book review, s_x and Rockets.

spiney

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http://www.excludedmiddle.com/images/S&R1.jpg .

s_x and Rockets, the occult world of Jack Parsons.

By John Carter (preface by Robert Anton Wilson).

As a boy, Parsons got interested in science and - although without a degree - became an explosives expert, and a co-founder of the world famous Jet Propulsion Laboratory (now part of NASA). His JATOs helped airplanes take off during WW2, and his solid state rocket design is used in sub launched ICBMs, and for the space shuttle booster rockets.

He was also a sci fi fan, part of the same "circle" as Williamson and Heinlein, and even appeared in a few sci fi novels himself (under a different name, of course!).

He was also an ardent occultist, early on in life discovering Alistair Crowley, and thereafter openly and devoutly practised various "magical rites", as per the Golden Dawn order, etc.

In the end, he got shunned because of his occult practises (which included "s_x magic", as a serious subject, but of course this was a "no no" for most people!). Eventually, he blew himself up (an occupational hazard, if you constantly handle explosives!).

This book has some interesting stuff on Parsons' early life, and his rocket experiments, particularly the reproduced contemporary newspaper articles. He first experimented with liquid rockets, just prior to WW2 and approx 10 years after Goddard had, but then became famous for designing working solid fuel rockets, which nobody else had managed to.

There's also some interesting sci fi stuff. Apparently, Parsons shared a house quite a long time with L Ron Hubbard (founder of scientology), and they practised occult rites together. Which throws some light on Hubbard's later invention of Dianetics (later became scientology), originally a sort of "poor man's psychoanalysis" (Freudian therapy was ridiculously expensive, so only for rich people!). Dianetics has some bizarre "literal words" stuff, but this is very much a characteristic of occult thought (numerology, power of spoken names and words, etc), so we can see where it originally came from.

I found this book difficult going! Unfortunately, there's only a limited amount about Parsons' scientific pursuits, and most of the book is instead about his occult practises, with huge lists of various occult orders, etc. No doubt this is all the results of long research, and great worthy stuff, but I found it horribly boring!

There's also a rather long and ranting preface from famous conspiracy theorist and sci fi author Wilson. Largely about Christian fundamentalists, and their attempts to restrict other peoples' freedom. I agree with what he says, but it's a bit inappropriate for this particular book. However, at least his name on the cover should get more people reading it, which is a good thing!

PS, John Carter is - of course! - one of Edgar Rice Burroughs' most famous characters, so I very much doubt it's the author's real name!

http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:...ml+132_parsons.shtml&hl=en&gl=uk&ct=clnk&cd=1 .

http://www.rotten.com/library/conspiracy/oto/ .

http://fusionanomaly.net/robertantonwilson.html .

http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/j/joncartr.htm .
 

Saturlight

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Not Tarzen's then. ;) I find stuff like that hard-going too, Spiney, although intriguing how mind manipulators operate. :)
 

spiney

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Well, not so much "mind control", really, more about a very unconventional lifestyle.

I gave the links for info, to show that a lot of well-known stuff stems from this little-known man.

Otherwise, I'm not condoning anything. Especially Scientology, (which can be) quite nasty.

http://www.xenu.net/ .

(Much more about Scientology, on various fraudbusting and anti-pseudoscience websites, eg see quackwatch).

Added - well worth reading - in fact, riveting and unputdownable! - is the famous and excellent book "Inside Scientology". In fact, I've just discovered this is now freely available online:

http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/isd/isd.htm .

To say Parsons helped start or even influence Scientology is untrue, I'm sure he would have denied any such idea, but - of course - it all happened after he died.

Otherwise, regarding Robert Wilson, I don't personally think that much of him, finding his sci fi unreadable and theories silly, but that's a personal opinion, there's no doubt he's widely influential, hence should be mentioned.
 

spiney

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Sorry, this particular thread might have backfired a bit!

It was supposed to be a review of a particular book, albeit rather an unusual one. The links were for background info, I wasn't intending to go on about "mind control" (whatever that is!).

It's true Ron Hubbard did then afterwards start Scientology, rather a nasty cult, which of course people should be aware of! However, I wasn't my intention to draw particular attention to it, and of course folks will (and do) believe what they want to.

There's freedom of speech, and although I would personally warn against any involvement whatsoever with Scientology, nevertheless Ron Hubbard's major works are freely and easily available, for whoever wants to read them.
 

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Your not supposed to be reading books spiney - your supposed to be watching satellite television :-lmao

.
 

Channel Hopper

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spiney said:
As a boy, Parsons got interested in science and - although without a degree - became an explosives expert,.. .

How times have changed, nowadays, all one would expect from such 'expertise' would be a criminal record.
 

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Or, an internet connection :-ohmy
 

spiney

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BarMoo said:
Your not supposed to be reading books spiney - your supposed to be watching satellite television.

Yes, you'd think so, but at top of this thread it does say "books". Honest, hav a look.

It also says "plays", but somehow, I don't think we'll get many drama critics!

As for musicals ....... who's going to admit they've seen one?


Capt Pugwash would probably review the latest treasure maps.
 

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spiney said:
As for musicals ....... who's going to admit they've seen one?.

Well, I will, if you want me to, LOL.

Captn Pug is currently on a book tour.

.
 

spiney

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BarMoo said:
Well, I will, if you want me to, LOL.

Captn Pug is currently on a book tour.

.

Hope there are no pirate editions .......
 

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spiney said:
It also says "plays", but somehow, I don't think we'll get many drama critics!

As for musicals ....... who's going to admit they've seen one?.

I saw this last weekend in Wimbledon
Slava's Snow Show

but the last real musical I saw was probably Dads Army at Shaftesbury theatre in 1978 (ish).
 

spiney

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I don't think Snow Show is a musical, as such!

But, the point is, what did u think of them?

Last play I saw was the excellent Ken Campbell's Meaning of life, 2 years ago, London's Drill Hall. BRILLIANT.

Here' the only review of it I can find, on entire Internet:
Durham Literature Festival 2003: Ken Campbell - I'm not mad, I just read different books .

Just released on DVD, if anyone's interested, there's some clips on youtube.

» Ken Campbell’s Meaning of Life: Jack Phoenix Film .

YouTube - 1 - Ken Campbell: DIY Seance Part One
 
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