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Fantasy Commentator, v. 1, issue 7, Summer 1945
Page 156
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156 FANTASY COMMENTATOR Crack-Pot Heaven by Thomas S. Gardner The predictions made in the preceeding article, "Calling All Crack-Pots," that Editor Palmer of Amazing Stories was attempting to capitalize upon a new field of readers is borne out by Palmer's own statements in Fantasy News, in the June, 1945 Amazing and in the preceeding issue of Fantastic Adventures. However, from just a publicity stunt this hoax is rapidly becoming psychopathic. The present contribution to the progress of mankind, "Thought Records of Lemuria," is somewhat difficult to analyze from a scientific standpoint as it is sheer fantasy---and of a poor grade at that. How can you analyze a fairy story? Nevertheless, there are a few statements that can be discussed from the scientific viewpoint. Repeated here is the same error that was made in the preceeding story, "I Remember Lemuria." Shaver states that as the Titans grew in size they migrated by necessity to a larger and denser planet. This is contrary to all known laws of physiology and muscular dynamics that concern the problem. A larger body would seek a small planet where the pull of gravity would be less; the greater the gravitational effect the more difficult it would be for a large body to move about. Repeated also is the confusion of mass inertia, which demonstrates lack of elementary knowledge in the realm of physics. The statement that inertia is absent whenever weight is absent is, of course, ridiculous. With regard to the super-sized animals in the story: nerve currents in animals known today travel at a rate of about four hundred feet a second. This seriously mitigates against the animal's size increasing too greatly, as a rapid pain-response is necessary for survival. One of our giant humans died recently of an unnoticed foot infection, in fact---and doctors believe that this was not not detected in its early stages because the excessive length of the nerves in the leg had rendered them less sensitive than normally. One of the most interesting features of "Thought Records of Lemuria" is the detailed story of the appearance of voices, delusions of touch, etc. The similarity these latter bear to the reactions of schizophrenia victims is remarkable; every development of the illusion follows a phase of this mental disease very closely. However that may be, the social implications of the Lemurian Hoax, and the campaign instituted to present it as authentic are much greater than most fans imagine. In order to understand the situation it is necessary to remember that throughout history there has always existed a small percent who, although apparently normal, are yet on the borderline of sanity. In the more enlightened countries, such as the United States, it has been estimated that about five percent of the population is on the lunatic fringe. This is equivalent to approximately seven million people living their daily lives under delusions of grandeur, believing in lost races, "ancient wisdom", astrology, pyramidology and the like. What can the result be but possession of a warped mental outlook? Probably a far larger number than this dabble in fortune-telling, spiritualism, etc., but are nevertheless relatively stable. The lunatic fringe has been unorganized and its members have a rule fought each other bitterly because their beliefs vary so widely from group to group. The largest and most influential of these cliques is an order claiming fifty thousand members. It claims descent from the early Egyptians---circa 1340 B.C.---although evidence indicates formation in Germany about three hundred years ago. This order teaches and believes in a sort of Lumeria-Atlantis-Mu mythos
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156 FANTASY COMMENTATOR Crack-Pot Heaven by Thomas S. Gardner The predictions made in the preceeding article, "Calling All Crack-Pots," that Editor Palmer of Amazing Stories was attempting to capitalize upon a new field of readers is borne out by Palmer's own statements in Fantasy News, in the June, 1945 Amazing and in the preceeding issue of Fantastic Adventures. However, from just a publicity stunt this hoax is rapidly becoming psychopathic. The present contribution to the progress of mankind, "Thought Records of Lemuria," is somewhat difficult to analyze from a scientific standpoint as it is sheer fantasy---and of a poor grade at that. How can you analyze a fairy story? Nevertheless, there are a few statements that can be discussed from the scientific viewpoint. Repeated here is the same error that was made in the preceeding story, "I Remember Lemuria." Shaver states that as the Titans grew in size they migrated by necessity to a larger and denser planet. This is contrary to all known laws of physiology and muscular dynamics that concern the problem. A larger body would seek a small planet where the pull of gravity would be less; the greater the gravitational effect the more difficult it would be for a large body to move about. Repeated also is the confusion of mass inertia, which demonstrates lack of elementary knowledge in the realm of physics. The statement that inertia is absent whenever weight is absent is, of course, ridiculous. With regard to the super-sized animals in the story: nerve currents in animals known today travel at a rate of about four hundred feet a second. This seriously mitigates against the animal's size increasing too greatly, as a rapid pain-response is necessary for survival. One of our giant humans died recently of an unnoticed foot infection, in fact---and doctors believe that this was not not detected in its early stages because the excessive length of the nerves in the leg had rendered them less sensitive than normally. One of the most interesting features of "Thought Records of Lemuria" is the detailed story of the appearance of voices, delusions of touch, etc. The similarity these latter bear to the reactions of schizophrenia victims is remarkable; every development of the illusion follows a phase of this mental disease very closely. However that may be, the social implications of the Lemurian Hoax, and the campaign instituted to present it as authentic are much greater than most fans imagine. In order to understand the situation it is necessary to remember that throughout history there has always existed a small percent who, although apparently normal, are yet on the borderline of sanity. In the more enlightened countries, such as the United States, it has been estimated that about five percent of the population is on the lunatic fringe. This is equivalent to approximately seven million people living their daily lives under delusions of grandeur, believing in lost races, "ancient wisdom", astrology, pyramidology and the like. What can the result be but possession of a warped mental outlook? Probably a far larger number than this dabble in fortune-telling, spiritualism, etc., but are nevertheless relatively stable. The lunatic fringe has been unorganized and its members have a rule fought each other bitterly because their beliefs vary so widely from group to group. The largest and most influential of these cliques is an order claiming fifty thousand members. It claims descent from the early Egyptians---circa 1340 B.C.---although evidence indicates formation in Germany about three hundred years ago. This order teaches and believes in a sort of Lumeria-Atlantis-Mu mythos
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