Charles Fort

Charles Fort (Charles Hoy Fort, born August 6, 1874 in Albany, New York, † May 3, 1932 in New York City ) was an American author and a pioneer in the study of unexplained phenomena.

Life

Charles Hoy Fort was born in 1874 in Albany, New York, the eldest of three children (he was of Dutch descent ). He had two younger brothers, Clarence and Raymond and a strict father, the flogging began.

Although still very young, he was very interested in nature, was, however, despite its rather comprehensive knowledge in school ways never particularly successful.

At 18, he left New York City to travel around the world and " get some capital in the bank of experience" (put some capital in the bank of experience). He traveled through the western United States, Scotland, England and South Africa, where he fell ill and had to return home. Anna Filing, whom he had known since childhood, took care of him, and on 26 October 1896, he married her.

1916 gave him the inheritance of an uncle to abandon his various works and to devote himself entirely to writing. 1917 died his brother Clarence, whose share of the inheritance was divided between Charles and Raymond.

1924 Fort drew with his wife to London, where he lived until 1926 and eagerly frequented the library of the British Museum. From 1929 fort had moved his residence back to New York City. His health had deteriorated considerably, as his vision was strong after, but progress could not be treated, but focused on completing Wild Talents. On May 3, 1932, he collapsed and was taken to the Royal Hospital in the Bronx. His publisher even paid him a visit, to inform him about the release of Wild Talents, a few hours before Charles Fort died. He was buried in Albany, and his notes of more than 60,000 pages were the New York Public Library donated.

Work and impact

Fort wrote ten novels, of which only one was published. The Outcast Manufacturers ( 1906) was praised by critics, he was ahead of his time, but sold poorly.

It was only with his The Book of the Damned (1919) (Engl. The Book of the Damned ) presented visibly a success. In this work he treated peculiar phenomena which he described as the science of "Bloody ". It was followed by New Lands (1923 ) (German Neuland), Lo! (1931 ) (Engl. Da! ) And Wild Talents (1932 ) (Engl. Wild talents ), all of which dealt with the paranormal, but different topics covered. Most of the reports listed were previously published in scientific journals and made ​​of fort in the city library of New York City and the British Museum identified. For each event or phenomenon that source was specified.

Forts books from 1919 exerted a lasting effect, which went so far that established itself in the field of para-science, the term Forteana for unexplained phenomena. Among his admirers included, inter alia, Ben Hecht, John Cowper Powys, Sherwood Anderson, Clarence Darrow and Booth Tarkington. He was also mentioned by HP Lovecraft in a short story. As early as 1931 was founded on the initiative of the writer Tiffany Thayer, the Fortean Society, under the chairmanship of forts friend Theodore Dreiser. However, Charles Fort refused to accede to this, because he refused to be regarded as an authority, and feared that such a society will attract spiritualists and other mystics, with whom he would have nothing to do.

Today his work by various groups and institutions will continue, eg of the Fortean Times since 1973 appearing. Charles Fort speculated in 1919 about alien " visitors " whose " property" is the earth, and thus can be considered a precursor of pre- astronautics and ufology. Note, however, that Fort said explicitly not to believe in his theories, which he set up an ad hoc basis to explain the phenomena he collected.

In the horror remake of Village of the Damned (1995 ), in which John Carpenter directed, The Book of the Damned is mentioned in a brief scene and even explains in an aside its contents.

Strong influence exerted Charles Fort on Robert Anton Wilson from whose book The New Inquisition ( The New Inquisition ) is closely inspired in style and argument on the books of the fort, as well as the ufologists Jacques Vallee and John A. Keel.

In Germany first appeared in 1997 Zweitausendeins a German translation of his works.

2011 Ford was portrayed in the movie The Whisperer in Darkness by Andrew Leman. The independent film based on the eponymous short story by HP Lovecraft.

Writings

• Book of the Damned. Horace Liveright, New York 1919 The book of the damned. Zweitausendeins, Frankfurt am Main 1995, ISBN 3-86150-124-4

• New territory. Zweitausendeins, Frankfurt am Main 1996, ISBN 3-86150-172-4

• There! Zweitausendeins, Frankfurt am Main 1997, ISBN 3-86150-191-0

• Wild talents. Zweitausendeins, Frankfurt am Main 1997, ISBN 3-86150-218-6