Episode 315 "Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder" with Rachel McCarthy James
Release Date: 02/04/2026
Episode 317 Dr. Rizwan Virk "The Simulation Hypothesis"
Necronomicast
Hold on to your hats! My featured guest for this episode of Necronomicast is Dr. Rizwan Virk! A graduate of MIT and Stanford, Rizwan Virk is a successful entrepreneur, video game pioneer, film producer, venture capitalist, computer scientist and bestselling author. Virk recently finished his doctoral research at the Center for Science and the Imagination (CSI) and teaching classes on the Metaverse, Innovation and Simulation Theory at the College of Global Futures and the Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. His books include The Simulation...
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Episode 316 "Communication with Spirits" with Sterling Moon
Necronomicast
For this episode of Necronomicast, it is my pleasure to welcome to the program Sterling Moon! Sterling is a fulltime, heels-on-the-ground, tarot reader, psychic medium, folk magician, animal communicator, published author, podcaster, and an educator on the mystical and strange. She has been working with clients, and teaching professionally since 2013. She is the author of Talking to Spirits: A Modern Medium’s Practical Advice for Spirit Communication 2023) and Llewellyn’s Little Book of Spirit Communication (2025), both published by Llewellyn Books. Sterling also spent almost 20...
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Episode 315 "Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder" with Rachel McCarthy James
Necronomicast
It is my pleasure to welcome to Necronomicast, Rachel McCarthy James! A native of Kansas, she is the daughter of baseball’s Bill James and artist Susan McCarthy. At Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia, she studied political science and creative writing. Her first book, The Man from the Train (coauthored with her father) chronicled the serial killer behind the Villisca axe murders. Published in 2017, The Man from the Train was nominated for an Edgar award for best fact crime, and won the Kansas Notable Book award. Her newest book, Whack Job, is the story of...
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Episode 314 "Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart" with Benedict Sanderson & Claire Goodlass
Necronomicast
Joining me for this special episode is Benedict Sanderson (director) and Claire Goodlass (producer) to chat about their powerful new documentary "Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart". This documentary revisits the harrowing abduction of Elizabeth Smart, exploring the investigation, the media frenzy, and the failures that allowed the case to unfold the way it did, while centering Elizabeth’s own voice and survival in one of the most haunting true crime stories of our time. Find out the inside story on why this is one of the most talked about shows in the world directly from two of the...
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Episode 313 "Killer Confessions" with Texas Ranger James B. Holland
Necronomicast
On this incredible episode of Necronomicast, it is my pleasure to introduce you to Texas Ranger James B. Holland, who has built a reputation as one of the most remarkable investigators in modern law enforcement. With more than 26 years with the Texas State Police, Holland has cracked hundreds of cases, including some of the country's most haunting unsolved crimes. But his rare gift lies in drawing confessions from the unthinkable: serial killers. This gripping new series pulls back the curtain on Holland’s most complex and...
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Episode 312 "Good Boy" with filmmaker Ben Leonberg
Necronomicast
I am very excited to welcome Ben Leonberg to Necronomicast as my first guest of 2026! Ben is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer known for his work in the horror and fantasy genres. He wrote and directed "Good Boy", a supernatural thriller told from the perspective of a dog named Indy. The film explores themes of loyalty, trauma, and perception, using a canine point of view to drive the narrative. “Good Boy” follows Indy and his owner, Todd, a young man with a chronic lung disease, as they move into Todd's late grandfather's rural home, where a malevolent...
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Episode 311 Mothman with Richard Estep and Tobias Wayland
Necronomicast
For the last episode of 2025, not one but two veteran paranormal experts join me for a spirited and fun conversation! My gift to you! To discuss their book "Mothman", Richard Estep and renowned Mothman researcher Tobias Wayland document firsthand witness accounts and conduct detailed investigations with the hope of seeing the iconic cryptid themselves. This book chronicles their discoveries, which include large concentrations of sightings in the Chicago and Lake Michigan area. They delve into the science of Mothman, where he may reside and travel, and much more. When a large, winged...
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Episode 310 Jason Offutt "Chasing North American Monsters"
Necronomicast
Making a return to the Necronomicast, a favorite of mine...Jason Offutt! Tonight we chat about his newest book "Chasing North American Monsters"! From his website: "Jason Offutt grew up on a farm near the little town of Orrick, Missouri. In his life he’s been a farm hand, journalist, photographer, bartender, and the mayor of that same small town. Jason now teaches journalism at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, and keeps the world safe from the forces of evil. Okay, so now that the interview bio’s out the way, here’s who I really am. I’m a nerd. A Dungeons...
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Episode 309 "A Cursed Collection of Haunted Dolls" with Fiona Dodwell
Necronomicast
I am excited for you all to hear this episode featuring author Fiona Dodwell as we dicsuss her new book "A Cursed Collection of Haunted Dolls"! Robert. Annabelle. Peggy. The very names of these dolls can strike fear into your heart. Fiona Dodwell, who has been gripped by the idea of spirit-possessed dolls for years, dives into real world and fictional examples of toys gone bad—playthings meant to comfort children but instead make life a living hell. Fiona presents a comprehensive collection of true-life cases of haunted dolls, including lesser-known ones such as Mandy and Okiku. She also...
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Episode 308 "From Magic Words to Monsters" with Tobias Jelinek
Necronomicast
An exciting guest for this episode of Necronomicast....actor Tobias Jelinek! Tobias Jelinek's journey into entertainment began at age 15, when he was cast as Jay in Disney's cult classic Hocus Pocus (1993). Over the past 30 years, he has built a reputation for portraying bold, unpredictable characters across film and television. His screen credits span both the Marvel and DC universes (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Arrow), as well as standout roles in Stranger Things, Mayfair Witches (AMC), Obliterated (Netflix), and Baskets (FX). Jelinek has recurred as a guest star on This Is Us, NCIS, and...
info_outlineIt is my pleasure to welcome to Necronomicast, Rachel McCarthy James! A native of Kansas, she is the daughter of baseball’s Bill James and artist Susan McCarthy. At Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia, she studied political science and creative writing.
Her first book, The Man from the Train (coauthored with her father) chronicled the serial killer behind the Villisca axe murders. Published in 2017, The Man from the Train was nominated for an Edgar award for best fact crime, and won the Kansas Notable Book award.
Her newest book, Whack Job, is the story of the axe, first as a convenient danger and then an anachronism, as told through the murders it has been employed in throughout history: from the first axe murder nearly half a million years ago, to the brutal harnessing of the axe in warfare, to its use in King Henry VIII's favorite method of execution, to Lizzie Borden and the birth of modern pop culture. Whack Job sheds brilliant light on this familiar implement, this most human of weapons. This is a critical examination of violence, an exploration of how technology shapes human conflict, the cruel and sacred rituals of execution and battle, and the ways humanity fits even the most savage impulses into narratives of the past and present.
Official Website of Rachel McCarthy James