I haven't read Rogue's Gallery, but I'll look for it now.
Like many people, I only know Frank Sculley from his UFO book, Behind the Flying Saucers, which is as substandard as they come. The greatest example of that within the book (besides the wild story of the child ham radio operator who either got his equipment to repel metal or levitate - I can't remember which) is the Aztec, New Mexico crashed saucer story. Sculley did no real investigation of the tale, which involved three space ships crash landing, numerous dead aliens, and miles of Army red tape. Even a limited examination into the background of "Dr. G" (actually Silas Newton and his relative Mr. GeBaur) would have discredited the entire thing, but then there probably would have been no book. I think the UFO field would have been better off without it, but then there were so many schlock books on the subject at the time; when you have Patrick Moore the TV astronomer writing a "I met an alien on the moors of Scotland" potboiler, the market is saturated.
Ah, a Frank Scully connection. Scully was a fascinating character, wasn't he? Apart from the UFO stuff, I think his account of meeting Thomas Mann in Rogue's Gallery is one of the best pieces of unintentionally humorous writing I've come across. (It is evident that Mann thinks Scully is an irritating bore but Scully fails to take several broad hints that he is not welcome. He not only missed the signs at the time, he didn't notice them in retrospect and edit them out of his narrative. Thus the reader can see what he couldn't. This sort of transparent subtext is something one usually only encounters in fiction.)
I haven't read Rogue's Gallery, but I'll look for it now.
Like many people, I only know Frank Sculley from his UFO book, Behind the Flying Saucers, which is as substandard as they come. The greatest example of that within the book (besides the wild story of the child ham radio operator who either got his equipment to repel metal or levitate - I can't remember which) is the Aztec, New Mexico crashed saucer story. Sculley did no real investigation of the tale, which involved three space ships crash landing, numerous dead aliens, and miles of Army red tape. Even a limited examination into the background of "Dr. G" (actually Silas Newton and his relative Mr. GeBaur) would have discredited the entire thing, but then there probably would have been no book. I think the UFO field would have been better off without it, but then there were so many schlock books on the subject at the time; when you have Patrick Moore the TV astronomer writing a "I met an alien on the moors of Scotland" potboiler, the market is saturated.
This book may be based on something which actually happened in 1980; members of the Swindon Center for UFO Research (SCUFORI) began receiving threatening notes and phone calls which they tracked back to a fellow member. The Swindon group only had six people, unlike the DSSOG's twenty-five. Also, all the nonsense about building a UFO, the desert post, and the weird confidence scheme are R. Stamp's invention - or are they?
Possibly R. Stamp heard about the SCUFORI incident while doing research on UFO groups, and there might be a slight connection between the con job in the book and an actual pair of scammers that operated in the late 1940s selling fraudulent oil detection equipment, and who also told author Frank Sculley a complicated hoax that three UFOs had crashed in the desert near Aztec, New Mexico. Also, the construction of a fake flying saucer is part of Robert Heinlein's 1950's novel "The Puppet Masters."
Ah, a Frank Scully connection. Scully was a fascinating character, wasn't he? Apart from the UFO stuff, I think his account of meeting Thomas Mann in Rogue's Gallery is one of the best pieces of unintentionally humorous writing I've come across. (It is evident that Mann thinks Scully is an irritating bore but Scully fails to take several broad hints that he is not welcome. He not only missed the signs at the time, he didn't notice them in retrospect and edit them out of his narrative. Thus the reader can see what he couldn't. This sort of transparent subtext is something one usually only encounters in fiction.)
I haven't read Rogue's Gallery, but I'll look for it now.
Like many people, I only know Frank Sculley from his UFO book, Behind the Flying Saucers, which is as substandard as they come. The greatest example of that within the book (besides the wild story of the child ham radio operator who either got his equipment to repel metal or levitate - I can't remember which) is the Aztec, New Mexico crashed saucer story. Sculley did no real investigation of the tale, which involved three space ships crash landing, numerous dead aliens, and miles of Army red tape. Even a limited examination into the background of "Dr. G" (actually Silas Newton and his relative Mr. GeBaur) would have discredited the entire thing, but then there probably would have been no book. I think the UFO field would have been better off without it, but then there were so many schlock books on the subject at the time; when you have Patrick Moore the TV astronomer writing a "I met an alien on the moors of Scotland" potboiler, the market is saturated.
Loving the site, especially the rather baffling comments you seem to attract.
Can I ask exactly how the twist is given away in the list of characters? I always love it when twists are given away right at the beginning. Unfortunately chosen chapter titles or overenthusiastic blurbs are the most common but I've got a nice copy of Agatha Christie's Appointment With Death which gives away the murder method in the cover illustration.
Cheers,
Rich
I haven't read Rogue's
Ah, a Frank Scully
Ah, a Frank Scully connection. Scully was a fascinating character, wasn't he? Apart from the UFO stuff, I think his account of meeting Thomas Mann in Rogue's Gallery is one of the best pieces of unintentionally humorous writing I've come across. (It is evident that Mann thinks Scully is an irritating bore but Scully fails to take several broad hints that he is not welcome. He not only missed the signs at the time, he didn't notice them in retrospect and edit them out of his narrative. Thus the reader can see what he couldn't. This sort of transparent subtext is something one usually only encounters in fiction.)
I haven't read Rogue's
This book may be based on
Ah, a Frank Scully
Ah, a Frank Scully connection. Scully was a fascinating character, wasn't he? Apart from the UFO stuff, I think his account of meeting Thomas Mann in Rogue's Gallery is one of the best pieces of unintentionally humorous writing I've come across. (It is evident that Mann thinks Scully is an irritating bore but Scully fails to take several broad hints that he is not welcome. He not only missed the signs at the time, he didn't notice them in retrospect and edit them out of his narrative. Thus the reader can see what he couldn't. This sort of transparent subtext is something one usually only encounters in fiction.)
I haven't read Rogue's
Loving the site, especially