Any Colin Wilson scholars on the board?

Any Colin Wilson scholars on the board?

Hmm, not me unless reading The Philosopher's Stone, The Mind Parasites and The Space Vampires (aka Lifeforce) many years ago makes one a scholar. Which it doesn't.

Any Colin Wilson scholars on the board?

Sorry, I have only read The Occult. I remember being intrigued by his discussion of The Right Man and though him worth further reading but haven't done so yet.

Any Colin Wilson scholars on the board?

I don't know jack about existential phenomenology, but I do know that, back in the '70s when I went there, Duquesne University was supposedly the "hotbed of existential phenomenology". Now, I never went to bed with any hot existential phenomenologists but you might want to contact their psychology department. Their web site is http://www.duq.edu.

I don't know jack about existential phenomenology, but I do know that, back in the '70s when I went there, Duquesne University was supposedly the "hotbed of existential phenomenology". Now, I never went to bed with any hot existential phenomenologists but you might want to contact their psychology department. Their web site is http://www.duq.edu.

Not too surprising, Biggles--one of Wilson's most insightful books in the Outsider cycle was THE ORIGINS OF THE SEXUAL IMPULSE. If Duquesne liked Wilson's thought back then, Christ knows what philosophical heights they've reached since. Do you still keep in touch?

Hmm, not me unless reading The Philosopher's Stone, The Mind Parasites and The Space Vampires (aka Lifeforce) many years ago makes one a scholar. Which it doesn't.

All of Wilson's fiction is worth reading. (He has =lots= of other good stuff.) I'd say MIND PARASITES is the best of his sf/horror novels, PHILOSOPHER STONE a close second, and SPACE VAMPIRES a worthy third. If you like his fiction, check out THE GLASS CAGE, THE PERSONALITY SURGEON, LINGARD, and ADRIFT IN SOHO. All out-of-print, but easily available. Remember, Dave, the first step in becoming a scholar is saying to yourself, "Well, I wonder what the hell this book is about." Worked for me!

Sorry, I have only read The Occult. I remember being intrigued by his discussion of The Right Man and though him worth further reading but haven't done so yet.

Take the time, Don. Try MYSTERIES and BEYOND THE OCCULT.

Not too surprising, Biggles--one of Wilson's most insightful books in the Outsider cycle was THE ORIGINS OF THE SEXUAL IMPULSE. If Duquesne liked Wilson's thought back then, Christ knows what philosophical heights they've reached since. Do you still keep in touch?

Do I keep in touch with Duquesne? Yes, I do, and I visit campus on my too infrequent trips back home. But I never took a psych class there, being a History major and having tested out of Psych 101/102. I'm not a disbeliever in Behavioral Psychology, but I don't think behaviorism explains everything. My knowledge of psychology is regretably mostly practical vs. theoretical, as I have known hundreds, perhaps thousands, of disturbed people over a quarter century in the legal profession. The fact that I understand these people is most disturbing in itself.

I don't think understanding disturbed souls is cause for alarm, Biggles. Writers couldn't ply their trade without it. (Aside here--back in '92, I met my old bandmate Ken Guarino at Bull McCabe's Irish Pub for our usual Friday afternoon drinking bout. We'd punished maybe a pitcher apiece when I remembered... "Hey, Ken, I got a new lyric here for the band." "Cool! Let's see!" It was called (OH, OH, OH, OH) THE THINGS SHE DID FOR THE LOVE OF A GUNMAN. And I thought of it as just an old-style murder ballad, featuring a Bonnie-and-Clyde-type couple. Ken took it with an expectant smile, read it, and put it down. He looked at me, took a long pull from his beer, and read it again. "Jesus Christ, Mike...YOU wanna sing it? This is psychotic!" I have never felt so proud.) Anyway, psychology class and kamikazes. When I attended SUNY Brockport, I took the required Psych 101 with Dr. Ashita, a =high= judo master (coached the US judo Olympic team in 1972) and former kamikaze pilot. He spoke English perfectly well, but adopted a broad "Yellow Peril" accent when he told the story (every class wanted to hear it). "Well, class, there was Ashita...ready to die for Emperor. Banzai! Commander say, 'Ashita--dive your aircraft into Yankee carrier!' Ashita say, 'Banzai!' and climb into cockpit. Found American fleet. Ah, but Ashita smart--no want to die--hide in cloud!"