FANTASTIC UNIVERSE

Magazine Overview

Title: FANTASTIC UNIVERSE
Issue: Vol. 9, No. 4
Date: April 1958
Publisher: KING-SIZE PUBLICATIONS, INC.
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of Fantastic Universe features a collection of science fiction stories and articles, with the prominent cover story, "Shapes in the Sky," by Civilian Saucer Intelligence, taking center stage. The magazine also includes fiction by notable authors such as James E. Gunn, Lester del Rey, Margaret St. Clair, Lloyd Biggle, Theodore Cogswell, Richard Wilson, Nelson Bond, William F. Nolan, and Stanton A. Coblentz. H. L. Herbert serves as Publisher, and Hans Stefan Santesson as Editorial Director, with Virgil Finlay credited for the cover design.

Articles and Stories

"Shapes in the Sky" by Civilian Saucer Intelligence

This extensive article investigates the phenomenon of ice falling from clear skies, a topic that gained significant attention in the post-World War II era, particularly from the late 1940s onwards. The authors posit that this phenomenon is intrinsically linked to the modern "UFO age," conventionally dated from Kenneth Arnold's 1947 sighting.

Historical Context and Scale:

The article notes that while Charles Fort documented instances of large ice falls in the 19th century, these were typically associated with violent storms like hailstorms or tornadoes. However, the period between 1949 and 1957 saw at least fifty reported cases of ice falling from cloudless skies. The article cites scientific calculations suggesting that hailstones exceeding a certain size (e.g., five inches in diameter) require impossibly strong updrafts to form naturally.

Notable Incidents and Locations:

Several specific incidents are detailed:

• Texas, 1949: A physician, Dr. Robert Botts, witnessed a forty-pound block of ice fall from a clear sky. The ice was described as milky and had a soapy flavor, properties noted as typical of "sky ice."
• Exmoor, England, 1950: An ice-block weighing fifteen pounds was found near a dead sheep, with other large ice masses scattered over a four-mile area. A similar incident occurred in 1910 in the same region.
• London Area, 1950-1951: A series of ice falls occurred, including a foot-square chunk in Wandsworth that punched a hole in a garage roof, and other blocks falling in Braughing, Hampstead Norris, High Wycombe, Tooting, and Windsor. The British Air Ministry investigated these, calling it "one of the biggest mysteries of the century."
• France, 1953: An epidemic of ice falls occurred, with incidents reported near Paris, including an iceblock that tore a limb from a tree.
• Pennsylvania, USA, 1957: A series of ice falls in southeastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey were investigated by Dr. Malcolm J. Reider, a consulting chemist. One incident involved a fifty-pound ice cake falling on Edwin Groff's farm in Bernville.
• California, USA, 1953: Long Beach experienced a remarkable two-minute fall of about fifty "pieces of glass-clear ice," some weighing 300 pounds and measuring four feet long.

Scientific Investigations and Theories:

Dr. Reider's analysis of the Bernville ice revealed it was cloudy, alkaline, and permeated with "sediment" like dust and fibers, with a structure compared to a "popcorn ball." He noted the absence of iron and nitrate, common in terrestrial water, and the presence of excessive dissolved minerals, giving it a bitter, flat, soapy flavor. He proposed that the ice was atmospherically formed, picking up alkaline dust from arid regions and transported by air streams. This theory was met with skepticism by meteorologists, who suggested the ice might be from airplanes, a notion largely dismissed by the article due to regulations and the chemical properties of the ice.

Charles Fort's theory of aerial ice-fields floating at stratospheric heights was also discussed as a potential explanation for the formation of these massive ice structures. The article contrasts these anomalous falls with typical hailstones, noting that the large ice masses often appear as flat, angular slabs, resembling broken ice-floes.

The article concludes that the phenomenon remains largely unexplained, with conventional meteorological explanations proving inadequate for many of the documented cases.

Other Stories:

• "Deadly Silence" by James E. Gunn: A science fiction story.
• "Behind the Sputniks" by Lester del Rey: A science fiction story.
• "Birthright" by Margaret St. Clair: A science fiction story.
• "Judgment Day" by Lloyd Biggle: A science fiction story.
• "A Spudget for Thwilbert" by Theodore Cogswell: A science fiction story.
• "Grand Prize" by Richard Wilson: A science fiction story.
• "Universe in Books" by Hans Stefan Santesson: A column or review section.
• "Case History" by Nelson Bond: A science fiction story.
• "Full Quota" by William F. Nolan: A science fiction story.
• "Microcosm" by Stanton A. Coblentz: A science fiction story.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The primary theme explored in this issue, particularly through the lead article "Shapes in the Sky," is the investigation of anomalous aerial phenomena that defy conventional scientific explanation. The magazine appears to adopt a stance of open inquiry into such mysteries, presenting detailed accounts and scientific analyses of events that challenge established meteorological and physical laws. There is a clear skepticism towards simplistic explanations, especially those involving aircraft, when the evidence points towards more unusual origins. The focus on "sky ice" and its peculiar chemical properties suggests an editorial interest in phenomena that blur the lines between the natural and the unexplained, aligning with the broader interests of the "UFO age" and Fortean studies.

This document, a page from a magazine titled "SHAPES IN THE SKY" (page 105), discusses a series of unusual phenomena involving the fall of ice from clear skies during the 1950s. The content focuses on unexplained ice falls, their characteristics, and potential connections to the broader context of UFO sightings.

Sky Ice Phenomena

The article details several instances of ice falling from the sky, which are distinguished from normal meteorological events. It begins by describing ice found that had crystallized slowly from undisturbed water, suggesting an unusual origin. A significant event occurred on September 18th, when a forty-pound slab of ice, measuring 3' x 18" x 4", was discovered in a field near Annandale, New Jersey. This slab possessed a striking honeycomb structure, similar to one previously found at Camp Hill. Although alkali was absent in this instance, the unique crystal structure positively identified it as 'sky ice,' ruling out it being the work of a prankster.

The text also references the 'Muir of Ord iceblock,' suggesting that the 'diamond-shaped squares' described in that case might more accurately be termed 'hexagons.'

Since September, three more ice-falls were reported in the Reading area. These included a flat slab of columnar ice in Mechanicsburg (10 miles WSW of Camp Hill) in October, a ten-pound cloudy chunk in eastern Philadelphia on November 6th, and a football-shaped mass of clear ice, a foot in diameter with a horizontal-layered structure and dirt inclusions, in Belle Mead, New Jersey, on November 12th.

Dr. Reider's findings on these recent events were not yet available at the time of publication.

Analysis and Speculation

The author contemplates the meaning of these occurrences, admitting that little sense can be made of them. While the patterned repetition of falls around a central point might appear purposeful, the idea of visiting spaceships dropping 'popcorn balls' of soapy-flavored ice as a message is considered unlikely. A more absurd, yet possible, explanation is that these ice falls occur accidentally as spaceships travel through the atmosphere, punching holes in aerial ice-fields and dislodging fragments.

The article posits that what is certain is that large masses of peculiar ice, unlike that which fell only in violent storms previously, have been observed falling from clear skies for approximately the past eight years. The invisible upper-air agency responsible for this phenomenon, supplementing storms, remains unknown. However, the author suggests that the coincidence in timing between the 'UFO Age' and this 'Sky-Ice Age' might be more than mere coincidence.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The primary theme is the unexplained phenomenon of 'sky ice' and its potential connection to UFO activity. The magazine appears to be exploring unusual aerial phenomena and their implications, maintaining an open but critical stance towards speculative explanations, while highlighting the intriguing coincidences between reported ice falls and UFO sightings. The editorial stance leans towards acknowledging the mystery and the need for further investigation, without definitively endorsing any single theory.