There’s plenty of ghost-hunting in Unmarked by Kami Garcia — but it’s not just for fiction. There are some real-life ghost-hunters out there, fighting spiritual foes & skeptics alike. Here are a few groups you may have heard of:
SyFy’s “Ghost Hunters” & TAPS
These guys have been a popular TV show staple on the SyFy channel for years (dating back to when it was still the SciFi Channel). From the show’s official synopsis:
Jason Hawes, founder of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) and his team have made it their life’s mission to help those experiencing persistent and frightening paranormal activity, as well as unsettled souls in the afterlife who may still reside there. TAPS travels across the country to investigate and solve mysteries at locations ranging from personal homes, hotels, and historic sites to schools, asylums, and battleships.
TAPS pre-dates the TV show, having been formed in 1990.
Ghost Hunters of the South
A “family” organization of TAPS, these guys are based in Mobile, Alabama. According to their website:
We believe in the use of scientific methods, systematic processes, skepticism and logical thinking for data collection and analysis. It is our hope that with our data we can make strong correlations of paranormal/ghostly events and behaviors and begin to help build a better understanding of alleged ghosts and hauntings.
Society for Psychical Research
The Spiritualist movement of the 19th century gave us this organization, which sought to understand and investigate purportedly paranormal occurrences. The group features prominently in another fabulous YA novel, Sonia Gensler’s The Dark Between.
The Ghostbusters
Despite my lifelong wishes, the Ghostbusters remain a fictional organization from the movies Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters 2, starring Dan Akroyd, Billy Murray, and Harold Ramis. You can thank these guys for coining the phrase, “Who ya gonna call?” The answer: “GHOSTBUSTERS!” Cue theme song:
Novel Novice 
Leave a comment