I wish I knew more.
Abram Brooks wasn’t as prolific contributor to the Fortean Society as that other, mostly-unknown but highly regarded member Tom Elsender, but he did do a lot for the Society, and I have found very little information about him. The best I can say is that, like many of the early Forteans, he was a science fiction fan.
Abram Brooks was first mentioned in the seventh issue, dated June 1943—this was 18 months after the previous issue, presumably because of all the flack that Thayer received for that issue. Already, Abrams was a “valued member” who had sent material on “scores of subjects,” including intelligent horses, time lapses, hollow snowballs, and rains of birds. But what really caught Thayer’s attention came from a story Brooks sent in. The story appeared in Unknown, which was the fantasy companion to the day’s most important science fiction magazine Astounding. The story, “Death’s Deputy,” was by L. Ron Hubbard and made reference to ‘accident prones.’ Hubbard said, “Not until recently was it completely proved, beyond all shadow of doubt,t hat the elimination of certain men from industrial plants met with a decrease if not a cessation of accidents in that plant.” Thayer wanted Fortean Society members to petition their insurance companies for information on accident prones.
Two other communications by Brooks suggested his interest in science fiction. In 1949 he sent a clipping from the magazine Fantastic Adventures about stone falls—mentioning in passing that poltergeists or something like them had pictures falling in his house. And in 1956 he had reason to refer, again, to Unknown, although by that point the magazine was dead. Someone had asked for reference to a story about two English women who went walking in Versailles and found themselves suddenly transported to 1789. While agreeing with Thayer that the theme had been worked hard, Brooks gave reference to a particular essay on the subject, “Time Travel Happens!” by A. M. Phillips in the December 1939 issue. He also pointed out that the two women in question had written a book on their adventures.
Brooks contributed many other clippings. Thayer advertised one in June 1943, teasing it for the next issue, although it did not appear until three issues later, in June 1944. That story was about a man who mysteriously found a bullet in his hand. Another clipping came from Science News. It told of Yale med school’s professor Harold S. Burr, who found that he could predict the lunar cycles by hooking delicate recording instruments to a maple tree. Why bother looking at the moon, Thayer jested. As for Science Digest, Thayer grumped, “and they have their information from Science Service, which is an outfit in Washington into which millions of tax-free dollars are poured by persons who might have guilty consciences if they kept all the dollars, or heart-burn if they had to pay income tax on so much money.” Through 1956, Brooks’s name appeared in eight other issues of The Fortean Society Magazine.
Probably his most important contribution was attracting Thayer’s attention to the work of John Alden Knight, who would become a member in his own write. Knight correlated the the lunar cycle with animal activity—particularly for hunters and fishermen. It was called “The Solunar Theory.” Thayer raved (14):
“Mr. Knight may have the comet by the tail! … The text is written in the true Fortean manner—that is, with only ‘temporary acceptance’ of its findings—and the author has confirmed that mental attitude by joining the Society.”
Thayer began selling the solunar tables, and hoped members would test them against their own experience.
As to what happened to Brooks—I have no idea.
Abram Brooks wasn’t as prolific contributor to the Fortean Society as that other, mostly-unknown but highly regarded member Tom Elsender, but he did do a lot for the Society, and I have found very little information about him. The best I can say is that, like many of the early Forteans, he was a science fiction fan.
Abram Brooks was first mentioned in the seventh issue, dated June 1943—this was 18 months after the previous issue, presumably because of all the flack that Thayer received for that issue. Already, Abrams was a “valued member” who had sent material on “scores of subjects,” including intelligent horses, time lapses, hollow snowballs, and rains of birds. But what really caught Thayer’s attention came from a story Brooks sent in. The story appeared in Unknown, which was the fantasy companion to the day’s most important science fiction magazine Astounding. The story, “Death’s Deputy,” was by L. Ron Hubbard and made reference to ‘accident prones.’ Hubbard said, “Not until recently was it completely proved, beyond all shadow of doubt,t hat the elimination of certain men from industrial plants met with a decrease if not a cessation of accidents in that plant.” Thayer wanted Fortean Society members to petition their insurance companies for information on accident prones.
Two other communications by Brooks suggested his interest in science fiction. In 1949 he sent a clipping from the magazine Fantastic Adventures about stone falls—mentioning in passing that poltergeists or something like them had pictures falling in his house. And in 1956 he had reason to refer, again, to Unknown, although by that point the magazine was dead. Someone had asked for reference to a story about two English women who went walking in Versailles and found themselves suddenly transported to 1789. While agreeing with Thayer that the theme had been worked hard, Brooks gave reference to a particular essay on the subject, “Time Travel Happens!” by A. M. Phillips in the December 1939 issue. He also pointed out that the two women in question had written a book on their adventures.
Brooks contributed many other clippings. Thayer advertised one in June 1943, teasing it for the next issue, although it did not appear until three issues later, in June 1944. That story was about a man who mysteriously found a bullet in his hand. Another clipping came from Science News. It told of Yale med school’s professor Harold S. Burr, who found that he could predict the lunar cycles by hooking delicate recording instruments to a maple tree. Why bother looking at the moon, Thayer jested. As for Science Digest, Thayer grumped, “and they have their information from Science Service, which is an outfit in Washington into which millions of tax-free dollars are poured by persons who might have guilty consciences if they kept all the dollars, or heart-burn if they had to pay income tax on so much money.” Through 1956, Brooks’s name appeared in eight other issues of The Fortean Society Magazine.
Probably his most important contribution was attracting Thayer’s attention to the work of John Alden Knight, who would become a member in his own write. Knight correlated the the lunar cycle with animal activity—particularly for hunters and fishermen. It was called “The Solunar Theory.” Thayer raved (14):
“Mr. Knight may have the comet by the tail! … The text is written in the true Fortean manner—that is, with only ‘temporary acceptance’ of its findings—and the author has confirmed that mental attitude by joining the Society.”
Thayer began selling the solunar tables, and hoped members would test them against their own experience.
As to what happened to Brooks—I have no idea.
