[The Book of the Bizarre 01] • The Book of the Bizarre · Freaky Facts and Strange Stories by Ventura, Varla -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Title Page Dedication Copyright Contents 1. SOMETHING WICKED

THE MAGICAL SKULL OF DOOM THE TRANSYLVANIAN TABLETS STONEHENGE STONE'S PUBLIC HOUSE THE TOWER OF LONDON A GHOST TO BE KING'S TAVERN, NATCHEZ, MISSISSIPPI SILAS OF KENNEBUNK REBECCA DORRINGTON'S FATAL FALL HAUNTED? A CHECKLIST NEW ENGLAND GHOST NOT ALL HAUNTS ARE OLD ANIMAL APPARITIONS A FOND FAREWELL THE HAUNTED BOAT HOUSE BIZARRE HAPPENINGS IN PORTLAND THE FLYING DUTCHMAN THE GHOSTS OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA A PARALYZING NIGHT THE PALACE OF VERSAILLES A FITFUL NIGHT IN BARCELONA THE HOLY GRAIL SACSAYHUAMAN A DAUGHTER'S LOVE A MEMPHIS BELLE THE SILVER QUEEN HOTEL TO MARKET, TO MARKET ORIGINS OF THE OUIJA A WEDDING NIGHT VISITOR

2. THE ANNUAL CHICKEN SHOW

THE ANNUAL CHICKEN SHOW MIKE, THE HEADLESS WONDER CHICKEN ANIMAL CRIMINALS EARLIEST DOCTORS NOT CUTE THE FOURTEEN-TOED TAPIR PUTS NESSIE TO SHAME FORTEAN FROGS CURIOUS CATS IS FIDO PSYCHIC? THE ANNUAL FIRE ANT FESTIVAL: A WEIRD CELEBRATION ENTHRALLING ARACHNIDS TRUE SLOTH THE RAT TALES A WHALE OF A TIME WOMAN'S BEST FRIEND FIBONACCI FLOWERS HEROIC HERBAL MORBID PLANTS

3. HISTORY'S MYSTERIES

FAMOUS NAMES, UNFORTUNATE DEATHS NAPOLEON'S CODE WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND THE UGLY PICKUP PARADE AND CONTEST MARY KING'S CLOSE SCRYING FOR LAMAS NO FEAR ARMAGEDDON BRAS BATHING BEAUTIES PAIN FOR BEAUTY EDISON'S PARANORMAL EXPERIMENTS THE NUN CAME BACK SEVEN WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD ABE LINCOLN: AFTER THE FUNERAL WHICH BODY IS FRANCISCO PIZARRO'S? JOHN PAUL JONES'S CHEAP FUNERAL OUT OF PEP THE “REAL” JESSE JAMES ZACHARY TAYLOR THEY'LL SELL ANYTHING ON EBAY THE MARY CELESTE THE GHOST SHIP BRITISH WITCHES STOP HITLER'S ARMY THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS KILLING WITCHES LADY GODIVA'S RIDE A TRULY TERRIBLE TV MOMENT TAKING TV TOO SERIOUSLY BIZARRE AND BRUTAL ROYALTY POOR RICH CHILD SECRETS OF THE VOYNICH MANUSCRIPT NOT JUST A TRAIN STATION OTTO WAS BLOTTO BYE BYE BIRDIE MAGIC MUMMY POWDER NO RESPECT FOR ELDERS THE MYSTERY OF THE CARNAC STONES AND WE THOUGHT SPITTOONS WERE BAD UNUSUAL CUSTOMS THE CUMAEAN SIBYL AS THE BIRD TOLLS FORTUNA REDUX THE EVIL EYE HAIL MARY KEEP YOUR EARS CLOSED EVIL-BLASTING BEAUTY

4. TENDERS MURDERERS AND MALEVOLENT MALES

LOCUSTA THE POISONOUS SWEENEY TODD CREEPY VENGEANCE PRESIDENTIAL POISONING? ODD BEAUTY TREATMENTS JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL (EVENTUALLY) THE MURDER IN THE RED BARN RAH RAH SIS BOOM BAH! THE AMY FISHER STORY INDIANA OGRESS THE FRANKIE SILVER STORY LIZZIE BORDEN'S FORTY WHACKS ONE MORE REASON TO FEAR CLOWNS NO WILLY WONKA A MURDERING MADAME PEOPLE EATER PACKER FLORIDA'S FEMALE SERIAL KILLER DOCTOR DEATH BLACK WIDOWS

5. COINCIDENCE OR SYNCHRONICITY?

SOLE SURVIVORS OUIJA MAGIC BROTHERLY FATE TWIN SHIPWRECKS THE THREEFOLD LAW THE OL' SWITCHEROO COINCIDENCE OR JUSTICE? HEART ATTACK A MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE A CHILD'S STORY DOUBLE DEATH PAW PAW TRAGEDY SYNCHRONIZE YOUR LIFE DESTINED TO LOVE THE WARNING NIGHT OF TERROR PSYCHIC MADAME PSYCHIC WIFE PRESCIENT LITERATURE LISTEN TO YOUR DREAMS FIRST IMPRESSIONS MAYBE HE HAD A POINT ONE HARDY BOOK

6. MORBID WRITERS AND TORTURED ARTISTS

WAKING DREAMS THOU SHALT NOT STEAL? BAD SHOT FRAMING YOUR HUSBAND STRANGER THAN FICTION DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ: “PETRIFIED MAN FOUND IN NEVADA CAVE” BUNNY LOVER OBSESSED WITH WHITMAN STRANGE SYNCHRONICITY FLUNKIES DA VINCI CODE STOP AND SMELL (OR DON'T) POETIC CALENDAR WORKS BEST UNDER THE INFLUENCE ART WAS HIS FALLBACK THE DEVIL MADE ME WRITE IT BIZARRE LITERARY DEATHS WHERE'S VOLTAIRE? THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF BITTER BIERCE LITERARY DEATHMATCH PARKER VS. LUCE

7. DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

PREMATURE BURIAL DINING WITH THE DEAD TINY TOMBSTONE RISING FROM THE GRAVE HAUNTED CEMETERIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES STAR LIFE A TISKET, A TASKET GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK CEMETERY ICONOGRAPHY DEATHLY TRADITIONS NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES HAUNTING LADIES MORBID STUDENT BODIES THE BURTON AGNES SKULL JUNG AND HIS PATIENT MESSY MESSAGE EVERLASTING GREEN WAKE UP CORPSES ON CAMPUS HAUNTED CAMPUSES ACROSS THE U.S.A. ZOMBIE WALK RUN TO THE LIGHT, CAROL ANNE! VENETIAN FAIRIES

8. SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL

SECRET SPOOKY MESSAGES SATAN LOVES HEAVY METAL THE INTERNATIONAL STRANGE MUSIC FESTIVAL TRULY ODD NEVER COULD RESIST A PHOTO OP WILL NOT LEAVE THE BUILDING OCCULT PURIST THAT MIC'S ON FIRE! IRONCLAD DONNA, LET'S STAY HOME DEFINITELY NOT THE SPAWN OF THE DEVIL ROCK ’N’ ROLL AND THE OCCULT BUTLER'S BOOK AND CAT A DEATHLY ASSOCIATION DID YOU KNOW . . . ? ENEMIES UNTIL THE DEATH DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HIT HIM

9. STILL ON THE BOOKS (AND IN THE ETHER)

DUCK DANDER PACKED WITH PUNCH QUIET VIOLET FISHY LAWS BEE LAWFUL WATERING HOLE THE LAWFUL CURE ELEPHANT PROHIBITION YOU CAN BURN THE FLAG! SMOKING ANIMALS NO CROAKING TREES ARE SACRED FULL DISCLOSURE BUT IN IDAHO . . . WYMIN IN WYOMING DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ: “PLAINFIELD TEACHERS COLLEGE WINS AGAIN!” THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST NO POPPIES PLEASE RELAXATION TECHNIQUES CAN BE BAD FOR YOU THREE CHEERS LATE NIGHT PEANUTS CEMETERY SPACE-SAVER THE DEVIL IN THE COURTROOM HIGH SEAS INLAND CIVIL TAXATION IS THAT A BOTTLE IN YOUR POCKET . . . ? KENTUCKY COMMANDMENTS WHISTLE WHILE YOU WADE LYING IN LAKE THE CIA AND LSD

10. PASSING STRANGE

FACES ONLY A MOTHER COULD LOVE MAXIMUM MASS CHOREOMANIA MOM, I FEEL SICK DON'T JUMP! DOCTOR, I'M NOT WELL SCARY HAIR XENOGLOSSIA DELUSIONS, MANIAS, AND PHOBIAS PERSONAL PARALYSIS BLESS ME, FATHER FALL FROM GRACE QUIVERING THUNDER CONSPIRACY OF BEARDS TOO MUCH ECHO MELON HEADS THE NUMBER THIRTEEN

11. THE VAPORS

BRAIN-EATING AMOEBAS ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE SAINTLY WOMAN NEVERENDING HICCUPS HIDDEN LIMBS GEORGE WASHINGTON'S TEETH MAGGOT ACT FULL STOMACH MYSTERY CURE PRESERVATIVES THREE-LEGGED WONDER HEALING JEWELS STRANGE VIRGIN BIRTH GET PREGNANT, STOP ARTHRITIS MOVE OVER, GENE SIMMONS ESCAPE THE COLD DID YOU KNOW . . . ? WHEN I GROW UP, I WANT TO BE A PINEAPPLE EVERY MAN'S DREAM COME TRUE GIVING BINGING A NEW MEANING LIFELONG BAD HAIR DAYS THE GIANT LEAP FORWARD THAT'S KEEPING YOU DOWN MODERN-DAY ZOMBIE SKULL TRAPS JOB'S SYNDROME ELEPHANT MAN

12. SUPERSTITIONS AND CURSES

FINDING A FOUR-LEAF CLOVER THROWING PENNIES INTO A WELL KNOCKING ON WOOD OPENING AN UMBRELLA INDOORS MIRRORS CANDLES SALT GUESTS LADDERS HUNGARIAN VIEWS BROOMS THE BLACK CAT VAMPIRES AFTERBIRTH: BURNING PLACENTAS APPLE BLOSSOMS ASH TREES AND CALAMITIES BABY MAGIC BATS: FRIEND OR FOE? BEANS, BEANS, BAD FOR THE MIND BED LORE SUPERSTITIONS OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS GYPSY CURSE THE CURSE OF JAMES DEAN'S PORSCHE THE PRESIDENTIAL DEATH CYCLE THE CURSE OF THE INCAN MUMMY THE CURSE OF TOSCA THE SPORTS ILLUSTRATED JINX THE OSCAR CURSE THE CURSE OF LADY TICHBORNE THE CURSE OF THE SCREAMING SKULL THE CURSE OF KING TUT'S TOMB THE CURSE OF THE HINEMOA

13. THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

ROSWELL: WHAT HAPPENED? FIRST UFO SIGHTING UFO RELIGIONS IF YOU'VE BEEN ABDUCTED . . . THE TUNGUSKA EVENT: A UFO CRASH LANDING? MARFA MYSTERY THE GRAYS THE ABDUCTION OF BETTY ANDREASSON FOO FIGHTERS THE MYSTERIOUS FACE OF MARS A UFO AT O'HARE? DID YOU KNOW . . . ? ONCE IN A BLUE MOON BLUE MOON MOON GODS THE MANY MOONS OF SATURN THE RARE EARLY EASTER SUNDAY

Acknowledgments BIBLOGRAPHY To Our Readers