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The Supernatural
352 pages. Objective study by two knowledgeable authorities. Illustrated with numerous full color and black and white photos
- GenresNonfictionOccult
350 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1965
About the author
Douglas Arthur Hill
81 books34 followersDouglas Arthur Hill (6 April 1935 – 21 June 2007) was a Canadian science fiction author, editor and reviewer. He was born in Brandon, Manitoba, the son of a railroad engineer, and was raised in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. An avid science fiction reader from an early age, he studied English at the University of Saskatchewan (where he earned an Honours B.A. in 1957) and at the University of Toronto. He married fellow writer and U. of S. alumna Gail Robinson in 1958; they moved to Britain in 1959, where he worked as a freelance writer and editor for Aldus Books. In 1967–1968 he served as Assistant Editor of the controversial New Worlds science fiction magazine under Michael Moorcock.
A lifetime leftist, he served from 1971 to 1984 as the Literary Editor of the socialist weekly Tribune (a position once held by George Orwell), where he regularly reviewed science fiction despite the continued refusal of the literary world to take it seriously. Before starting to write fiction in 1978, he wrote many books on history, science and folklore. Using the pseudonym Martin Hillman, he also worked as an editor of several anthologies, among them Window on the Future (1966), The Shape of Sex to Come (1978), Out of Time (1984), and Hidden Turnings (1988). He is probably best known for The Last Legionary quartet of novels, supposedly produced as the result of a challenge by a publisher to Hill's complaints about the lack of good science fiction for younger readers.
Hill and his wife had one child, a son. They were divorced in 1978. He lived in Wood Green, London, and died in London after being struck by a bus at a zebra crossing. His death occurred one day after he completed his last trilogy, Demon Stalkers.
A lifetime leftist, he served from 1971 to 1984 as the Literary Editor of the socialist weekly Tribune (a position once held by George Orwell), where he regularly reviewed science fiction despite the continued refusal of the literary world to take it seriously. Before starting to write fiction in 1978, he wrote many books on history, science and folklore. Using the pseudonym Martin Hillman, he also worked as an editor of several anthologies, among them Window on the Future (1966), The Shape of Sex to Come (1978), Out of Time (1984), and Hidden Turnings (1988). He is probably best known for The Last Legionary quartet of novels, supposedly produced as the result of a challenge by a publisher to Hill's complaints about the lack of good science fiction for younger readers.
Hill and his wife had one child, a son. They were divorced in 1978. He lived in Wood Green, London, and died in London after being struck by a bus at a zebra crossing. His death occurred one day after he completed his last trilogy, Demon Stalkers.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 29, 2019
Great pictures and a fair overview of the topic (although should have likely been called something more specific, like “The Supernatural Legacy of the West” or something, as it only barely gets into The Eastern hemisphere’s supernatural). The writing is mostly clear and delves into some interesting details.
A few things are accepted by the authors at face value (debunked spiritualists and psychics are mentioned as if their claimed powers were real), and there’s an attempt to leave the major religions out, except when they need to blame the Catholic Church for the witch hunts (even though the largest numbers of executions were in Protestant countries).
As is to be expected, the scope of the project is simply too unwieldy for a book of this size and the book needed a stronger editorial hand to guide and structure it. For instance, the section on monsters hops from werewolves to vampires and then mentions yetis and other creatures but the context and history of the latter is left undeveloped. Sub-headings and text boxes (in the style of TimeLife books) would likely have helped keep the flow from meandering. Too often a very good point or detail is buried in an overlong paragraph.
A recommended sourcebook as well as sometimes creepy read.
A few things are accepted by the authors at face value (debunked spiritualists and psychics are mentioned as if their claimed powers were real), and there’s an attempt to leave the major religions out, except when they need to blame the Catholic Church for the witch hunts (even though the largest numbers of executions were in Protestant countries).
As is to be expected, the scope of the project is simply too unwieldy for a book of this size and the book needed a stronger editorial hand to guide and structure it. For instance, the section on monsters hops from werewolves to vampires and then mentions yetis and other creatures but the context and history of the latter is left undeveloped. Sub-headings and text boxes (in the style of TimeLife books) would likely have helped keep the flow from meandering. Too often a very good point or detail is buried in an overlong paragraph.
A recommended sourcebook as well as sometimes creepy read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review