The Book of the DamnedFlying saucers, telekinesis, sudden showers of fish from the sky, poltergeists, spontaneous combustion: these are a few of the unexplained phenomena Charles Fort (1874-1932) labeled "damned," his term for mysteries ignored or dismissed by scientific orthodoxy. This volume, based on 27 years of research, explores this gray area between science and fantasy. Although branded as "irregular, whimsical, mutually exclusive, elliptical and contrary," Fort's manner of writing was admired by many notable figures, and his research and interpretations became the prototype for latter-day extraterrestrial speculations and helped promote the development of science fiction--a genre that embraces what are known today as "Fortean themes." Unabridged republication of the edition published by Boni and Liveright, Inc., New York, 1919. |
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