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Post by dem bones on May 13, 2019 18:01:35 GMT
William Pattrick [Peter Haining] (ed.) - Mysterious Air Stories (W. H. Allan, 1986) Introduction
Thomas Hood - A Tale Of Terror Jules Verne – A Drama In The Air George Griffith – Up A Gum Tree H.G. Wells – The Argonauts Of The Air Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – The Horror Of The Heights William Le Quex – The Secret Of The New British Aeroplane Edgar Wallace – A Reprisal Raid Negley Farson – Hot Air Arch Whitehouse – The Demon Diver Clarence Winchester – Anniversary Stephen Graham – 5,000 Enemy Planes Over London Captain W. E. Johns – The Conversion Of Johnny W. E. Woosnam-Jones – Gremlins Flying Officer X (H. E. Bates) – Sergeant Carmichael Wilbur Schramm – The Voice In The Earphones Richard Matheson - Nightmare At Twenty Thousand Feet Edward D. Hoch – Cassidy’s Saucer
AcknowledgementsBlurb: It was over two hundred years ago that man first left his natural environment and soared into another world, dominated by mythical forces and dangerous phenomena.
Over the years pilots have brought back strange stories of phantom planes, ghostly voices, freak weather, inexplicable flying objects and terrifying ordeals.
In this collection William Pattrick has chosen stories by some of the most distinguished names in literature,including Jules Verne, H. G. Wells, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H. E. Bates, Edgar Wallace and Captain W. E. Johns. He also treats the reader to several intriguing tales from less well-known writers from the early days of aviation history. Ranging from a chilling account of a hot-air balloon trip to a nerve-racking flight on a modern jet airliner, these stories will fascinate, baffle and haunt, but all would-be passengers should he warned — no return journey is guaranteed!Includes: Clarence Winchester - Anniversary: ( The Story Teller, March 1932). A year to the day of his best friend and fellow pilot's death in a mysterious aviation accident, Maxwell Bell takes a first-time passenger out above the cliffs. A phantom air-plane deliberately flies straight at them! W. E. Woosnam-Jones - Gremlins: ( The Spectator, Jan 1 1943). A detailed survey of these diabolical diminutive pranksters. Edward D. Hoch - Cassidy's Saucer: (Hans Stefan Santesson [ed.] Flying Saucers in Fact and Fiction, Lancer, 1968). It is Professor Sight's ludicrous theory that the flashing lights in the skies above Lubbock, Texas, are not flying saucers but living extra-terrestrials come to conquer the earth. Unfortunately, he confides in a journalist.
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Post by dem bones on May 14, 2019 15:30:28 GMT
Stephen Graham - 5,000 Enemy Planes Over London: ( The Daily Express, 1935). Author believes the outcome of Britain's impending war with France and Italy will be decided by whichever side achieves supremacy of the air. For a time Blighty is up against it, the nightly air-raids on London reducing War-Dictator Mr. Cavenhill, to a spineless yellow jelly, but gradually the tide turns in the Brits' favour. {Spoiler} "The feature of the British attack was the stink-bomb. Paris choked with nauseating odours. It was in vain that the French Government pointed out that there was no danger of death or disease from these loathsome gases. The women more especially would not believe that they were not in danger, and their panic stampeded the men.
Following the stink-bombs, gasses were released which attacked the colour of human hair and the texture of the complexion. Thousands of beautiful women went white-haired overnight, and handsome faces seemed smitten by disease." Thomas Hood - A Tale Of Terror: ( London Magazine, 1821). Aeronaut takes a volunteer aboard his hot air balloon only to discover the passenger is an escapee from Miles's Madhouse, Hoxton (see entry, Lost Hospitals of London). Three pages of hysterical gothic melodrama ensue. Richard Matheson - Nightmare At 20,000 Feet: (Michael & Don Congdon [eds.] Alone By Night, 1961). Chronic aviophobe Arthur Wilson is tormented by a gremlin riding the wing of the DC-7. Terrified, unable to convince the hostess of what he's seen, Wilson realises that only he can prevent a disaster.
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Post by dem bones on May 19, 2019 9:37:46 GMT
Captain W. E. Johns - The Conversion of Johnny: (Sky Fever, 1953). A career criminal performs heroics during a bombing raid on Chelsingford, saving the lives of a family he'd intended to rob. Moral: There's common decency in every single one of us, which is more than you can say for those deuced foreign devils!
Wilbur Schramm - The Voice in the Earphones: (Saturday Evening Post, 29 March 1947). When the cabin crew are struck down with food poisoning, unassuming passenger 'Shorty' Frooze safely lands the plane with assistance from his dead son in the control tower.
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Post by dem bones on May 29, 2019 6:01:09 GMT
George Griffith - Up A Gum Tree: (Short Stories, 10 Feb. 1894). Maiden flight of Tom Foster's two-man, four-winged, oar-propelled 'Balloon-boat' courts tragedy until resourceful inventor improvises a rescue kite. 'Arch Whitehouse' - The Demon Diver: (Air Stories, n.d. [Aug. 1929 ?]). "Throw that gun away, McGee. I'm going to beat you to death with this one good arm of mine."! High drama in the skies above the Texan desert as stunt pilots engage a dope smuggling air ace in a game of chicken. For Grin Givens this one is personal. The drug trafficker is none other than Major 'Roaring' Bull McGee, who sold out to the enemy in WWI, condemning several of his squadron to their deaths. Its not unlikely that Haining has once again misattributed authorship. A The Demon Diver appeared in the August 1929 issue of Air Stories as by Tex Gainsville.
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