FANTASTIC UNIVERSE SCIENCE FICTION

Magazine Overview

This issue of Fantastic Universe Science Fiction, dated January and priced at 35c, features a cover story titled "THE ENLIGHTENED ONES" by Edmund Cooper. The cover art depicts a woman in a futuristic or ancient warrior-like costume seated on a robot, holding a goblet and a bottle, set against a dramatic orange sky and city silhouette. The issue includes contributions from various science fiction authors such as Dan Galouye, Harry Harrison, Bertram Chandler, Robert Moore Williams, and L. Sprague de Camp, alongside a significant article by Ivan T. Sanderson.

The "Now the Nonterrestrial" Article by Ivan T. Sanderson

Ivan T. Sanderson's article, "Now the Nonterrestrial," explores the long-standing human belief in intelligent beings not indigenous to Earth. He traces this concept through various historical and religious contexts, including Stone Age depictions, early religions affirming the existence of superior beings (angels, gods), and even less defined entities like fairies and 'little folk.' Sanderson notes that while humans have often revered or feared these beings, their exact nature and relationship to humanity remain ambiguous.

He argues that the historical record, from ancient texts to tribal traditions, consistently points to 'men' or superior beings arriving from elsewhere to teach early humans. This challenges the conventional understanding of civilization's development, suggesting that key advancements like agriculture, stone building, and astronomy were not solely indigenous discoveries.

The Piri Reis Maps and Ancient Cartography

A significant portion of the article focuses on the work of Arlington H. Mallery and M. I. Walters concerning ancient maps, particularly the Piri Reis maps. These maps, allegedly copies of much older charts from around 3000 B.C., display an astonishingly accurate depiction of world coastlines, including Antarctica and North America, with details that align with modern geographical knowledge and even Mallery's own research on shifting coastlines. The precision suggests the cartographers had a global perspective, understood the Earth was a sphere, and possessed advanced surveying tools and potentially even flying devices.

Sanderson highlights the conflict between these findings and the established archaeological and anthropological timelines, which show a continuous, orderly evolution of human civilization. The existence of these maps, along with anomalous artifacts like advanced steel alloys and melted stone structures, points to a 'missing factor' that conventional science struggles to explain.

Anomalous Artifacts and Historical Mysteries

The article lists several other anomalies that challenge the standard historical narrative:

• Steel and Alloys: Evidence of people making steel alloys requiring 9000° C. for manufacture around 7000 years ago.
• Ancient Structures: The vast ruins of Ponape Island and the holes bored by marine animals in the walls of Tiahuanaco in Peru.
• Phoenician Cities: Discovery of Phoenician cities in the Amazon Basin with inscriptions dating back to 887-856 B.C.
• Clay Figurines: Over thirty thousand clay figurines found in Guanajuato, Mexico, depicting one- and two-horned rhinoceroses and elephants.
• Circular Forts: Circular stone forts in the Rockies and circular forts in Scotland and Ireland with granite ramparts partially melted to glass, suggesting extreme heat.

These findings, coupled with myths of superior beings and lost civilizations, lead Sanderson to propose the concept of 'outside influence' as the unifying explanation.

Categories of Nonterrestrial Visitors

Sanderson categorizes modern reports of 'visitations' into four main types:

1. Unknowns in machines: Flying saucers and other UFOs, and entities in 'space-suits' like the 'Flatwoods Monster.'
2. Disembodied entities: Poltergeists, ghosts, and mystical entities.
3. Human or humanoid messengers/gods: Such as Martians, Venusians, and ancient messengers.
4. Little People: Pixies, gnomes, fairies, and 'little green men.'

He notes that while the focus is often on the machines, the pilots and their nature are also subjects of investigation. Sanderson mentions his own thorough investigation of the Flatwoods incident as an example.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently explores themes of extraterrestrial contact, ancient mysteries, and alternative historical interpretations. The editorial stance appears to favor open-minded inquiry into phenomena that challenge conventional scientific and historical paradigms, presenting evidence and theories that suggest a broader, perhaps non-human, influence on Earth's past and present. The inclusion of articles by authors like Ivan T. Sanderson indicates a focus on speculative, yet evidence-based, explorations of the unknown.

Title: FANTASTIC UNIVERSE
Issue: 57
Date: November, 1957
Headline: NOW MEET THE NONTERRESTRIAL

This issue of Fantastic Universe delves into the complex and often perplexing subject of non-terrestrial visitors, exploring various types, their characteristics, and potential implications for our understanding of history and reality.

Types of Non-Terrestrial Visitors

The article categorizes potential visitors into several distinct groups:

Disembodied Entities

The author expresses personal pragmatism as a biologist and finds the concept of disembodied entities (ghosts, spirits) alarming, as they are difficult to measure or study scientifically. While not denying their existence, the author questions their contribution to historical or factual understanding unless they provide concrete evidence or information, such as maps or decipherable writings.

Modern Visitors (Post-1947)

Referred to as 'modern angels,' these visitors are described as preaching ideas rather than teaching practical science. They are noted for their ability to appear contemporary with the cultures they contact. The author wishes they would offer more concrete information, formulae, and evidence of their existence and doctrines, rather than adhering to a 'communist party line.' Their appearance is sometimes described as similar to humans, possibly with wings on aerial machines.

'Devils'

This category is described as more 'down to earth' and practical, characterized by warmth, nastiness, and reptilian qualities such as tails, scales, cloven-hoofs, horns, and teeth. They are depicted as capable of being attacked and making 'nasty stinks.' An explanation is offered that intelligent life might not evolve as it has on Earth but could arise on hotter planets, leading to reptilian forms with scales, space-suits, horns, and trident-like weapons. These beings might be a nuisance in the galaxy, territorial, and prone to using 'fire and brimstone' (nuclear and chemical means).

'Little Folk' (Gnomes, Pixies, Gray Men)

This group is described as surprisingly unvaried, typically between two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half feet tall, with large heads, barrel-like torsos, short spindly legs, long slender arms, and paw-like hands with four digits and curved claws. They are usually hairless, with enormous staring eyes, no apparent nose, a slit mouth, and huge, upside-down elephant-like ears. They are often described as wearing simple clothing and associated with aerial objects that 'land.' They tend to evoke fear and are reluctant to discuss encounters. They are sometimes described as curious, aggressive when defending themselves, and associated with 'fairy-wands.' Examples include a Canadian sighting of a lens-shaped machine taking water, with small creatures in green suits operating hoses.

Explanations and Characteristics

Object Characteristics

One significant sighting involved a pear-shaped object that glowed but was not hot. A smaller, modern deep-sea diving device-like craft emerged, floated, and then both machines completely dissolved or vaporized in forty-five minutes. This phenomenon is attributed to potential differences in atmospheric composition or temperature between their origin and Earth.

Behavior and Appearance

Non-terrestrial beings are suggested to have evolved differently, possibly on hotter planets, leading to reptilian forms. They might possess scales, horns, and specialized appendages. Some are described as being able to move at very high speeds, potentially unseen, or to perceive different electromagnetic spectrum bands. Their senses might differ from humans, with examples like smelling through feet or hearing through paws.

Historical and Cultural Interpretations

The article emphasizes that different cultures and historical periods interpret apparitions based on their own knowledge and beliefs. What one culture might see as a large lizard with horns, another might interpret as a devil. This cultural and religious factor plays a significant role in how phenomena are perceived and reported. The author notes that even soldiers under stress can deny obvious realities.

Ancient Visitors and Artifacts

The possibility of ancient visitors with advanced technology is explored. The author discusses points raised by Captain Mallery and Charles Hapgood regarding the lack of found artifacts. These include the scarcity of visitors, the remote possibility of finding lost items, the potential misidentification of artifacts as modern inventions, and the idea that advanced beings might not have developed industrial, mass-produced artifacts but rather individually crafted ones.

Sir David Brewster's findings of modern-looking steel nails in Cretaceous limestone are cited as an example of potentially overlooked ancient technological evidence.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue consistently explores the theme of 'the other' – beings from beyond Earth or from different dimensions. The author maintains a pragmatic, scientific approach, questioning unsubstantiated claims while remaining open to the possibility of genuine phenomena. There is a recurring desire for concrete evidence and logical explanations, contrasting with the more speculative or faith-based accounts of some 'contactees.' The editorial stance leans towards critical inquiry, seeking to reconcile extraordinary claims with rational understanding, and acknowledging the limitations of current human knowledge and perception.