MAPS OF THE UNKNOWN: The Wandering Isle

On the track of the phantom Thompson Island in the South Atlantic. Map by Charles Green, from A Grue of Ice by Geoffrey Jenkins.

Courtesy Fontana Books, 1964 (original pub. 1962). 

COVER UPDATES: WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS and LIVING WITH THE LAMA

A double dose of T. Lobsang Rampa today, beginning with the Bantam Books edition of Rampa's occult guide from 1978 (original pub. 1970). "He survived torture, imprisonment, starvation," but not really.

And another Corgi edition of Living With The Lama from 1968, which plays coy with the concept of Rampa translating his cat's biography from "the Siamese Cat language" (original pub. 1964).

Cute logo!

LIVING WITH THE LAMA by T. Lobsang Rampa

"Translated from the Siamese Cat language by T. Lobsang Rampa," and what a neat trick that must have been. I have reasons to doubt Rampa's fidelity in translation though, as somehow Mrs. Fifi Greywhiskers speaks with the same syrupy style as Rampa himself, not to mention hundreds of dreadful children's book authors through the years. And that's pretty much what this book is, a silly children's story of a cat's life. This cat just happens to live with a celebrity Lama, and she gives us plenty of examples of his benevolent wisdom interspersed through her animal adventures. It's all delivered with a forced, dreary sort of whimsy that comes across as pure cynicism on the author's part, a common tell for writers who feel like children's book are beneath them but will pay the bills. Rampa was nothing if not cynical in his output, churning out book after book on the mystic secrets, so why not dip a toe into a new genre?

Mrs. Fifi Greywhiskers

A few charming illustrations are provided by Sheelagh M. Rouse, described as "Lobsang Rampa's devoted secretary, companion and friend for the entire span of his writing career. Referring to her by the nickname 'Buttercup', Rampa considered Sheelagh to be his adopted daughter." Rouse would go on to write two books on her life with Rampa.

Rouse then and now

The back page ad is for Rampa's Tranquiliser Touch-Stones, rocks blessed by the Lama and paired with a 12'' recording of instructions on use. Rampa's stones are still available for purchase as resin reproductions at the official Lobsang Rampa website maintained by Rouse and others.

Rampa wraps up his story with a rather testy note to readers demanding they provide return postage for any correspondence, as you see the Lama is a very busy man. It's typical haughtiness from a man claiming supreme humbleness, and does not read as at all flattering looking back across the years.

Above, another Corgi edition from 1968, which elides the central concept of the book!

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Corgi Books, 1977 (original pub. 1964)

COVER UPDATES: STRANGE WORLD and WORLD OF THE WEIRD

An Ace Star edition for Frank Edwards' Strange World, with a copyright of 1964.

And Brad Steiger's World of the Weird from Belmont Books, 1970.

STRANGE WORLD by Frank Edwards

Here's Frank Edwards' Fortean magnum opus, a whopping 118 strange cases spread out over 237 pages! Some beautiful cover art reflects the swirling madness within. It's everything and the kitchen sink as Edwards blasts through entry after entry, most barely a page long. The effect is numbing after the tenth example of a ghost, UFO, weird dream or coincidence, etc., and contrary to the interior blurb it's hardly "FULLY DOCUMENTED!" Says researcher Garth Haslam at his Anomalies database :

Edwards was always an entertainer first... and, as such, he often spiced up stories to make them more interesting or to expand them to fill time on the radio, which means he often added new details that were never there before. And because of how popular Edwards' books were, many following "researchers" started to repeat Edwards' new versions of older tales complete with the new fictional details! 

The very second entry is just such an example, with those damn Venezuelan hairy dwarfs that would later show up in Warren Smith's work. Haslam has an excellent collection of fact checks on Edwards stories, including several from this very volume. Some other bogus stories include the lost cosmonauts, the Patang Snowman, the restless coffins of Barbados, and psychic "thoughtographer" Ted Serios.

Ace Star edition, 1964

Other frequent flyer Forteana who make an appearance are Pennsylvania's purple blob, the Tasmanian globster, and many, many strange rains of animals. Again, the sheer repetition leaves the mind well and truly boggled!

Available to read and download at archive dot org.

Bantam Books, 1969 (original pub. 1964)

COSMIC DEBRIS: Thoughts Through Space

From Fate, Volume 17- Number 10, October 1964.

MAPS OF THE UNKNOWN: The Socorro Landing

Witness Lonnie Zamora provided these illustrations of his experience at the infamous Socorro sighting of 1964.

From Project Blue Book, edited by Brad Steiger. Courtesy Ballantine Books, 1976.

MAPS OF THE UNKNOWN: Mystery Animal Haunts

From an article by Charles Bowen, "Mystery Animals." Featured in the Flying Saucer Review, Volume 10 - Number 6, November/December 1964.