Fortean Times : The World of Strange Phenomena

Issue 140 December 2000 Priced in US & CAN Dollars NO Sticker on Cover

Richard Stanley, My Voodoo Diary : A Film-Maker's Journey Into the Art of Darkness

Crop Circle Roundup • Bigfoot Steps Out • Pope vs. the Devil

ALSO:

• When Big Cats Attack
• The Return of Chupacabras
• Potocki: Polish Werewolf in Paris
• Sirius Mystery Solved
• Whatever Happened to…? The Spear of Destiny
• The Mystical Count:  The Wandering Fantasist Who Shot Himself with a Strawberry
• Strange Days:  Quack Troops, Mystery Flying Objects, Fish Eats Man, Quake Warnings and more…

Fortean Times : The World of Strange Phenomena

Issue 146 June 2001 Priced in US & CAN Dollars NO Sticker on Cover

Buried Alive : True Tales From the Crypt

Full Moon Madness • Blasted Buddhas • Plastic People • Frozen Felines

ALSO:

• Jesus Slept!—The Secret Resurrection Drug
• Big Cats Attack—What's on the prowl near you?
• Never Say Die—The Immortal Count St-Germain

The Cats of Copenhagen was first written for James Joyce’s most beloved audience, his only grandson, Stephen James Joyce, and sent in a letter dated September 5, 1936. Cats were clearly a common currency between Joyce and his grandson. In early August 1936, Joyce sent Stephen “a little cat filled with sweets”—a kind of Trojan cat meant to outwit grown-ups. A few weeks later, Joyce penned a letter from Copenhagen that begins “Alas! I cannot send you a Copenhagen cat because there are no cats in Copenhagen.” The letter reveals the modernist master at his most playful, yet Joyce’s Copenhagen has a keen, anti-authoritarian quality that transcends the mere whimsy of a children’s story. Only recently rediscovered, this marks the inaugural U.S. publication of The Cats of Copenhagen, a treasure for readers of all ages. A rare addition to Joyce’s known body of work, it is a joy to see this exquisite story in print at last.

“At once fresh, at once classic, Onyx and Ivory is a page-turning blend of monsters, magic, and romance.” —Susan Dennard, New York Times bestselling author of Truthwitch

Acclaimed author Mindee Arnett thrusts readers into a beautiful, dangerous, and magical world in this stunningly epic and romantic fantasy for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sarah Raasch.

They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king of Rime.

Cast out of the nobility, Kate now works for the royal courier service. Only the most skilled ride for the Relay and only the fastest survive, for when night falls, the drakes—deadly flightless dragons—come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: She is a wilder, born with forbidden magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals.

And it’s this magic that leads her to a caravan massacred by drakes in broad daylight—the only survivor Corwin Tormaine, the son of the king. Her first love, the boy she swore to forget after he condemned her father to death.

With their paths once more entangled, Kate and Corwin must put the past behind them to face this new threat and an even darker menace stirring in the kingdom.

“At once fresh, at once classic, Onyx and Ivory is a page-turning blend of monsters, magic, and romance.” --Susan Dennard, New York Times bestselling author of Truthwitch

“Kate is a hero for the ages, and I was utterly swept away in her story, aching for her trials and rooting for every victory. This hero has heart and soul that will linger long after you close this book. A triumphant adventure with so much heart.” --Natalie D. Richards, author of One Was Lost

“The world of Rime is complex and layered, the cast of characters just as real as they are magical. Everything about this story is fearless. Be warned: This is the kind of book that swallows you whole.” --Kristen Simmons, author of Article 5 and Metaltown

About the Author

Mindee Arnett is the acclaimed author of Avalon and its sequel, Polaris, as well as the Nightmare series. She lives on a horse farm in Ohio with her husband, two kids, a couple of dogs, and an inappropriate number of cats. You can find her online at mindeearnett.com.

The only novel ever to win the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Awards and the first book in Ann Leckie's New York Times bestselling trilogy.

On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.

Once, she was the Justice of Toren - a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.

Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.

"If you don't know the Ancillary series by now, you probably should. Ann Leckie's sociopolitical space opera almost singlehandedly breathed new cool into the stereotype of spaceships trundling through far-off systems amid laser battles. ... [Ancillary Mercy] earns the credit it's received: As a capstone to a series that shook genre expectations, as our closing installment of an immersively realized world, and as the poignant story of a ship that learned to sing."―NPR Books on Ancillary Mercy

"Powerful."―The New York Times on Ancillary Sword

"Unexpected, compelling and very cool. Ann Leckie nails it...I've never met a heroine like Breq before. I consider this a very good thing indeed."―John Scalzi

"Ancillary Justice is the mind-blowing space opera you've been needing...This is a novel that will thrill you like the page-turner it is, but stick with you for a long time afterward."―i09.com (included in 'This Fall's Must-Read Science Fiction and Fantasy Books')

"It's not every day a debut novel by an author you'd never heard of before derails your entire afternoon with its brilliance. But when my review copy of Ancillary Justicearrived, that's exactly what it did. In fact, it arrowed upward to reach a pretty high position on my list of best space opera novels ever."―Liz Bourke, Tor.com

"Establishes Leckie as an heir to Banks and Cherryh."―Elizabeth Bear

Ann Leckie has worked as a waitress, a receptionist, a rodman on a land-surveying crew, a lunch lady, and a recording engineer. The author of many published short stories, and former secretary of the Science Fiction Writers of America, she lives in St. Louis, Missouri, with her husband, children, and cats.

The Booker Prize-winning author of The Handmaid’s Tale pens a conclusion to the dramatic, hilarious, and heartwarming Angel Catbird trilogy. 

It's all-out war in the madcap culmination of Angel Catbird's superhero saga. The evil Rat army is aiming for world domination, and only a ragtag gang of half-cats stands in their way. 

Margaret Atwood is one of the most important living writers of our day. She has been recognized internationally for her work through awards and honorary degrees. 

 Atwood, whose work has been published in over thirty-five countries, is the author of more than forty books of fiction, poetry, and critical essays, and has won the Man Booker Prize, the Giller Prize, Premio Mondello, and more. 

The cat-centric adventure continues, in the all-ages follow-up to The Handmaid’s Tale author Margaret Atwood's debut graphic novel. Genetic engineer Strig Feleedus, also known as Angel Catbird, and his band of half-cats head to Castle Catula to seek allies as the war between cats and rats escalates.

Margaret Atwood, the respected, worldwide best-selling novelist, and acclaimed artist Johnnie Christmas continue their action-packed adventure!

Atwood's The Blind Assassin was named one of Time magazine's 100 best English-language novels published since 1923 and her recent MaddAddam Trilogy is currently being adapted into an HBO television show by Darren Aronofsky

Published in over thirty-five countries, Margaret Atwood is one of the most important living writers of our day and is the author of more than forty books of fiction, poetry, and critical essays. Her work has won the Man Booker Prize, the Giller Prize, Premio Mondello, and more. Angel Catbird is her first graphic novel series.

A seventy-five-year-old King gets new vintage cover art for his anniversary!

Celebrate the 75th birthday of Dr. Seuss's classic treatise on the importance of a balanced life with our Anniversary Edition featuring cover art from the books original publication! A Seussian spin on a conventional fairy tale, The King's Stilts is as topical today as when it was first published in 1939. It's the story of a devoted king who works hard and plays hard—and whose entire kingdom is threatened when his beloved stilts are stolen and he is too distraught to do his job. Written in prose instead of rhyme (unlike Seuss's later works), The King's Stilts nevertheless addresses subjects that we know Dr. Seuss was passionate about throughout his life: duty (as in Horton Hears a Who and Horton Hatches the Egg); the abuse of power (as in The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins and Yertle the Turtle); deceit (as in The Bippolo Seed and How the Grinch Stole Christmas)--and even cats (as in The Cat in the Hat and I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today)! A perfect way to introduce new readers to an old classic, or to reward existing fans with a collectible new edition. Follow the Good Doctor's advice: After a hard day of work, have fun with a great book like The King's Stilts!

In A Plain and Simple Christmas, from the author of the widely popular Kauffman Amish Bakery Series, shunned Anna Mae doesn’t receive the welcome she expects when she pays a visit for Christmas and her world begins to fall apart, leaving her to question her place in her family—and her faith in God.

Set in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Naomi’s Gift reintroduces twenty-four-year-old Naomi King, who has given up her dreams of finding true love. But when a young widower stirs surprising feelings in her, Naomi cautiously opens her heart to him and receives an unexpected response that once again turns her world upside-down.

Author Amy Clipston artfully paints a panorama of simple lives full of complex relationships, and she carefully explores cultural differences and human similarities, with inspirational results.

From the author of the popular Magic 2.0 series comes the witty tale of a mischievous A.I. gone rogue.

Al, a well-meaning but impish artificial intelligence, has the mind of a six-year-old and a penchant for tantrums. And the first one to discover just how much trouble Al could cause is Hope Takeda, the lab assistant in charge of educating and socializing him. Day care is a lot more difficult when your kid is an evolving and easily frightened A.I.

When Al manages to access the Internet and escape the lab days before his official unveiling, Hope and her team embark on a mission to contain him—before he creates any real problems.

Soon the NSA is on Al’s back, the US Army is fighting a brigade of mass-produced robots, and a wannabe cyberterrorist is looking to silence Al permanently. After months spent “raising” Al, Hope knows she’s running out of time—and she’s not sure she’ll be able to protect him. Will she manage to control the unruly A.I. and quell a global crisis, or will Al outsmart them once and for all?

About the Author

Scott Meyer has worked as a radio host, a stand-up comedian, an office worker, and a theme-park ride operator. (He held those jobs in the order they’re listed, which is probably the opposite of what you’d expect.) He has written for several video games and created the comic strip Basic Instructions, which ran online and in various alternative weekly papers across the country for nearly a decade. Scott is the author of the Magic 2.0 books and several other novels and comics collections. Scott and his wife live in Phoenix, Arizona, to be close to their cats.

Michel Foucault’s work has profoundly affected the teaching of such diverse disciplines as literary criticism, criminology, and gender studies. Arguing that definitions of abnormal behavior are culturally constructed, Foucault explored the unfair division between those who meet and those who deviate from social norms. Foucault’s deeply visual sense of scenes such as ritual public executions, lends itself well to Moshe Süsser’s dramatic illustrations.

For all lovers of horses and history, it's the next book in the popular Horse Diaries series. Born in the Arabian Desert in the ninth century, Yatimah is a black Arabian filly whose name means "orphan." She enjoys her life at the oasis, with sheep to tease, other foals to race, and the daughter of her Bedouin owner to take care of her. But when the colt who is her foster brother is stolen in a raid, Yatimah realizes her true birthright. Like Black Beauty, this moving novel is told in first person from the horse's own point of view and includes an appendix full of photos and facts about Arabian horses and Bedouin culture.

About the Author

CATHERINE HAPKA has written more than 150 books for children and young adults—many about horses, including Elska, the first book in the Horse Diaries series. A lifelong horse lover, she rides several times per week and appreciates horses of all breeds. She lives on a small farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, which she shares with a horse, three goats, a small flock of chickens, and too many cats.

RUTH SANDERSON has illustrated books for children of all ages, including Summer Pony, Winter Pony, and Hush, Little Horsie. Her favorite hobby is horseback riding. You can find out more at RuthSanderson.com.

Age Range: 8 - 12 years

Grade Level: 3 - 7

Lexile Measure: 840L

"[Lovecraft's] dream fantasy works are as terrifying and haunting as his tales of horror and the macabre. A master craftsman, Lovecraft brings compelling visions of nightmarish fear, invisible worlds and the demons of the unconscious. If one author truly represents the very best in American literary horror, it is H. P. Lovecraft."--John Carpenter, Director of At the Mouth of Madness, Halloween, and Christine

This volume collects, for the first time, the entire Dream Cycle created by H. P. Lovecraft, the master of twentieth-century horror, including some of his most fantastic tales:

THE DOOM THAT CAME TO SARNATH--Hate, genocide, and a deadly curse consume the land of Mnar.

THE STATEMENT OF RANDOLPH CARTER--"You fool, Warren is DEAD!"

THE NAMELESS CITY--Death lies beneath the shifting sands, in a story linking the Dream Cycle with the legendary Cthulhu Mythos.

THE CATS OF ULTHAR--In Ulthar, no man may kill a cat...and woe unto any who tries.

THE DREAM QUEST OF UNKNOWN KADATH--The epic nightmare adventure with tendrils stretching throughout the entire Dream Cycle.

AND TWENTY MORE TALES OF SURREAL TERROR

An irresistible collection of short stories for cat lovers.

At the annual gathering of the MEOW society, cats of all kinds convene to share their stories and those of their ancestors. Chico, the smallest cat in the world, recounts stopping a crime. The Pirate Cat tells of the fateful day when he discovered a treasure while hunting for mice. And Georgio shares his delectable―and sometimes surprising―recipes.

Cat Diaries is a winning companion to Dog Diaries, also by Betsy Byars and her daughters Betsy Duffy and Laurie Myers. With gorgeous black-and-white illustrations by Erik Brooks, animal lovers and reluctant readers will be wooed by the charm, strength, and wit of these feline friends.

About the Author

Betsy Byars, a Newbery Medal winner, and her two daughters, Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers―both well-known authors of books for young readers―have together written several popular story collections. Betsy Byars lives in South Carolina, and her daughters live in Georgia.
Erik Brooks has illustrated Boo's Dinosaur by Betsy Byars and Monkey Business by Shirley Climo, in addition to the first Secret Writings book, Dog Diaries. He lives in the Methow Valley in north central Washington.

Eliot’s famous collection of nonsense verse about cats-the inspiration for the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats. This edition features pen-and-ink drolleries by Edward Gorey throughout.

Thomas Stearns Eliot was born in 1888 in St. Louis, Missouri, and became a British subject in 1927. The acclaimed poet of The Waste Land, Four Quartets, and Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, among numerous other poems, prose, and works of drama, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948. T.S. Eliot died in 1965 in London, England, and is buried in Westminster Abbey.

"In No Space for Further Burials, Feryal Ali Gauhar has crafted a novel of unrelenting truth held in transcendent prose and an exquisite grace. There is no easy redemption here, but there is light and more light."—Chris Abani, author of GraceLand and Song for Night

"In writing through the eyes of an American captive in Afghanistan, Feryal Ali Gauhar has fashioned a fascinating two-way mirror in which we see the author creating an Other confronting Otherness. As in Richard Powers' hostage novel Ploughing in the Dark, the mask of character reveals as much as it conceals."—Stewart O'Nan, author of Songs for the Missing

"An unbearably beautiful book, one you will not soon forget. . . . What Gauhar shows us is that in a war there are only those who die and those who survive, and sometimes even those lines get blurred. And that's what keeps you hungrily turning the pages."—Radhika Jha, author of Smell

Set in Afghanistan in late 2002, No Space for Further Burials is a chilling indictment of the madness of war and our collective complicity in the perpetuation of violence. The novel's narrator, a US Army medical technician in Afghanistan helping to "liberate" the country from the Taliban, has been captured by rebels and thrown into an asylum. The other inmates are a besieged gathering of society's forgotten and unwanted refugees and derelicts, disabled and different, resilient and maddened, struggling to survive the lunacy raging outside the asylum compound. The novel becomes a powerful evocation of the country's desolate history of plunder and war, waged by insiders and outsiders, all fueled by ideology, desperation, and greed.

This astonishingly powerful story unfolds the tragedy of Afghanistan, as told by the captive narrator in hauntingly beautiful prose. While the characters try to cope with their individual destinies, the terrible madness of war is counterpointed with the poignancy of their lives and the narrator's own peculiar predicament—the "victor" now a victim, his ambivalence a metaphor for everything Afghanistan symbolizes.

Feryal Ali Gauhar studied political economy at McGill University in Montreal, and has worked as a filmmaker and broadcaster in Europe and the United States. She has been imprisoned by two military regimes in Pakistan for her pro-democracy activism. In 1999 she was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund. She lives in Lahore, Pakistan, with fourteen cats, three dogs, a turtle, and four donkeys.

This is Linda Tucker’s firsthand account of her journey into the mysteries of the most sacred animal on the African continent: the legendary White Lion. This book reveals the knowledge and ceremonies of Old Africa and the overwhelming love that has driven her every action to save these magnificent beasts, against formidable odds. . . .

After being rescued from a life-threatening encounter with lions in the Timbavati game region by a medicine woman known as the “Lion Queen,” Linda embarked on a journey into the mysteries of the White Lion. It is a mystical journey into the knowledge and ceremonies of Old Africa, in which humans and lions are able to cross the species barrier—in accordance with the most guarded secrets of Ancient Egypt and humankind’s greatest riddle, the sphinx.

Scientists in our day have established that humankind’s most significant evolutionary leap occurred as a result of our ancestors’ interaction with great cats. The White Lion is a genetic rarity of Panthera leo, and occurred in just one region on earth: Timbavati. Today White Lions form the center of the notorious “canned” trophy hunting industry—hand-reared captive lions, shot in enclosures for gross sums of money. By contrast, shamans believe that killing a “lion sun god” is the ultimate sacrilege. How the human species treats such precious symbols of God in nature may determine how nature treats the human species.

Whether we view them as prophetic “Lions of God” or simply as rare genetic mutations, the story of the White Lions is a true legend unfolding in our own extraordinary times.

The pet photographer and bestselling author of the Shake series presents more than sixty cute, cuddly, and charming cats caught in mid-lick in this delightfully funny full-color photography collection.

Photographed in Carli Davidson’s recognizable style, Lick Cats includes more than 130 highly detailed, up-close portraits of cats at their most candid tongue-flicking moments. Showcasing slow-motion photography, Lick Cats follows the same layout as her previous books—each spread features two images of the same cat placed side by side to capture them in the action. The collection also includes a model roster listing the names, ages, and types of cats photographed, charming outtake images from the shoots, a short introduction about her process, and information about animal rescue to encourage fans to adopt a rescue cat.

Filled with adorable and entertaining photographs, Lick Cats is a must for every cat fanatic as well as photography and animal lovers.

What happens when a thirty-five-year-old average American woman spends one year following every piece of Oprah Winfrey's advice on how to "live your best life"? Robyn Okrant devoted 2008 to adhering to all of Oprah's suggestions and guidance delivered via her television show, her Web site, and her magazine. LIVING OPRAH is a month-by-month account of that year.

Some of the challenges included enrollment in Oprah's Best Life Challenge for physical fitness and weight control, living vegan, and participating in Oprah's Book Club. After 365 days of LIVING OPRAH, Okrant reflects on the rewards won and lessons learned as well as the tolls exacted by the experiment.

A Must-Read for all Pet Lovers

For decades, dog and cat owners have depended on popular commercial foods to keep their beloved animals well-fed. Until 2007, when the national pet food catastrophe left pet owners scrambling for an alternative to mass-quantity, factory-produced food.

How can you break away from your reliance on the commercial pet food industry? Pet Food Nation offers the solution: Stop feeding your pet from a bag or a can—gradually, and then permanently. Instead, let's return to the way our ancestors fed their cherished pets since the dawn of time, with a variety of fresh and cooked foods from our own homes, the smart, simple, and healthy way.

Pet Food Nation features :

• How to transition your pet from commercial food to a healthier diet
• Six signs of dietary problems with your pet
• Why homemade food is better for your pet
• The best diet for an older pet
• What to feed your breed
• Basic easy recipes for dogs and cats

Buy this book and learn how to feed your pets properly and safely now!

Two years after Sam Gribley first ran away to live off the land, he is still on his own with his falcon, Frightful.  His independent younger sister, Alice, lives in a treehouse of her own nearby.  But suddenly, Sam's peaceful life is shattered.  Frightful is confiscated by a conservation officer, and Alice disappears.  To find them, Sam must leave his mountain refuge and track Alice across the Catskills as only he can do.  The trail to the far side of the mountain may lead Sam to the two beings that matter most to him--or it may lead him into grave danger.