Charles Fort

El libro de los condenados fue la primera obra de no ficción publicada por el autor Charles Fort (primera edición, 1919). En él estudia diversos tipos de fenómenos anómalos, incluyendo los ovnis, las caidas extrañas de materiales organicos e inorganicos desde el cielo, los fenomenos climaticos raros, la posible existencia de criaturas estudiadas como seres mitologicos, desapariciones de personas en extrañas circunstancias, y muchos otros fenomenos. El libro es considerado historicamente como el primer escrito en el campo especifico de la rareza.El titulo del libro hace referencia a lo que denomino los malditos -los datos que habian sido condenados o excluidos- por la ciencia moderna debido a que no se ajustaban a las directrices marcadas. La forma en que Fort los analizo, era totalmente contraria a como lo hacian los cientificos mas famosos, ya que tomo el camino de lo impopular, de lo que se salia de la linea marcada. Tambien comparo la cerrazon de muchos cientificos a la de los fundamentalistas religiosos, lo que implica que la supuesta"batalla"entre la ciencia y la religion es solo una cortina de humo para afirmar que, en su opinion, la ciencia es simplemente de facto un tipo de religion. Este es un tema que Fort desarrollaria con mas ahinco en sus ultimos trabajos.

"Charles Fort (1874-1932) es el santo patrón de las anomalías y fundador de disciplinas que después serían conocidas como la ufología o la criptozoología. Espoleado por un incansable afán investigador, Fort se dedicó a rastrear la literatura científica del siglo XIX y siglo XX para demostrarnos que el mundo y el universo es un lugar mucho más extraño y apasionante de lo que los libros de texto y las pizarras quieren hacernos creer. Fort, tras maratonianas jornadas en las bibliotecas de Nueva York, puso en evidencia que en todo el mundo se producen eventos como lluvias inexplicables, avistamientos de objetos en el cielos, inesperadas visitas cósmicas o apariciones de extrañas bestias que la ciencia convencional trata de ocultar e ignorar. Tratando de combatir la miopía y la arrogancia del pensamiento científico imperante, Fort publica en 1919 su obra más influyente ""El libro de los condenados"" donde, como el título indica, trata de recuperar todos esos datos ""condenados"" al ostracismo y plantearnos que el universo quizá merece otra mirada. En sus páginas, Fort señala cientos de casos, perfectamente documentados, donde se recogen hechos de muy difícil explicación según la ciencia de la época. (Evidentemente el paso de los años y el desarrollo técnico, ha hecho que algunos, sí se puedan explicar, pero otros muchos siguen siendo un enigma) Charles Fort y su obra ejercieron una poderosa influencia tanto en su época como en décadas posteriores. Autores como H. P. Lovecraft mostraron su admiración ante su trabajo, y años después Pauwels y Bergier recogieron el testigo con su exitoso ""El retorno de los brujos"" que ahondaba en ese planteamiento de poner en evidencia anomalías y eventos inexplicables."

In "The Book of the Damned," Charles Fort delves into the realm of the unexplained and the rejected anomalies of scientific discourse. This groundbreaking work, first published in 1919, presents a collection of phenomena that mainstream science dismissed, including reports of unusual weather events, unexplained aerial phenomena, and strange biological occurrences. Forts literary style is characterized by a blend of sharp wit and meticulous research, presenting a cavalcade of examples that challenge the conventional boundaries of epistemology and challenge the rationalist paradigm of his time. The context of the early 20th century, with its burgeoning interest in the supernatural and the unknown, further amplifies the significance of Forts inquiries. Fort, a self-taught researcher and a pioneer in critical thinking, developed a fascination for the bizarre and inexplicable events while working as a newspaper reporter. His background in journalism allowed him to approach the subject with a skeptical yet open-minded lens, reflecting his belief that scientific inquiry should embrace the oddities that defy categorization. By compiling various accounts from newspapers and scientific literature, Fort sought to validate the existence of these phenomena that had been relegated to the margins of scientific credibility. This book is essential reading for anyone intrigued by the boundaries of science and the unexplained mysteries of the world. Forts unique perspective not only invites readers to reconsider the nature of evidence and belief but also encourages a broader understanding of the universes enigmas. Thus, "The Book of the Damned" stands as a seminal text that inspires curiosity and critical thought in a landscape often restricted by rigid scientific orthodoxy.

The Book of the Damned was the first published nonfiction work by American author Charles Fort. Concerning various types of anomalous phenomena including UFOs, strange falls of both organic and inorganic materials from the sky, odd weather patterns, the possible existence of creatures generally believed to be mythological, disappearances of people, and many other phenomena, the book is considered to be the first of the specific topic of anomalistics.

Lo! is the third published nonfiction work of the author Charles Fort. In it he details a wide range of unusual phenomena. In the final chapter of the book he proposes a new cosmology that the earth is stationary in space and surrounded by a solid shell which is "not unthinkably far away". In this book Fort coined the now-popular term "teleportation" for the first time.

This exceptional read is a collection of writings by an American writer and researcher, Charles Fort, who was specialized in anomalous phenomena. This collection of scientific anomalies, including The Book of the Damned, influenced numerous science-fiction writers with their skepticism and as sources of ideas. Examples of the odd phenomena in Forts books include many occurrences of the sort variously referred to as occult, supernatural, and paranormal. Reported events include teleportation, falls of frogs, fishes, and inorganic materials, spontaneous human combustion, ball lightning, poltergeist events, unaccountable noises and explosions, levitation, unidentified flying objects, unexplained disappearances, giant wheels of light in the oceans, and animals found outside their normal ranges.The Book of the DamnedNew LandsLo!Wild Talents

El Libro de los condenados es, hasta la actualidad, uno de los textos más completos, interesantes y reveladores sobre hechos aparentemente inexplicables. Es un libro bizarro y misterioso que da inicio a especulaciones cosmologicas y teorias enigmaticas sobre la ciencia y el conocimiento.Este libro, adelantado a su epoca, sigue siendo controvertido pese a haberse publicado hace mas de cien años. Sus paginas cuentan diversos acontecimientos malditos: ovnis, alienigenas, avistamientos, lluvias extrañas peces, sapos, fuego, granizos gigantes, piedras de rayos, y ahondan en la existencia de seres mitologicos, fenomenos paranormales, entre otros. Charles Fort, con su teoria, enfrenta el conformismo cientifico. Propone que la realidad y todo aquello que nos rodea son mas complejos de lo que creemos, y que nuestra percepcion acerca de lo verdadero y de lo falso no siempre respeta los hechos reales, sino que esta sesgada por el sentido comun. El libro de los condenados es considerado, por tanto, la primera obra que aborda el tema especifico de la anomalistica.

Wild Talents, is the fourth non-fiction book by the author Charles Fort, known for his writing on the paranormal. In this book he deals largely with a number of anomalous phenomena, as well as his ongoing attack on current scientific theories. The book deals for the most part with trying to fit the various phenomena described into Forts new theory of psychic and mental power the "Wild Talents". Fort discusses many topics he had touched on before, though generally in more detail than in his other works poltergeists, spontaneous human combustion, animal mutilations, vampires, and ghosts along with many supposed cases of psychokinesis and ability to control ones surroundings.

New Lands is the second nonfiction book of the author Charles Fort. It deals primarily with astronomical anomalies. In the first part of the book, Fort criticises astronomy, listing predictions astronomers made that never came true. He also continues his attacks on scientific dogma, citing a number of mysterious stars and planets that scientists failed to account for. Fort expands in this book on his theory about the Super-Sargasso Sea a place where earthly things supposedly materialize in order to rain down on Earth as well as developing an idea that there are continents above the skies of Earth. As evidence, in the second part of the book, he cites a number of anomalous phenomena, including strange "mirages" of land masses, groups of people, and animals in the skies.

"The Book of the Damned" reminds one of Harnacks characterization of the Gnostic work "Pistis Sophia" as "dedicated to the propaganda of systematic idiocy." Mr. Charles Fort, with a zeal worthy of a scientist, has spent a life-time collecting newspaper stories of bodies that have fallen from the sky, such as hailstones as big as elephants, red, black, and green rains, butter, calves, putrid substances, and the like. He admits that observers have sometimes tried to explain these phenomena on known laws, as when Dr. Hitchcock examined a putrid substance alleged to have fallen from the sky at Amherst, and declared it to be a fungus, but Mr. Fort knows that the things dropped from the sky are messages from another world. He presents evidence that has hitherto been ignored or distorted by scientists pointing to the proof of life in other planets and of communication between them and this earth.

In "The Book of the Damned," Charles Fort presents a groundbreaking analysis of anomalies and unexplained phenomena that defy conventional scientific understanding. Through a unique amalgamation of investigative journalism and speculative reasoning, Fort explores instances of meteorological oddities, mysterious objects, and unclassifiable events, examining what he terms the damned data overlooked by mainstream science. His literary style blends wit with erudition, evoking a sense of inquiry that invites readers to ponder the vast, often dismissed realm of the inexplicable. This work holds a distinct place in the literary context of early 20th-century skepticism, foreshadowing future interests in the paranormal and fringe science. Fort, born in 1874, was a pioneering figure in the field of anomalous phenomena and a fervent critic of the scientific establishment. His journalistic background provided him with a platform to confront the boundaries of accepted knowledge, while his rich personal experiences shaped his fascination with the unexplained. His tireless investigation into the overlooked data reflects his desire to challenge reductive narratives and embrace the uncertainties of the world around us. "The Book of the Damned" is highly recommended for those curious about the secrets of the universe and the limits of human understanding. It invites readers to embrace the mysteries of existence and critique the rigid structures of science, making it a thought-provoking read for both skeptics and believers alike.

Mil hechos malditos ignorados por la ciencia.