The Mad Gasser of Mattoon


Book Description




Prowler, the Mad Gasser of Mattoon


Book Description

WWII era Mattoon, Illinois, is descending in madness. The small town's fears of an enemy within, stalking them like prey, are threatening to become a reality and consume the town. As the hysteria rises, the people of Mattoon are tested in ways that will change their lives and their idyllic small town forever. And for one family, everything hangs in the balance. "Prowler: The Mad Gasser of Mattoon is fast-paced and alive with the mysteries of our time." Lee Martin The Bright Forever "Delve into hysteria, family, and the dynamics of a small town, all with psychological acumen and an almost filmic sense of drama. A fast-paced and fleet thriller." Rebecca Makkai The Hundred-Year House and The Borrower




The Mad Gasser of Botetourt County


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In the winter of 1933, rural Botetourt County, Virginia, residents were attacked by a phantom menace. An invisible gas filled the homes of unsuspecting victims, causing illness and resulting in a mass hysteria that reached the city of Roanoke. Despite best efforts of local law enforcement, the Mad Gasser somehow evaded capture. Who was this Mad Gasser? Was it simply a case of mass hysteria or was there a sinister attacker responsible for these unsolved crimes? For the first time, this mystery from Virginia's past is explored here, in detail, by historian William B. Van Huss. Go beyond the legend of the Mad Gasser; retrace the timeline of events, decipher the evidence, and explore the theories that have been proposed to explain this enigmatic cold case.




Rumor, Fear and the Madness of Crowds


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"Originally published by Ballantine Books, New York, in 1959."




Mysterious America


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Bestselling author and noted cryptozoologist Loren Coleman set out on the ultimate mission: to uncover the fun and intriguing phenomena that exist right here in the United States. In Mysterious America, a fun and compulsively readable guidebook to America's most popular local legends, he prepares readers for their own adventure -- where to find the unbelievable spectacles on their journey, including: Phantom panthers haunting eastern North America Bay State ghosts and spirits Mad gassers in Illinois Champ, the famous Lake Champlain monster The Minnesota Iceman The Missouri Momo and the infamous Eastern Bigfoot And many more! Coleman's witty insight and astonishing experiences will captivate followers of Charles Fort and just-plain-curious readers alike. For, as Coleman frankly reveals, these strange creatures and unimaginable wonders may lie just beyond your own backyard....




Havana Syndrome


Book Description

It is one of the most extraordinary cases in the history of science: the mating calls of insects were mistaken for a “sonic weapon” that led to a major diplomatic row. Since August 2017, the world media has been absorbed in the “attack” on diplomats from the American and Canadian Embassies in Cuba. While physicians treating victims have described it as a novel and perplexing condition that involves an array of complaints including brain damage, the authors present compelling evidence that mass psychogenic illness was the cause of “Havana Syndrome.” This mysterious condition that has baffled experts is explored across 11-chapters which offer insights by a prominent neurologist and an expert on psychogenic illness. A lively and enthralling read, the authors explore the history of similar scares from the 18th century belief that sounds from certain musical instruments were harmful to human health, to 19th century cases of “telephone shock,” and more contemporary panics involving people living near wind turbines that have been tied to a variety of health complaints. The authors provide dozens of examples of kindred episodes of mass hysteria throughout history, in addition to psychosomatic conditions and even the role of insects in triggering outbreaks. Havana Syndrome: Mass Psychogenic Illness and the Real Story Behind the Embassy Mystery and Hysteria is a scientific detective story and a case study in the social construction of mass psychogenic illness.




Forgotten Tales of Illinois


Book Description

Dig up the men who tried to dig up Lincoln. Mull over the Mad Gasser of Mattoon and the 1977 thunderbird infestation, from a safe distance. Watch in horror as one of the greatest maritime disasters in U.S. history occurs twenty feet from the banks of the Chicago River or follow the course of the blimp crash that convinced a downtown bank employee that it was raining hell. Try not to blink as towns washed away by floods and shrines covered over by condominiums are dragged back from the margins of history into the center of the page, where they belong. After all, reasons author Bryan Alaspa, if the pope was eager to stop by the House of Crosses during his visit to Chicago, surely it is worth a look. Just beware: a quick glance into this book and you might not look up until you've read the whole gripping and grin-inspiring collection.




Little Green Men, Meowing Nuns and Head-Hunting Panics


Book Description

"For a two week period in 1956, residents in the vicinity of Taipei, Taiwan, lived in fear that they would be the next victims of a crazed villain who was prowling the streets and slashing people at random with a razor or similar weapon. At least 21 victims were reported during this period, mostly women and children of low income and education." A thorough investigation revealed however, that: "five slashings were innocent false reports, seven were self-inflicted cuts, eight were due to cuts rather than razors, and one was complete fantasy." This is one example of many cases of what has traditionally been called "mass hysteria" that are examined in this comprehensive study of human beings' fear of the unknown. Beginning with a concise history of mass hysteria and social delusions, the author differentiates between the two and investigates mass hysteria in closed settings such as work and school, and mass hysteria in communities with incidents such as gassings, Pokemon illnesses in Japan, and medieval dance crazes. Also examined are collective delusions, with information on five major types: immediate threat, symbolic scare, mass wish fulfillment, urban legends and mass panics. The book ends with a discussion of major issues in the area of mass hysteria and a look toward the future of this intriguing subject.




Mysterious America


Book Description

Loren Coleman's highly-praised, 1983 classic work, "Mysterious America," has been thoroughly updated for this revised edition. Included here are classic reports on the Dover Demon, the Mad Gasser of Mattoon, Phantom Clowns, the Iceman carcass, Alligators in the Sewers, Mystery Kangaroos, Phantom Panthers, various Bigfoot, and the Jersey Devil -- along with a comprehensive bibliography, a thorough index, and some notable strange places listed by state.




American Hauntings


Book Description

From the mediums of Spiritualism's golden age to the ghost hunters of the modern era, Taylor shines a light on the phantasms and frauds of the past, the first researchers who dared to investigate the unknown, and the stories and events that galvanized the pubic and created the paranormal field that we know today.