Comments on: Fortean Links to Cryptozoology

By: patspain

patspain — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:20:39 +0000

Charles Fort is my Great-great-great-uncle. His autographed works have been passed down and have recently landed with me. I love reading about him and have always been fascinated by “the unknown”, esp. in terms of Cryptozoology / biology. I have a BS in marine biology and am always searching for “unknown-animals” as my famous relative once did. It’s great to see him getting some press here, Thanks Loren!

By: jerrywayne

jerrywayne — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:00:52 +0000

In the history of ideas, I don’t know if Fort was a good guy or bad. Was he a visionary or simply deluded? Was he an anti-authoritarian, or an obscurantist? Did he offer a real critique of science, or was he just another anti-intellectual?
Did he liberate us, or shackle us to the irrational?

By: Martin of Pines

Martin of Pines — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:24:12 +0000

Yay! I was hoping we’d get to Fort! I have little knowledge on his works, but judging what I HAVE read about him his is one of the many visionaries as yet unrecognized by the conservative dogmatic mainstream of science.

By: Ceroill

Ceroill — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 17:49:46 +0000

I agree, Loren, that Fort was a seminal influence in what has become cryptozoology. His insistence and willingness to look into things that the scientific establishment didn’t accept was a beginning.