The Fringe of the Unknown
Encyclopedia
The Fringe of the Unknown is a 1983 science book
by L. Sprague de Camp
, published by Prometheus Books
.
The book is a collection of articles that constitute a "study ... of controversial and often little-known happenings in science and technology, with an emphasis on the wayward activities of those who dabble in fringe science." The material is organized in three sections, "Our Ingenious Forebears," "Beasts of Now and Then," and "Scientists, Mad and Otherwise." The first debunks extravagant occult and pseudoscientific claims regarding ancient civilizations while highlighting these cultures' actual accomplishments. The second performs much the same function in regard to biology, focusing on elephants, claims regarding the survival of dinosaurs into the present day, and past extinction events. The third explores the distinction between science and pseudoscience as illustrated in the lives of a number of scientists holding extreme views.
1. "The Wisdom of the Ancients" (from Science Fiction Quarterly
, Nov. 1951)
2. "Apollonios Enlists" (from Astounding Science Fiction
, Jun. 1961)
3. "Appius Claudius Crassus" (original title: "Appius Claudius Crassus: Roman Builder") (from Science Digest
, Jun. 1962)
4. "The First Missile Launchers" (from Science Digest
, Oct. 1960)
5. "The Iron Pillar of Delhi" (from Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact
, Sep. 1972)
6. "The Mechanical Wizards of Alexandria" (from Science Digest
, Aug. 1962)
7. "The Landlocked Indian Ocean" (from The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
, Jun. 1969)
Part II. Beasts of Now and Then
8. "Dinosaurs Today" (original title: "Dinosaurs in Today's World") (from The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
, Mar. 1968)
9. "Mammoths and Mastodons" (from The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
, May 1965)
10. "Death Comes to the Megafauna" (from If Worlds of Science Fiction
, Sep. 1971)
11. "Xerxes' Okapi" (original title: "Xerxes' Okapi and Greek Geography") (from Isis
, Mar. 1963)
12. "The Temperamental Tank" (original title: War Elephants"") (from Elephant
, 1964)
13. "How to Plan a Fauna" (from The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
, Oct. 1963)
Part III. Scientists, Mad and Otherwise
14. "The Care and Feeding of Scientists" (original title: "The Care and Feeding of Mad Scientists") (from Astounding Science Fiction
, Jul. 1951)
15. "The Great Whale Robbery" (from The Day of the Dinosaur
, 1968)
16. "Mad Men of Science" (originally published in two parts, as "Mad Men of Science" and "More Mad Men of Science") (from Future Science Fiction
, Jan. and Mar. 1957)
17. "Orthodoxy in Science" (from Astounding Science Fiction
, May 1954)
18. "Hoaxes in Science" (original title: "Why Do They Do It?") (from Astounding Science Fiction
, Sep. 1950)
19. "Little Green Men from Afar" (from The Humanist, Jul./Aug. 1976)
20. "The Need to Know" (original title: "Pure Science") (from The Book of Knowledge Annual, 1959)
"Acknowledgments"
Science book
A science book is a work of nonfiction, usually written by a scientist, researcher, or professor like Stephen Hawking , or sometimes by a non-scientist such as Bill Bryson...
by L. Sprague de Camp
L. Sprague de Camp
Lyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
, published by Prometheus Books
Prometheus Books
Prometheus Books is a publishing company founded in August 1969 by Paul Kurtz, who also founded the Council for Secular Humanism and co-founded the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He is currently the chairman of all three organizations. Prometheus Books publishes a range of books, including many...
.
The book is a collection of articles that constitute a "study ... of controversial and often little-known happenings in science and technology, with an emphasis on the wayward activities of those who dabble in fringe science." The material is organized in three sections, "Our Ingenious Forebears," "Beasts of Now and Then," and "Scientists, Mad and Otherwise." The first debunks extravagant occult and pseudoscientific claims regarding ancient civilizations while highlighting these cultures' actual accomplishments. The second performs much the same function in regard to biology, focusing on elephants, claims regarding the survival of dinosaurs into the present day, and past extinction events. The third explores the distinction between science and pseudoscience as illustrated in the lives of a number of scientists holding extreme views.
Contents
Part I. Our Ingenious Forebears1. "The Wisdom of the Ancients" (from Science Fiction Quarterly
Science Fiction Quarterly
Science Fiction Quarterly was an United States based pulp science fiction magazine that was originally published from 1940 to 1943 and then again from 1951 to 1958. While the magazine did not last long, it helped early science fiction writers reach early audiences in the genre. The magazine also...
, Nov. 1951)
2. "Apollonios Enlists" (from Astounding Science Fiction
Analog Science Fiction and Fact
Analog Science Fiction and Fact is an American science fiction magazine. As of 2011, it is the longest running continuously published magazine of that genre...
, Jun. 1961)
3. "Appius Claudius Crassus" (original title: "Appius Claudius Crassus: Roman Builder") (from Science Digest
Science Digest
Science Digest was a monthly American magazine published by the Hearst Corporation from 1937 through 1986. It initially had an 8 x 5 inch format with about 100 pages, and was targeted at persons with a high school education level...
, Jun. 1962)
4. "The First Missile Launchers" (from Science Digest
Science Digest
Science Digest was a monthly American magazine published by the Hearst Corporation from 1937 through 1986. It initially had an 8 x 5 inch format with about 100 pages, and was targeted at persons with a high school education level...
, Oct. 1960)
5. "The Iron Pillar of Delhi" (from Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact
Analog Science Fiction and Fact
Analog Science Fiction and Fact is an American science fiction magazine. As of 2011, it is the longest running continuously published magazine of that genre...
, Sep. 1972)
6. "The Mechanical Wizards of Alexandria" (from Science Digest
Science Digest
Science Digest was a monthly American magazine published by the Hearst Corporation from 1937 through 1986. It initially had an 8 x 5 inch format with about 100 pages, and was targeted at persons with a high school education level...
, Aug. 1962)
7. "The Landlocked Indian Ocean" (from The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction is a digest-size American fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House and then by Fantasy House. Both were subsidiaries of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Publications, which took over as publisher in 1958. Spilogale, Inc...
, Jun. 1969)
Part II. Beasts of Now and Then
8. "Dinosaurs Today" (original title: "Dinosaurs in Today's World") (from The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction is a digest-size American fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House and then by Fantasy House. Both were subsidiaries of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Publications, which took over as publisher in 1958. Spilogale, Inc...
, Mar. 1968)
9. "Mammoths and Mastodons" (from The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction is a digest-size American fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House and then by Fantasy House. Both were subsidiaries of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Publications, which took over as publisher in 1958. Spilogale, Inc...
, May 1965)
10. "Death Comes to the Megafauna" (from If Worlds of Science Fiction
If (magazine)
If was an American science fiction magazine launched in March 1952 by Quinn Publications, owned by James L. Quinn. Quinn hired Paul W. Fairman to be the first editor, but early circulation figures were disappointing, and Quinn fired Fairman after only three issues. Quinn then took over the...
, Sep. 1971)
11. "Xerxes' Okapi" (original title: "Xerxes' Okapi and Greek Geography") (from Isis
Isis (journal)
Isis is an academic journal published by University of Chicago Press. It focuses on the history of science, history of medicine, and the history of technology, as well as their cultural influences, featuring both original research articles as well as extensive book reviews and review essays.It was...
, Mar. 1963)
12. "The Temperamental Tank" (original title: War Elephants"") (from Elephant
Elephant (science book)
Elephant is a 1964 science book by L. Sprague de Camp, published by Pyramid Books as part of The Worlds of Science series.The book treats its subject comprehensively, covering elephants in captivity and the wild, their use in ancient warfare, modern conflicts between elephants and farmers, and...
, 1964)
13. "How to Plan a Fauna" (from The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction is a digest-size American fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House and then by Fantasy House. Both were subsidiaries of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Publications, which took over as publisher in 1958. Spilogale, Inc...
, Oct. 1963)
Part III. Scientists, Mad and Otherwise
14. "The Care and Feeding of Scientists" (original title: "The Care and Feeding of Mad Scientists") (from Astounding Science Fiction
Analog Science Fiction and Fact
Analog Science Fiction and Fact is an American science fiction magazine. As of 2011, it is the longest running continuously published magazine of that genre...
, Jul. 1951)
15. "The Great Whale Robbery" (from The Day of the Dinosaur
The Day of the Dinosaur
The Day of the Dinosaur is a science book by L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp, illustrated with plates. It was first published in hardcover by Doubleday in 1968, and in paperback by Curtis Books in 1971....
, 1968)
16. "Mad Men of Science" (originally published in two parts, as "Mad Men of Science" and "More Mad Men of Science") (from Future Science Fiction
Future Science Fiction
Future Science Fiction was an American science fiction pulp magazine that was published under a number of different names between 1939 and 1943 and again from 1950 to 1960.- Publication history :...
, Jan. and Mar. 1957)
17. "Orthodoxy in Science" (from Astounding Science Fiction
Analog Science Fiction and Fact
Analog Science Fiction and Fact is an American science fiction magazine. As of 2011, it is the longest running continuously published magazine of that genre...
, May 1954)
18. "Hoaxes in Science" (original title: "Why Do They Do It?") (from Astounding Science Fiction
Analog Science Fiction and Fact
Analog Science Fiction and Fact is an American science fiction magazine. As of 2011, it is the longest running continuously published magazine of that genre...
, Sep. 1950)
19. "Little Green Men from Afar" (from The Humanist, Jul./Aug. 1976)
20. "The Need to Know" (original title: "Pure Science") (from The Book of Knowledge Annual, 1959)
"Acknowledgments"