well as numerous homes, restaurants, and hotels. They have even explored the Stanley Hotel (inspiration for the horror classic, The Shining) and Sarah Winchester's Mystery House (a familiar sight to anyone who has watched more than an hour of Syfy). The format of Ghost Hunting is that Hawes tells the story and Wilson adds afterthoughts in a small text box, usually at the end. Hawes' tone is casually conversational, and while diehard GH fans may appreciate commentary about the cast's everyday lives and interpersonal dynamics, those more interested in ghosts than gossip may be annoyed by the frequent personal asides. The second book, Seeking Spirits: The Lost Cases of The Atlantic Paranormal Society, discusses investigations that were not aired on television, including exorcisms, extraterrestrials, and chilling encounters with a doppelganger and an incubus, plus some cases that are decidedly not paranormal in origin. Hawes and Wilson divide authoring duties here, and the writing is more focused and on topic. Most chapters conclude with an informative "Ghost Hunter's Manual" sidebar where the authors share their expertise on relevant topics like research, scouting locations, and capturing EVPs (that's electronic voice phenomena, for those not familiar with ghosthunting jargon). Unfortunately, there is no index and the table of contents does not include chapter titles, making it difficult to reference topics on demand. The intent of T.A.P.S. is not to validate but to debunk reported hauntings. The theory is that what's left over - in other words, what can't be debunked - is the real thing and merits scientific attention. As stated by Hawes, the ultimate purpose of T.A.P.S. is to encourage acceptance of paranormal research as legitimate science. Remove the dramatic license from a ghost story and often all that's left is uncertainty. Many of these stories end with a hmm, not a bang, and readers whose expectations have been conditioned by Stephen King and Hollywood may be underwhelmed by the writers' reluctance to draw definitive conclusions. Somewhere between "not enough documentation to say for sure" and "it could have been the outdated heating system" is a dimension where the reader remains forever haunted by the specter of a dramatic conclusion that will never be. Quill says: An interesting read for Ghost Hunters fans and readers with an interest in paranormal research. Readers who prefer their horror yarns sans science may wish to seek a fictional experience.
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Overview
FINALLY IN ONE BONE-CHILLING VOLUME, TV’S GHOST HUNTERS SHARE ALL OF THEIR CREEPY TRUE STORIES OF UNEXPLAINED PHENOMENA!
What did a paranormal investigation uncover at the Stanley Hotel in Colorado, the hotel built in 1903 that inspired Stephen King’s The Shining?
What is the chilling history behind the Rolling Hills Asylum in Batavia, New York?
What happened when a man was overcome by an evil entity as Jason and Grant surveyed his home?
How can a Connecticut woman seem to exist in two places at once?
In this ...