The Getting Spooked Reading List #6

Seven Substack Publications to Keep an Eye on, Perfect for a Steady Diet of Deep Dives, Parapolitics, and Daily Strangeness

Find other reading lists in the Table of Discontents.

While the Reading List series was initially established to offer some interesting books related to my research, I have increasingly found that the material I’m most taken with winds up being referenced heavily in articles. For instance, Kevin Coogan’s The Spy Who Would Be Tsar: The Mystery of Michal Goleniewski and the Far-Right Underground has been key in a number of my own research threads, like the figures Cleve Backster or Philip J. Corso. The book is a great investigation into the strange network surrounding triple agent turned delusional Romanov heir, Michal Goleniewski—certainly worthy of a spot on a reading list. But I’ve felt the need to point readers to sources that haven’t appeared previously on Getting Spooked, writing that I nevertheless enjoy or (in many cases) look forward to. As such, here is a collection of Substack publications I’ve been obsessed with, each covering a topic of possible interest to those hankering for the parapolitical, paranormal, or otherwise strange and mysterious.

This site is a bit of a mixed bag, as I often feel that the most impressive work is not always well-represented, algorithmically speaking. However, I think it’s also fertile ground for masterful researchers to present the results of deep investigations (or otherwise engage in their hobbies) in a way that’s ultra-accessible to newcomers or generally interested readers. Each of these publications is homegrown, not partnered with Substack, and not high up on the charts like some of the most visible newsletters. That’s where all the good stuff is anyway—similar to other platforms with long-form content. And for that reason, I recommend checking all of them out.

In other news, I’ve also started revisiting Gravity’s Rainbow as it is Pynchon season. While not necessarily related to the newsletter, has some intriguing paranormal qualities. One might note the presence of occult rocket science, bizarre human experimentation, and even something akin to remote viewing with Tyrone Slothrop’s rocket launch induced erections. Likewise, I’ve also been considering a dive into Pynchon’s 2013 novel Bleeding Edge, unpacking its strange reference to the Global Consciousness Project—another topic that broaches the Getting Spooked subject area. The GCP was an Institute for Noetic Sciences (IONS) funded attempt to detect the effects of global mental shifts on the physical world, also somewhat of a follow-up to work done at Robert Jahn’s Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research lab. Without fail, real-world parapsychology is what’s drawing me into fiction once again. But onward with the reading list, appropriately starting with something Pynchonian.

The Singular Peregrinations of Dr. Diocletian Blobb

I have been a longtime fan of this author’s work, going back to simpler times on Twitter where he penned an amazing thread on Georgia Tann, the notorious child trafficker who ran a sketchy and prolific adoption agency in Tennessee. The venerable Dr. Blobb’s initial foray into the Substack field involves Federal Express, its bizarro founder, and possible ties to intelligence agencies and even military contracting—with a little return to Georgia Tann to add to the seediness. All-in-all, it is a fantastic exploration into a ubiquitous shipping and logistics company that winds up saying much about the nature of American business and its interconnectedness with darker elements of society. Blobb’s research touches on FedEx’s weird proprietary research and their role in modern surveillance state—a banal underworld hidden beneath packing tape and styrofoam peanuts. There are even brushes with the Octopus and the Stanford Research Institute. Dr. Blobb and I recently recorded a conversation about this stellar research so stay tuned for that and give his excellent writing your perusal in the meantime.

Latitudes & Departures

Another newer arrival to the platform, Lena Ajit’s Latitudes & Departures hit the ground running with a revisitation of the Heaven’s Gate cult, noting strange details largely ignored in popular retellings. Factors include Marshall Applewhite’s time in the Army Signals Corps or his stationing at White Sands Proving Ground—areas which have come up in some Getting Spooked pieces, bearing connections to UFO experiencers as well as aerospace and rocketry Operation Paperclip programs. It gets speculative, playing off of the work of Alex Constantine and other paranoid classics, while sorting out the requisite military and intelligence connections to Applewhite’s experiences and his eventual transformation into the leader of a UFO suicide cult. It also highlights the context for the formation of Heaven’s Gate which, while often understated, was simultaneous to other suspicious new religious movements flooding the west coast. It’s probably just at the forefront of my mind, but Applewhite’s theology seems to be comprised of the same stew of influences analyzed in “Remote Viewing as Intelligence Laundering”—countercultural movements meshed with advancements in military technology and intelligence gathering capabilities. Ajit’s Latitudes & Departures contains some mind-bending work and is yet another example of a recent publication whose work I look forward to seeing hit my inbox. Just a few weeks ago, they published another lengthy investigation I’m yet to read: An article about would-be Gerald Ford assassin Sara Jane Moore, an FBI informant with uneasy connections to the Manson Family and the Symbionese Liberation Army.

Events in Ukraine

For regular updates on events in Ukraine, look no further than the aptly titled Events in Ukraine. I was given a paid subscription from Getting Spooked contributor Reid and it has me thinking I’ll need to join up on my own after it expires. Incredibly prolific and informative, Events will keep you cognizant of any developments in the ongoing (and seemingly endless) conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Its author, Peter Korotaev, is someone with a deep knowledge of the Ukrainian state, its media apparatus, and many relevant personalities who are largely understudied in Western media. Drops are every few days and each one gives a semi-real time appraisal of different aspects of the ongoing war while being skeptical of the propaganda pouring out of both sides. Korotaev is also unafraid to dive into the parapolitical side of things: Some of the most impressive research can be seen in Events’ series on the extensive presence of Order of the Nine Angles (O9A) in both Russia and Ukraine, plus the possible ramifications of their activity in the region. As far as bang for your buck goes, it’s hard to beat the amount of information you can get from Events in Ukraine—other Substacks kneel in submission to its regularity and quality. I know I would struggle to keep up the same posting schedule even with more free time! Another good start on the unlocked side of things would be the incisive article “Bellingcat and the OCCRP: Regime change journalism” which gives readers a good idea of the wavelength Korotaev is operating on.

Odd’s Substack

Similar to Events in Ukraine in terms of prolificity is the Odd Old News newsletter, an excellently curated collection of strange newspaper reports or other items from yesterday’s print. I had recommended them back in Cystic Detective Update #3, noting how seeing these regular treats in my inbox always brightened my day. Indeed, anyone interested in the Fortean, cryptozoological, or otherwise strange will have hours of good times ahead of them. We’re talking out of place artifacts, strange remains, terrifying beasts of yore, bizarre crimes, astronomical events, and more. Odd’s Substack is yet another case where a paid subscription might benefit you if really plumbing the depths, but the regular deliveries are wonderful all the same. Where else could you hear about “Two Immense Eggs,” “Spiritual Manifestations,” or “An Antediluvian Jobberwock” all in one place? You won’t realize it until you experience it, but getting an email with the subject line “Prehistoric Remains Dating Back Forty Five Years B.C. Found At St. Louis” can turn any frown upside down.

Blue Rose Reports

Many might be familiar with research IRC_NIC from his iconic appearances on Ghost Stories for the End of the World and rightfully so. He and host Matt dove deep into the reeds of the Dutroux Affair and the checkered history of Belgium—a nation beset by crime, covert action, and other assorted spookiness. Blue Rose Reports is the continuation of some of this research, with a duo of impressive articles sorting out the “missing pieces” of the Dutroux Affair and the many avenues of inquiry worth exploring in that case. While IRC_NIC covers the grislier side of our (at times) grisly reality, these are important touchstones for coming to an understanding of the intersections of crime, power, and politics. These are ugly businesses, in some ways all the same ugly business. Blue Rose Reports comes armed with a critical eye and the kind of attention to detail I strive for. Another recent article examining the Butcher of Mons through a McGowanite Programmed to Kill-type lens is also well-researched and engagingly written. More has been promised and there’s already much for the “noided” to sink their teeth into.

Sharon’s Strange Times

Another compendium of the odd, science writer Sharon A. Hill gives readers regular updates on strange creatures, phenomena, or incidents making a splash online. Reminiscent of the delightful updates of Odd Old News, Hill’s posts could be considered Odd New News. For instance: A recent humanoid encounter in Pender County, North Carolina is apparently making the rounds on social media, but I would have missed this interesting case if not for Strange Times. (The article links out to a YouTuber’s boots-on-the-ground investigation that I would also recommend to the curious.) Hill also penned the now-defunct “Pop Cryptid Spectator” which included a roundup of cryptid-related news in pop culture. I, for one, want it back! In the meantime, Strange Times keeps readers up to date on the same type of weird news that one might find in the Fortean Times, always with solid commentary and analysis. While having a skeptical eye, Hill nevertheless recognizes the joy that the paranormal can add to the human experience, something often sorely lacking as writers deal with the more grifterish elements of the subculture.

Selective Transparency

Evan Hume is a photographic artist who first came to my attention on Instagram due to his striking works that are heavily informed by military technology, classified files, and paranoid aesthetics. I await the arrival of his newest art book, Critical Collection, with great anticipation. Hume has also posted an enjoyable read on this humble platform: “Years of Intelligence,” which explores the “selective transparency” of the United States’ defense and intelligence apparatus throughout the decades, running from MKUltra to JFK to Watergate to Epstein. It’s an eye-opening piece, covering many topics that paranoia scholars have likely encountered before, but laid out in a way that underlines just how consistently networks of power obfuscate their goals and actions to the public. Through what is allowed to be “viewed,” stories are written, rewritten, and forgotten. I am certainly keeping an eye on any further developments at Hume’s publication which will, at the very least, lead readers to his work published in other venues. One such article (and another good introduction to Hume’s frame of mind) is “Denied Areas,” linked to on Selective Transparency and published at Archivo Photofile. I’m glad someone else sees how redactions, microfilm, and grainy satellite imagery have a sort of entrancing quality.

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