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The Unexplained (Books) - Still Viable?

What do you think of "The Unexplained"?

  • Completely redundant - bin/burn it!

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Fun to read ... and add updates!

    Votes: 2 33.3%
  • Quite useful for odd research

    Votes: 1 16.7%
  • Unreplaceable - a "must have"!

    Votes: 3 50.0%

  • Total voters
    6

Stormkhan

Disturbingly familiar
Joined
May 28, 2003
Messages
8,363
Having collected the complete set of The Unexplained part work, including binders and index, they still sit rather fetchingly on my bookshelf. Sometimes I still read through the articles and use it as reference for articles, programmes etc.

Thing is, how much of it is still viable paranormal information? I mean, the Cottingly Faeries was proved a hoax, Nessie still remains elusive, UFOs continue to swoop around the skies like starlings ... plus ca change ...!

Does anyone else use it as reference or has the Internet made it redundant? What is your favourite article in the series? Was it worth the collective cost?
 
I think you should keep it. Sure, some things in it are now known to be defunct, but nevertheless it's still an interesting overview of the subject, and IMHO is a classic of it's kind. Do you have the flexidisc that came with the first issue?
 
Sadly, no! I started collecting it when it was first issued - back in the seventies when I was ;) years old. I've always had a healthy(?) interest in the paranormal. Some issues still have my old address pencilled in by the newsagent (since I had a subscription with them). My flexidisk will probably be discovered by some puzzled archaeologist in decades ahead. Unless it is biodegradable.

I'd never get rid of the set, if only for happy memories of reading the articles for the first time.
 
I have most of the set, probably several part-sets in fact, and certain articles still scare me as much as when I first read them, when like Storm I was but ;) tender years of age.

The MIB chapters were especially terrifying as this was the first mention of them that I ever saw.:eek:

The mags are staying- wouldn't dream of parting with'em!
 
I still have the flexi disc (evp) and actually used part of it at a talk on the paranormal i gave recently.

I think the Unexplained is an invaluable work and I will not get rid of mine. Some things have changed but it still doesn't stop them being Fortean. Cottingley Fairy photos - fakes but still a Fortean item as surely Forteana is not just the event or creature or whatever but the cultural impact as well.

Gordon
 
Does the flexi disc just have stuff on EVP? Is it the same things on 'The Ghost Orchid' CD?
 
Unexplained...

The two things that utterly disturbed me as a child from The Unexplained were:

A drawing of an apparition some french kids had seen in the woods (I believe). It had a black cloak on, an elongated hairy head and big wide eyes. It may also have been holding something too. God, that frightened the socks off me.

And the other thing was an interpritation of The Jersey Devil I recall. Kind of dogs head on winged body with spindly legs.

I must have only been about 4 or 5 and it was my first delving into the paranormal. My bro had a stack of them and whenever I used to go into his room, they seemed to emit an overall ambiance of spookyness, or maybe that was his socks that were on top of the pile:D

If anyone has piccies of the above, I'd love to see em again as I unfortunately failed in my attempt to nick my brothers collection.....Ho hum.
 
JerryB said:
Does the flexi disc just have stuff on EVP? Is it the same things on 'The Ghost Orchid' CD?

EVP only. It's a collection of recordings made from experiments done by Raudive. Unfortunately I think it has a weakness in that it tells you what you are supposed to hear before you hear it so you don't listen with unbiased ears.

I'm afraid I don't know the Ghost Orchid CD - what is it?

Gordon
 
'The Ghost Orchid' is a collection of EVP recordings from various sources. As with the flexi disc, it tells you what's being said before you hear the sample. I find it interesting, but remain unconvinced about the pemise that these are the voices of the dead.
 
The Unexplained is great. Don't get rid of it: even if you scoff at its 1980s conclusions it remains an entertaining read.
 
I like it and it lives on my landing, ready for looking up any articles
mentioned on here. I wish the index was better, though: I can seldom
find articles I know are in there.

Yes, of course some of the articles have been superseded by later research
but most of the hardy perennials can't be researched much further. Usually the
authors give the sources and attempt some sort of critical analysis.

Favourite bits? I liked the series on time-slips and phantom cottages etc.
Low key tales mainly but full of a sense of wonder.

I know some of the art-work is a bit childish but at least it predates the DTP
revolution which makes the pages of later part-works such a pain to read.
:rolleyes:
 
Anyone got a bibliographic reference? I've just got something that's been on my Wants List for five years - while this is good I really hate it when the list gets shorter!

seems to indicate a possibility of the fun running out of life.....

Kath
 
The Unexplained was a huge influence on a generation of young Forteans, I'm sure! I began collecting this in the early eighties even before I'd seen a copy of FT.
Then, several years later succumbed to the marketing ploy of the hard-backed collection that still graces my bookshelves.
It was brilliant!
That flexi-disc haunted my teenage nightmares for ages...:eek!!!!: :D


ZENTOR! ZENTOR!
 
a-ha! so are they hardback glossy books exactly the same, only bound (if you see what I mean) or did they edit/update in the process?
 
stonedoggy said:
a-ha! so are they hardback glossy books exactly the same, only bound (if you see what I mean) or did they edit/update in the process?

Far as I can make out, they are exactly the same, just trussed up in hard covers! (26 volumes, published by Orbis in 1992).
 
I def feel a Want coming on :-D

Thanks David

kath
 
The Unexplained is the Daddy. I've got the full set from its early-80s incarnation (rather than the early 90s reissue), passed on by a family friend.

I can remember one glorious summer at the age of 14 or so spent poring over each issue when I suppose I should have been out smoking in the park or something.

You just can't beat it.....Jeff the talking Mongoose. Borley Rectory. Classic stuff......
 
Re: Unexplained...

roachford said:
And the other thing was an interpritation of The Jersey Devil I recall. Kind of dogs head on winged body with spindly legs.

Ladies, Gentlemen and Undecided ... Allow me to present The Jersey Devil, courtesy of The Unexplained, Volume 5, page 1129!
 
Allow me to present The Jersey Devil,
Oh bloody hell, I'll have to root it out & re-read it now!:eek:

What's this early 80s business? My Da was reading it in the 70s.
(My bro found it when he was looking for, er, my Da's 'art books'!;) )
 
I have, I think, 4 volumes, still stashed away in the family home. Must track them down as they sometimes migrate to the brother's bedroom. I once found the whole lot getting damp on his window sill. Grrrrrr! Didn't know there were bound volumes too, would be tempted to get them to complete the collection.

Where I come from in the Midlands of Ireland this was the only Fortean material available and it was great when I was 14 or 15.

What terrified me was the picture of a demon statue in the church in Rennes le Chateau. I used to try and remember what page that was so I could skip it.
 
Thanks Stormkhan!! Thats a real blast from the past! Strangely does not feel anywhere near as scary as it used to.

Any chance of the other one???
 
Is this the one, Roachford? Sorry it's small, but I already had it on my hard drive for some long-forgotten purpose.

The Unexplained was my first introduction to strange phenomena, along with the classic Usborne books. The illustrations, although they no longer scare me as they once did, capture a sense of nostalgic weirdness for me personally. I'd still love to find out the name of the artist who did them.
 
EEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!

Yep, thats the little bugger alright. Thankyou for taking the time to find it for me!!

I had a look on ebay this morning and there actually a few copies of TU being sold. Not for much either I might add.
 
Hey, don't shell out, you can have mine, I have lots!;)
 
Do Orbis still exist?

any chance of this coming around again this new year do you think?

Kath
 
escargot said:
Hey, don't shell out, you can have mine, I have lots!;)

I'd have thought they would be worth something though. I'm waiting until some half dead spook lands the complete collection on Michael Aspells lap in the Antiques Roadshow. Imagine the grannies faces as Mike gets possessed and starts spewing green ectoplasm over Hugh Scully. Priceless.....literally.:D :D
 
How about these two babies ...
Have you seen them in real life? Sure aint Jay and Kay!
 
OK! I want these. I don't do deferred gratifcation well :)


do all the various re-issuings have the same number of bits?

I'd rather have the parts than the books.... easier to curl up with and spill coffee over..


Anyone selling any they want to negotiate over?

Kath
 
Apart from my hard-bound 26-volume set, (published by Stuttman Inc. of Connecticut, 1992, as 'Mysteries of Mind, Space and Time' with the sub-title 'The Unexplained'), I had a few copies that Orbis also produced; 'The Unexplained' in 30 fortnightly volumes, in 1984.
(A year after the part-work finished? The blurb says copyright 1980-1983, no mention of publication in the seventies).
These were soft-bound and each A4-sized book contained related articles.

Volume 1: The Alien World (inc. The Welsh Triangle, The MIB...)
Volume 2: Strange Talents (inc. Count St. Germain, The Brahan Seer...)
Volume 3: When the Impossible Happens (inc. Siberian fireball, spontaneous human combustion...)


The same material in different guises!
 
David Raven said:
Apart from my hard-bound 26-volume set, (published by Stuttman Inc. of Connecticut, 1992, as 'Mysteries of Mind, Space and Time' with the sub-title 'The Unexplained'),

I have what I believe is the original UK release - bound in 13 volumes some 3200 pages. Each volume contains 12 issues so there were 156 separate issues. plus an index which was publisehd separately I believe so 157 issues.

I also have an index for a different version which basically seesm to have the smae stuff in two rounds as it were. And as has been previously mentioned I still have the original flexi dsic and I think I may have some odd issues around.

It's worth checking secodn hand book shops they do turn up for reasonable prices - it's all down to luck.

Gorodn
 
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