Absolute Elsewhere

1974

Angebert, Jean-Michel (Michel Bertrand and Jean Angelini), OCCULT AND THE THIRD REICH, 1974, McGraw Hill, Trade. Need Copy and Info. Translation of earlier French title. The French title of this is HITLER AND THE CATHAR TRADITION, which is closer to the mark. This work is often recommended highly because its documentation is extensive, in contrast to Ravenscroft's book (see 1973 entry). I've found that the documentation is largely illusionary. The main points are often unsupported, while minor points are well documented. The authors attempt to show that Nazism is the ultimate result of the Western esoteric tradition, beginning with the medieval French heresy of Catharism. The book is fascinating reading, but there's something not quite right about it. I get the feeling that the authors are actually selling some special viewpoint without ever identifying it as such. Some of these aspects of French fringe literature may have been partially explained by HOLY BLOOD, HOLY GRAIL (see Baiget, 1983 entry)

Assagioli, Roberto, ACT OF WILL, THE, 2, 1974, Penguin, PB.

Baker, Elsworth F. MAN IN THE TRAP, 2, 1974, Avon. PB. entry
 

Bergier, Jacques, EXTRATERRESTRIAL VISITATIONS FROM PREHISTORIC TIMES/ PRESENT, 3, 1974, Signet, PB.

 

Bergier, Jacques,, EXTRATERRESTRIAL INTERVENTION, 1974, Henry Regnery, HB.
 

Bernstein, Carl and Bob Woodward, ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, 1, 1974, Simon & Schuster, HB.

 

Berlitz, Charles, BERMUDA TRIANGLE, THE, 1, 1974, Doubleday, HB, This is the best known and best written of the many books on this elusive body of water. Gaddis (1965 entry) coined the phrase, while Spencer (1969 entry) and Sanderson (1970 entry) added to the lore. But Berlitz was the best self-publicist, and came off very well on television talk shows. This book is really more of Berlitz's Atlantis theory already presented in MYSTERIES FROM FORGOTTEN WORLDS (1972 ENTRY) and THE MYSTERY OF ATLANTIS (1969 entry) Lots of information about the Bimini Wall, again.

 

Blaum, Joseph, BEGINNERS HANDBOOK OF DOWSING, 1974, Crown, Trade. Need Copy and Info.
 

Blum, Ralph with, Blum. Judy, BEYOND EARTH, 1974, Bantam, PB. Much of the interest in UFOs in the early 70's was sparked by the abduction of two shipyard workers in Pascagula, Mississippi, on ll Oct. 1973. This UFO survey is built around that incident, which may be the most famous contactee story to date. The book's real value is some of the incidental information within. Especially interesting is the description of a DICK CAVETT SHOW with Blum, Allen Hynek, John Wallace Spencer, Astronaut Jim McDivitt, Carl Sagan, pilot Larry Coyne, and Charlie Hickman (contactee from Pascagula). There is a surprisingly unpleasant tift between McDivitt and Sagan. The title is generally better written, and more believable than most UFO titles.

 

Blumrich, Josef F., SPACESHIPS OF EZEKIEL. THE, 1974, Bantam, 1974, PB. Blumrich was Chief of Systems Layout for NASA in Huntsville, Alabama. He set out to debunk von Daniken, and ended up writing his own variation on the theme. Blumrich deals with the chariot which the prophet Ezekiel saw in the Old Testament. He gives his evidence that it is a space vehicle. What's nice about this book is that Blumrich actually takes the biblical description and designs the ship from it, right down to the propulsion system. This is my personal favorite of all the books in this class.
 

Boorman, John with Stair, Bill, ZARDOZ, 1974, Signet, PB. A movie tie-in for Boorman's film that same year (see ZARDOZ, below).

 

Brand, Stewart, WHOLE EARTH EPILOGUE, THE. 1974, Point/Penguin, Trade. Need Copy and Info.

Brennan, J. H., OCCULT REICH, THE, 1974, Signet, PB. Need Copy and Info.

Brown, Barbara B., NEW MIND, NEW BODY, 1974, Harper and Row, HB. Need Copy and info. PB?

Buckland, Raymond, THE TREE: THE COMPLETE BOOK OF SAXON WITCHCRAFT, 1974, Samuel Weiser, Trade? Need Copy and Info. This is an attempt to create a new form of neo-paganism, which Buckland calls "Seax Wicca." Adler (1976 and 1986 entries) relates the rumor that started as a joke (hoax?). The author is not above indulging in hoaxes (see Tony Earll, 1970 entry).

Bugliosi, Vincent and Gentry, Curt, HELTER SKELTER, 1, 1974, Norton. This is prosecutor Bugliosi's personal account of the investigation and conviction of Charles Manson and his murderous cult, for their activities in 1969. Manson used mystical and occult ideas to program his followers to do his bidding. Manson's sick vision is very similar to Hitler's. A closer examination of the cult's beliefs can be found in Ed Sanders' THE FAMILY (1971 entry).

Burland, C. A., MYTHS OF LIFE AND DEATH, 1974, Crown, HB.

Camp, L. Sprague de, ANCIENT ENGINEERS, THE, 3, 1974, Ballantine, PB.

Castaneda, Carlos, JOURNEY TO IXTLAN. 2, 1974, Pocket Books, PB.

Castaneda, Carlos, TEACHINGS OF DON JUAN, THE, 3, 1974, Pocket Books, PB.
 

Castaneda, Carlos, TALES OF POWER, 1, 1974, Simon and Schuster, HB.

 

CHARIOTS OF THE GODS, Motion Picture, 1974, Reini, Director: Harold, Roggersdorf, Writer: Wilhelm, Sunn Classic release of German film.

Charroux, Robert (Robert Grugeau), MASTERS OF THE WORLD, 2, 1974, Berkley, PB (Above date is a guess. No date given.), Reprint of 1967 French title. "The God of Moses was Celtic" proclaims one chapter heading. Not only that, but Charroux claims HE was extraterrestrial, too. Charroux is so far out, he's fun to read.

Charroux, Robert (Robert Grugeau), LEGACY OF THE GODS, 1974, Berkley, PB. Translation of 1965 French Title.

Charroux, Robert (Robert Grugeau), GODS UNKNOWN, THE, 1974, Berkley, PB. Need Copy and info.

CO-EVOLUTION QUARTERLY, Magazine, 1974, First issue dated Spring. This was Stewart Brand's regular magazine, started with funds generated by the publication of the WHOLE EARTH CATALOGUE ventures. In many ways, it was the quintessential "new age" magazine. Unlike some of the other publications that fall under this vague umbrella, CQ retained a hard-edged critical sense, and a practical edge that distinguished it from the rest. CQ encouraged rigorous debate about computers, new biology, space colonies, and ecology. CQ became THE WHOLE EARTH REVIEW in 1984 (see Kleiner and Brand, 1986 entry).

Comfort, Alex, ed., MORE JOY OF SEX, 1974, Simon and Schuster, Trade. Need Copy and Info. No snide remarks, please.

Condon, Richard, WINTER KILLS, 1, 1974, Dial Press, HB. See 1975 entry.

Condon, Richard, MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, THE, 2, 1974, Dell, PB.

Cook, Roger, TREE OF LIFE, THE, 1974, Avon/ Thames and Hudson, British ed. Trade. Art and Cosmos series.

Crowley, Aleister, BOOK OF THOTH, THE, 3, 1974, Samuel Weiser, Trade.
 

Crowley, Aleister, MAGICK, 1, 1974, Samuel Weiser, HB, edited by John Symonds and Kenneth Grant.

 

Crowther, Patricia, WITCH BLOOD, 1, 1974, House of Collectibles, Trade.  Crowther, Patricia, WITCH BLOOD, 1, 1974, Lancer, PB.  The author is an English priestess who associated with Gerald Gardner (shown).

 

Daniken, Erich von, IN SEARCH OF ANCIENT GODS: MY PICTURE EVIDENCE / IMPOSSIBLE 2, 1974, Putnam, HB. British title: THE DANIKEN PICTURE BOOK.

Dempewolff, Richard F., ed., LOST CITIES AND FORGOTTEN TRIBES, 1, 1974, Hearst Books, HB. Reprints from SCIENCE DIGEST.

Dhiegh, Khigh Alx, ELEVENTH WING, THE, 2, 1974, Delta, Trade. Dhiegh is one of the more fascinating characters in the mystic supermarket of the 70's. A Ph.D. in psychology, he was also Rector of the Taoist Sanctuary in Los Angeles. Dhiegh is better known for moonlighting as an actor, usually playing burly oriental villains in movies and television (best remembered as Wo Fat on HAWAII FIVE-0). The irony of all this is, Dhiegh is of Egyptian descent! THE ELEVENTH WING is one of the clearest explanations of the mechanism of the I CHING, ever written. Dhiegh explains the mechanism and underlying Taoist doctrine in a fresh readable style. Throughout the 70's, Shambhala (later Random House) published an I CHING CALENDAR in date book format, compiled by Diegh, which was a year-long course in this ancient form of divination (see 1983 entry).
 

Dick, Philip K., FLOW MY TEARS, THE POLICEMAN SAID, 1, 1974, Doubleday, HB.

 

DR. STRANGE, Marvel Comics. 1974, #1, Dated June 1974, probably Feb. 1974. Dr. Strange was created by the ever productive Stan Lee for STRANGE TALES (#110) in the early 60's. That series ended in 1969 (#193). Lee admits that he made up most of the "magic" in it, right off the top of his head. Audiences were a little more sophisticated in 1974, when Steve Englehart revamped the character for a new series. He brought in some of the rules of magic from other occult literature. DR. STRANGE remained one of Marvel's best written and illustrated titles. It was a moderate seller in recent years. In 1986, Marvel canceled it, but continued the character in a revived STRANGE TALES (1987), then revived the title again, in 1988. The logic of publishers can be even more obscure than the laws of magic!
 

Dunsany, Lord, OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY,  1974, Ballantine, 1974.  Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series. Released in June of 1974, this book has the distiction of being chronologically the last of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series. Several other titles were published with the unicorn head on the cover, but without Lin Carter introductions, and at least one title apeared without the unicorn head but with a Carter intro. It is known that Carter had other volumes planned, but these were never published. This signals the premature death of one of the finest series of fantasy novels ever attempted by a publisher.  Many of these books would continue to be published by Ballantine and later Del Ray books, but without the wonderful Carter introductions, and the terrific covers.  It seems a sad and senseless loss          It is also symbolic of the death of Ballantine Books as a separate publishing force.  Acquired by the giant Random House, it became just another imprint to be manipulated by everchanging CEO rather than real editors.  Random House separated the science fiction and fantasy titles out into the new characterless Del Ray imprint. Eventually Random House would be acquired by a faceless Italian multilateral who treated it with equal disrespect.  There is a lesson here, somewhere.

 

Emenegger, Robert, UFO'S PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE, 1974, Ballantine, PB. This is an adaptation of a screenplay for one of those UFO documentary films that never seem to play your theatre. I caught this one on the local all night movie on television, sandwiched in between a Kung Fu flick and a Godzilla epic. The photo section contains a lot of the NASA photos which Emenegger and others maintain show UFOs during Gemini and Apollo missions. Other than that, there's little new here.

Evans, Christopher, CULTS OF UNREASON, 1974, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, HB. Delta, Trade? About a half of this is a history of L. Ron Hubbard's "science fiction religion," the Church of Scientology." While the bulk of the material is critical of the cult, Evan's final analysis is that the church will evolve into something positive in time. Evans then turns to saucer cults, medical quackery, and the new mysticism flourishing in the mid 70's. One of the better excursions is the tale of Cyril Hoskins, AKA T. Lobsang Rampa, author of the outrageous books of Tibetan mysteries. The militant skeptics like this title, even though it doesn't seem very skeptical at all. This title looks like a book on scientology that wasn't long enough, so the author added some chapters on other subjects (a curious erratic quality it shares with other skeptical titles). Evans is better known these days for MICRO-MILLENNIUM (1981 entry), and his many articles and interviews for OMNI.

Fair, Charles, NEW NONSENSE, THE, 1974, Simon and Schuster, HB. Need Copy and Info.

Farmer, Philip Jose, ADVENTURE OF THE PEERLESS PEER, THE, 1, 1974, Aspen Press, HB? See 1976 entry.

Ferguson, Marilyn, BRAIN REVOLUTION, THE, 2, 1974, Bantam, PB.

Firesign Theatre, BIG MYSTERY JOKE BOOK, 1974, Straight Arrow, Trade. Throughout the late 60's and 70's, this comedy group delivered their own surreal satire (first on radio, later on records and video tape). This book contains the transcripts of some of their more popular early routines ,including "Nick Danger, Third Eye." Firesign Theatre constantly lampooned hippie occultism, and many of their more obscure in-jokes are really little cultural footnotes on cult fads. My favorite: "All Star Crowley from Duke of Madness Motors". Oh, I'm terribly sorry, Sir, but you didn't beat the reaper!

Flendt, Max H., and Binder, Otto O., MANKIND--CHILD OF THE STARS, 1974, Fawcett, PB. Expansion of Flendt's earlier works (1965 and 1965).

Foster, Robert, GUIDE TO MIDDLE EARTH, 2, 1974, Ballantine, PB. entry

Freud, Sigmund, Byck, ed., Robert, COCAINE PAPERS, THE, 1, 1974, Stonehill Publishing Co., HB. See 1975 entry.

Fuller, John G., ARIGO: SURGEON OF THE RUSTY KNIFE, 1974, Thomas Y. Crowell, HB. Need Copy and Info / PB?

Fuller, John G., INCIDENT AT EXETER, 2, 1974, Berkley, PB.

Fuller, John G., INTERRUPTED JOURNEY, THE, 2, 1974, Berkley, PB.

Gardner, John, RETURN OF MORIARTY, THE, 1, 1974, Putnam, HB. See 1976 entry.

Garfield, Patricia, CREATIVE DREAMING, 1974, Simon and Schuster, HB. See 1976 entry.

Greenhouse, Herbert B., ASTRAL JOURNEY, 1, 1974, Doubleday, HB. See 1976 entry,

Gribbin, John R. and, Plagemann, Stephen H., JUPITER EFFECT, THE, 1, 1974, Walker / Macmillan, British Ed., HB. See 1975 Entry.

Harper, George Mills, YEATS'S GOLDEN DAWN, 1974, Barnes and Noble, HB. Harper is a Yeats scholar who, along with Kathleen Raine, began to study the poet's long involvement with the occult, and its relationship to his art. Most critics had viewed Yeats' involvement with such things as an embarrassment. The book is an exacting investigation of the poet's involvement with the Order of the Golden Dawn. Over one third of the book is notes, appendices, and other documentation. Yeats, in his own autobiographical writings, gave the impression that he was a rather casual member of the group. Harper proves that he was one of its most active members (no, I don't know why Harper insists on writing the possessive of "Yeats'" that way, but he is consistent about it: see 1987 entry).

Harris, Marvin, COWS, PIGS, WARS, AND WITCHES, 1, 1974, Random House, HB. See also 1978 entry. This is the first popular book by maverick anthropologist Harris, who turned on the "cultural relativist" flow of anthropology, to coin a new approach called "cultural materialism." This is summarized as being a theory "based on the simple premise that human life is a response to the practical problems of earthly existence." This "new" approach is actually a recasting of the old "determinist" approach once popular in the social and life sciences, in the 20's and 30's. Harris' arguments are at their best in a historical context, as he explains how environmental pressures (usually protein) are at the heart of past cultural phenomenon. It is only when Harris tries to apply his ideas to events in recent times that his ideas take on a shrill pseudo-scientific tone.

Hatch, Alden, BUCKMINISTER FULLER: AT HOME IN THE UNIVERSE, 1, 1974, Crown, See 1976 entry.

Heisenberg, Werner, ACROSS THE FRONTIERS, 1974, Harper and Row, HB and Trade.

Helms, Randel, TOLKIEN'S WORLD, 1974, Houghton Mifflin, HB. entry

Hinckle, Warren, IF YOU HAVE A LEMON, MAKE LEMONADE, 1, 1974, Putnam, HB. See Research Bibliography.

Hisey, Lehmann, KEYS TO INNER SPACE, 1, 1974, Julian Press, HB. See 1975 entry. I'd just settle for a road map.

Hoband, Ion and Weverbergh, Julien, UFOs FROM BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN, 1, 1974, Souvenir Press/ British ed., HB. See 1975 entry.

Hope-Simpson, Jacynth, WHO KNOWS? TWELVE UNSOLVED MYSTERIES, 1974, Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN). HB. This was written for the Juvenile market, but is interesting for several of its chapters. There is an account of the mysterious 1945 murder of Charles Walton, in Warwickshire, England, long believed to be a witchcraft inspired ritual murder. Col. Fawcett's disappearance is covered, too (see 1953 entry). Perhaps the most interesting thing about the volume is a chapter entitled "The Guardian of the Treasure," an account of Father Berenger Saumiere and the mysteries of Rennes-le-Chateau. The author was familiar with Gerard de Sede's LE TRESOR MAUDIT DE RENNES-LE-CHATEAU (1967), one of the French "fringe" books which lead the authors of HOLY BLOOD, HOLY GRAIL (see Baigent, 1982 entry) on their long quest.

IN SEARCH OF ANCIENT MYSTERIES. T.V. Special, 1974, Alan Landsburg, Producer:, This is the media version of books by Andrew Tomas, Charles Berlitz, Robert Charroux, and Peter Kolosimo, etc.

Inyat-Khan, Pir Vilayant, TOWARDS THE ONE, 1974, Harper and Row, Trade, Vilayant Inyat-Khan is the son of Hazrat Inyat-Khan, an Indian Sufi and musician who was one of the first to bring Sufism to the West in the early part of this century. TOWARDS THE ONE is an excellent introduction to this Indian form of Sufism. It's published in the same form as Ram Dass' BE HERE NOW (see 1971), but is a much better book. Inyat-Khan's organization, the Sufi Order, did quite well in the US in the 70's.

Johnson, Robert A., HE: UNDERSTANDING MASCULINE PSYCHOLOGY, 1, 1974, Religious Publishing Co. (King of Prussia, PA), HB. See 1977 entry.

Joyce, Donovan, JESUS SCROLL, THE, 1974, Signet, PB. Joyce claimed to have seen a scroll stolen from the Masada archaeological dig which was written by Jesus himself. According to Joyce, it proved that Jesus not only survived the cross, but died with the Zealots of Masada during the great Jewish Rebellion of 70 A.D. Most of the book is a good recap of "revisionist" arguments concerning the historical Jesus. The scroll has never surfaced, so that part of the book is fairly questionable, and sounds like a current novel THE Q DOCUMENT, THE WORD, with a little ANOTHER ROADSIDE ATTRACTION (see Robbins, 1972) thrown in for spice.

Kenton, Warren, ASTROLOGY, 1974, Avon/ Thames and Hudson, British ed., Trade. Art and Cosmos series.
 

Key, Bryan Wilson, SUBLIMINAL SEDUCTION, 2, 1974, Signet, PB. The book that asked the question "Are you being sexually aroused by this picture?"  To which most answered, "No, but I am getting mighty thirsty."  One of the dumbest bits of media paranoia ever concocted.  Eventually Key sifted down through the crackpot strainer and found a regular place on paranoid fundamentalist TV talk shows.

 

Keyhoe, Donald E., ALIENS FROM SPACE, 1, 1974, Signet, PB.

King, Stephen, CARRIE, 1, 1974, Doubleday, HB. This is the first novel by the man who would become the Harold Robbins of the horror novel. This title sold under a million copies. It was Brian de Palma's movie version (see 1976 entry) that made CARRIE and King a national success (see 1975 entry). It has been noted by many King critics that the plot is really a twisted version of CINDERELLA. There's no need to get classical about it (especially considering King's low opinion of "classics" in his own non-fiction). Like most of us who went through school in the late 50's and 60's, King probably had to read those awful "teen socialization" stories. I think CARRIE's a twisted version of Sally Benson's JUNIOR MISS!

Klass, Philip J., UFOs EXPLAINED, 1974, Random House, HB. This is a class piece of UFO skepticism. Klass often uses character assassination to debunk UFO cases, as he does with the famous Pascagula, Mississippi abduction case, in 1973. Klass suggests that Charles Hickman was running a con among fellow workers at the shipyard where the abduction took place. There is some hard data on some of the contactee cults. It is interesting to read Klass' books in the order they were written, to observe his position hardening with each title. Klass seems less interested in explanations of UFO phenomena, and more interested in discrediting anyone who is pro-UFO (see 1968, 1983 and 1988 entries). This volume has an index, but Klass is still cavalier about his documentation.

Knight, Richard Payne, DISCOURCE ON THE WORSHIP OF PRAIPUS, A, 2, 1974, University Books, HB. Reprint of 1786 work.

Koestler, Arthur, CASE OF THE MIDWIFE TOAD, THE, 2, 1974, Vintage, PB.

Kolosimo, Peter, TIMELESS EARTH, 1, 1974, University Books, HB. Reprint of 1968 Italian title. See 1975 entry.

Krippner, Stanley and Rubin, ed., Daniel, KIRLIAN AURA, THE, 1974. PB. Need Copy and Info.

Krippner, Stanley, and Rubin, ed., Daniel, KIRLIAN AURA, THE, 2, 1974, Anchor/ Doubleday, Trade. entry.

Landsburg, Alan and Sally, IN SEARCH OF ANCIENT MYSTERIES, 1974, Bantam, PB. Here's the paperback tie-in with Landsburg's television special that same year. Alan and Sally wrote a lot of these things, and they serve as a kind of short course in fringe subjects.

Le Poer Trench, Brinsley (Earl of Clancarty), TEMPLE OF THE STARS, 2, 1974, Ballantine, PB. Reprint of MEN AMONG MANKIND, 1962 entry.

LeShan, Lawrence, MEDIUM. THE MYSTIC, AND THE PHYSICIST, THE, 1, 1974, Viking, HB. See 1975 entry.

Levine, Fay, STRANGE WORLD OF THE HARE KRISHNAS, 1974, Fawcett, PB.

Lilly, John C., PROGRAMMING AND METAPROGRAMMING IN THE HUMAN BIOCOMPUTER, 1974, Bantam, PB. Need Copy and Info. HB?

Mathers, S. L. MacGregor, ed., and trans., BOOK OF THE SACRED MAGIC OF ABRAMELIN THE MAGE, THE, 1, 1974, Causeway Books, HB. Reprint of 1900 British title. See 1975 entry.

Mendelssohn, Kurt, RIDDLE OF THE PYRAMIDS, 1974, Praeger, HB. Need Copy and info. PB?
 

Meyer, Nicholas, SEVEN PER-CENT SOLUTION, THE, 1, 1974, Dutton, HB. In late '73, the Royal Shakespeare Company revived Gillette's play SHERLOCK HOLMES, and in '74 it came to Broadway. Meyer's bestseller appeared that year, sparking a major Holmes revival throughout the 70's and early 80's. Meyer took advantage of some new information about Sigmund Freud's cocaine experiences, and brought fiction's most famous coke-head in for some psychoanalysis. Meyer started the whole new trend in writing pastiches featuring Sherlock Holmes (see Meyer, 1976 entry).

 

Miller, David, NEW POLYTHEISM, THE, 1974, Harper and Row, ?. Need Copy and Info.

David and Charrott-Ludwidge, Jacquemine, BOOK OF SPELLS , THE, 1974, Simon and Schuster, Trade, entry.
 

Morris, William, THE WOOD BEYOND THE WORLD, 1974, Ballantine, PB.  Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series.

 

Moss, Thelma, PROBABILITY OF THE IMPOSSIBLE, THE, 1, 1974, J. P. Tarcher (Los Angeles, CA), HB. See 1975 entry.

Murray, Margaret Alice, GOD OF THE WITCHES, THE, 1974, Oxford University Press, Trade. Reprint of 1931 Title.

Napier, John, BIGFOOT, 2, 1974, Berkley, PB. Napier wrote one of the earliest and the best books on the North American version of the abominable snowman. He also seems to have tagged the creature with the name "bigfoot." Dr. Napier is an anthropologist, and looks at the problem with more scientific balance than those who wrote on the subject. His concluding sentence is usually abbreviated in other books: "I am convinced that the Sasquatch exists, but whether it is all that it is cracked up to be is another matter altogether." Nearly every book on the bigfoot quotes the sentence as "I am convinced that the Sasquatch exists...," which is another matter altogether, too. The bigfoot phenomenon peaked around 1976, and none of the books following Napier's added much new evidence or produced any new argument of any worth (but see Byrne, 1976).

Navarra, Fernand, with Balsinger, ed, Dave, NOAH'S ARK: I SAW IT 1974, Logos International (Plainfield, NJ), HB and Trade.

Needleman, Jacob, ed., SWORD OF GNOSIS, THE, 1974, Penguin, PB.
 

Norman, John, IMAGINATIVE SEX. 1. DAW Books, PB.  Tired of the same old thing in bed?  Well, try this:  Tie your lover up and treat him/her like a slave.  There are apparently 53 different variations on this scenario.  Actually getting your B&D scenarios this way was a lot simpler and easier that reading the dreadfuly written  and unintentionally funny Gor novels.

 

Oken, Alan, HOROSCOPE: THE ROAD AND ITS TRAVELERS, 1974, Bantam, PB. See also ALAN OKEN'S COMPLETE ASTROLOGY, 1980 entry.

Orage, A.R., ON LOVE, 1974, Samuel Weiser, PB. entry

Ornstein, Robert E., ed., NATURE OF HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS, THE, 1, 1974, Viking / Trade, W. H. Freeman / HB. An anthology of articles, papers, and readings on the subject of the mind, and how it works. Adam Smith called it the best collection available in his survey of mid-70's human potential movements in POWERS OF MIND (1975 entry). It's a companion volume to Ornstein's THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CONSCIOUSNESS which came out in 1972 (but see 1975 entry. Confused?). As in that book, Ornstein draws from both the psychological and scientific communities, as well as from writings on mysticism and meditation.
 

Ostrander, Sheila and Schroeder, Lynn, HANDBOOK OF PSI DISCOVERIES, 1974, Berkley/Putnam, HB. Here's a how-to-do book for those who want to do their own Psi experiments. There's a section on how to make Kirlian photographs, how to record those strange voices from the elsewhere, and how to build your very own pyramid energy collector. There is a very good bibliography. It is hard to tell how much of this is still valid, but it is a good example of how serious this trend was, for a time.

 

Payne, Buryl, GETTING THERE WITHOUT DRUGS, 2, 1974, Ballantine, PB. An Esalen Book. entry

Pearce, Joseph Chilton, EXPLORING THE CRACK IN THE COSMIC EGG, 1, 1974, Julian Press, HB. See 1975 entry.

Piggott, Stuart, DRUIDS, THE, 2 1974, Penquin, PB. This is an archaeological survey written by a great scholar of the old V. Gordon Childe school of archaeology. He examines almost all literature about these mysterious Celtic religious figures. Piggott notes that writers of the 16th and 17th centuries often compared the Celts and Druids to American Indian medicine men. It is a very astute observation, because in many ways the Celts became the "European Indians" for the 60's and 70's generation. The same folk who romanticized the Native Americans were also drawn to the romantic image of the Celtic Twilight. That seems a fertile topic for further study.

Pirsig, Robert M., ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE, 1, 1974, William Morrow, HB. See 1975 entry.

Place, Marian T., ON THE TRACK OF BIGFOOT, 1, 1974, Dodd, Mead, HB. PB?

Puharich, Andrija, URI: A JOURNEY OF THE MYSTERY OF URI GELLER, 1, 1974, Doubleday/ Anchor, Trade? See 1975 entry.

Purce, Jill, MYSTIC SPIRAL, THE, 1974, Avon/ Thames and Hudson, British ed., Trade. Art and Cosmos series.
 

Pynchon, Thomas, GRAVITY'S RAINBOW, 2, 1974, Bantam, PB. See introduction.   The permanent eye-strain for life edition of Pynchon's masterpiece.

 

Ram Dass (Richard Alpert), ONLY DANCE THERE IS, THE, 1974, Doubleday, Trade.

Ravenscroft, Trevor, SPEAR OF DESTINY, THE, 2, 1974, Bantam, PB.

Reich, Wilhelm, IMPULSIVE CHARACTER AND OTHER WRITINGS, THE, 1974, New American Library, Trade. Anthology of earlier works by Reich.

Reifler, Sam and Ravage, Alan, I CHING: A NEW INTERPRETATION FOR MODERN TIMES, 1974, Bantam, PB.

Roberts, Jane, HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR ESP POWER, 2, 1974, Frederick Fell (NYC), Trade. Reprint of 1966 title.

Rosenberg, Samuel, NAKED IS THE BEST DISGUISE, 2, 1974, Bobbs Merrill, HB. See 1975 entry.

Roszak, Theodore, PONTIFEX, 1974, Anchor/Doubleday. Trade, Illustrated by Chuck Mitchell. The subtitle is: A REVOLUTIONARY ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE MIND'S EYE THEATRE. This is a play done in the "street theater" style popular in the late 60's. By 1974 it was on its way to being an over-worked genre. It's probably more useful, now, in understanding Roszak, than it is to understanding the "counterculture."

Rozak, Theodor, PONTIFLEX, 1974, Doubleday/ Anchor, Trade. Need copy and info.

Schonfield, Hugh, JESUS PARTY, THE, 1, 1974, Macmillan, HB. PB ?

Seabury, David, ART OF SELFISHNESS, 2, 1974, Pocket Books, PB.

Slack, Charles W., TIMOTHY LEARY, THE MADNESS OF THE SIXTIES AND ME, 1974, Wyden, HB. Need Copy and Info.

Sladek, John, NEW APOCRYPHA, THE, 1974, Stein and Day, HB. Need copy and info.

Spence, Lewis, ATLANTIS DISCOVERED, 1974, Causeway Books (NYC), HB. Reprint of THE PROBLEM OF ATLANTIS, 1924.

Spraggett, Allen and Raucher, William V., ARTHUR FORD: THE MAN WHO TALKED TO THE DEAD, 2, 1974, Signet, PB. entry.

St. Clair, David, PSYCHIC HEALERS, 1974, Doubleday, HB. Need Copy and info.

STAR REACH, Comic Book, 1974, Mike Friedrich, Publisher:, #1, April 1974.

Stewart, Mary, HOLLOW HILLS, THE, 2, 1974, Fawcett, PB.
 

Swann, Thomas Burnett, HOW ARE THE MIGHTY FALLEN, 1, 1974, DAW Books, PB.

 

Tiryakian, Edward A., ed., ON THE MARGIN OF THE VISIBLE, 1974, John Wiley and Sons, HB. Need Copy and Info.

Tomas, Andrew, ON THE SHORES OF ENDLESS WORLDS, 1, 1974, Putnam, HB. See 1976 entry.

Tompkins, Peter and Bird, Christopher, SECRET LIFE OF PLANTS, THE, 2, 1974, Avon. PB. You probably know people who think positively about their plants, talk to them, even give them pep talks, and affection. This book is one of the major reasons for all that. A large portion of the text deals with Russian research on plants and "plant consciousness," and related topics, and is quite interesting in that respect.

Toth, Max and Nielsen, Greg, PYRAMID POWER, 1, 1974, Freeway Press, HB? See 1976 entry.

Ullman, Montague, Krippner, with, Stanley, Alan Vaughn, DREAM TELEPATHY, 2, 1974, Penquin, PB. The authors ran dream research at New York's Maimonides Medical Center. They attempted to communicate telepathically while in the dream state. Sounds like a great idea for a movie (so see DREAMSCAPE, 1984 entry).

Vallee, Jacques, UFOs IN SPACE: ANATOMY OF A PHENOMENON, 3, 1974, Ballantine, PB. Reprint of ANATOMY OF A PHENOMENON (1965 entry).

Vasto, Lanza del, RETURN TO THE SOURCE, 2, 1974, Pocket Books, PB.

Vilar, Esther, MANIPULATED MAN, THE, 2, 1974, Bantam, PB. entry

Wade, Carlson, HEALTH SECRETS FROM THE ORIENT, 2, 1974, Signet, PB. entry

Waite, Arthur Edward, OCCULT SCIENCE, THE, 1974, University Books, HB.

Waite, Arthur Edward, QUEST OF THE GOLDEN STAIRS, THE, 1974, Newcastle Publishing (Hollywood, CA), Trade. Reprint of 1927 title.

Watson, Lyall, SUPERNATURE, 2, 1974, Bantam, PB. See also, Watson, 1988 entry. Watson was a biologist interested in the area where science and the paranormal overlap. Watson said his book would outrage scientists and disappoint occultists. This title was extremely influential in breaking barriers and creating discussions. Watson covers an incredible mass of information and subjects in this well-written volume. It's still one of the best of the "fringe science" books available.

Watson, Lyall, ROMEO ERROR, THE, 1, 1974, Doubleday, HB. See 1976 entry.

Watts, Alan, CLOUD-HIDDEN, 2, 1974, Vintage, PB.

Whitman, John, PSYCHIC POWERS OF PLANTS, 1974, Signet, PB.

Wilson, Clifford, UFOS...AND THEIR MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, 1, 1974, Signet, PB. see also ALIEN AGENDA, 1988 entry.

Wilson, Colin, NEW PATHWAYS IN PSYCHOLOGY, 2, 1974, Mentor. PB.

Wilson, David, NEW ARCHAEOLOGY, THE, 1, 1974, Alfred A. Knopf, HB. See 1976 entry.

Wilson, Colin, PHILOSOPHER'S STONE, THE, 1974, Warner Paperback, Library, PB. No information on orig. British ed.

Wilson, Colin, NEW PATHWAYS IN PSYCHOLOGY, 2, 1974, Mentor, PB. entry

Wolfe, Burton H., DEVIL'S AVENGER, THE, 1974, Pyramid Books, PB. This is a biography of Anton Le Vey, founder of the Church of Satan, Le Vey was an organist and calliope player for circuses and carnivals, who graduated to more profitable schemes (scams?). Wolfe is a former member who manages to get some sense of it all in this chatty biography.

ZARDOZ, Motion Picture, 1974, John Boorman, Writer/Director:, This is one of the most literate science fiction movies ever made. It has similar themes as later Boorman films, especially EXCALIBUR (1981 entry) and THE EMERALD FOREST (1985). Zed the warrior is both Death and Vitality in this complex, mystical film set in the far future. Hard science fiction fans have given the film bad reviews over the years. Recently, more astute reviewers such as David Wingrove and Vivian Sobchack (see research bibliography) have begun to rehabilitate its reputation.

Zeretsky, Irving and Leone, ed., Mark, RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICA, 1974, Princeton University Press. HB