Spontaneous Human Combustion

by Jenny Randles, Peter Hough

Two paranormal investigators combine years of research, eyewitness accounts, interviews with surviving victims, and documentary photographs into a definitive study of the rare phenomenon of spontaneous human combustion. Reprint.

Genres: Nonfiction, Paranormal, Science

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

British author and former director of investigations with the British UFO Research Association (BUFORA), serving in that role from 1982 through to 1994.

Randles specializes in writing books on UFOs and paranormal phenomena. To date 50 of these have been published, ranging from her first UFOs: A British Viewpoint (1979) to Breaking the Time Barrier: The race to build the first time machine (2005). Subjects covered include crop circles, ESP, life after death, time anomalies and spontaneous human combustion.

Reviews

[Fishface · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't you hate it when this happens? This book is full of interesting cases.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clinical and creepy, but an interesting investigation in all.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is there really a phenomenon called spontaneous human combustion (SHC)? This is an old phenomenon. Even Dickens was fascinated by it. There also are some documented cases. But is it true or only a hoax? Who flamed the person? The authors come up with many interesting cases (like that on Mrs Reeser) but int the end I'm still not fully convinced. Intriguing thought!

[S.M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting subject matter that the authors chose to treat in a very flippant manner. The writing here was just plain bad. Fair warning: the exclamation mark and the word "whilst" are used liberally throughout this (thankfully short) book.

[Sy DeMaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is certainly an interesting book. Lots of food for thought here and a myriad of angles have been considered.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book actually doesn’t try to play too hard on the idea that SHC is partly related to the paranormal and doesn’t try to enforce it on the reader. Instead the book tries to present the facts from the different angles, as it were. Atleast that is what the book sets out to achieve.

I would say, though, that the book is more creepy in places rather than scary so those that are looking for a roller-coaster ride need to look else where. As the reader, I am not a firm believer in the paranormal or that SHC exists as a phenomenon but as somebody with an open mind looking at the facts.

Having now read the book, I’m still not a believer either way but not through any fault of this book. There is something that I can’t put my finger on that gives me the impression that it hasn’t aged very well. In 20 years since the book has been published there has arguably been a decline in smokers, better awareness and provision of fire safety and prevention, Ireland has it’s first recorded case of SHC and several other people have chipped in with different theories to explain SHC. The book is fairly short too with only 190 pages plus a further 30 on abstract cases and references.

It seems harsh to give 3 stars but too generous to give 4 on the basis of the rating system. I’d give 3.5 stars as I did pick some stuff up from this book but not really enough to convince me that I should own a copy.

[Florina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book approaches several paranormal phenomena, not only spontaneous human combustion. It is interesting indeed for all readers that want more insight on different out-of-this-world manifestations. I liked it.

[Darcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an interesting book, with a lot of case studies. I did enjoy how they went over various theories, though I don't think they really were as 'unbiased' as they claimed (and they claimed it again, and again, and again).

[Avis Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

Instead of being a ridiculous book, it tried to be a thoughtful examination of this phenomenon.

[Jane]

I stopped reading at page 60 because it was too scary!
But now I'm still curious and wish I kept reading.

[Peterotd]

Creepy...

[Steven · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bunk. I could have read anything else and I read this whole book. I suppose I am now more versed in the world of pseudoscience. I could have read a book on real science, but instead I read this.