Minister resigns over Brown smears (Fortean Times, The)

Member Name: thehonesttruth

Product:	Fortean Times, The
Date:	09/08/09 (35 review reads)
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I started reading this monthly magazine many years back - my mum used to buy it on a regular basis, and I had a couple of favourite sections of the magazine I found amusing . Nowadays, I read it from cover to cover each month.

The word Fortean comes from the name of Charles Fort , an avid collector of strange news stories, particularly relating to the paranormal . Fort had a strong disregard for religion and science, branding them to narrow minded to allow for a lot of occurences. Fort was fascinated by tales of UFOS, aliens, ghosts and alien big cats , as well as alternative cultures and societies.

The magazine is a mix of things - articles debunking conspiracy theories, stories on alien big cat sightings, urban myths, showers of tadpoles - all sorts of strange and crazy things can be found here .

Some articles require a very open mind - such as articles discussing the existence of UFO's . Other articles are based on actual occurences , such as the showers of tadpoles, that while proven to have happened, can not be easily explained .

While the cover of the magazine is simple and uncluttered, usually a clear photograph with a big headline across the top and smaller headlines down the left hand side, the inside of the magazine can seem a little cluttered , with big stories running along the centre of the pages and smaller snippets lodged along the side .

My favourite sections of the magazine are the strange death section (which I instantly flick to upon opening the magazine) detailing the crazy ways some people manage to die . For example, a mexican man was enjoying sexual relations with a chicken in a cave, when part of the cave collapsed, pinning both the chicken and him to the ground . Lovely stuff.

I also like the section that copies real news headlines that were perhaps unfortunately, but amusingly worded - for example 'Minister Quits Over Brown Smears' which brings to mind slightly soiled underpants, or the slight worrying 'Organ Pulled out of Vagina' which just boggles the mind .

The larger articles in the magazine can cover some 4 pages on occasion, and are always well written and very balanced - the magazine doesn't, for example, attempt to convince you that aliens do or do not exist - it simply gives you the information and leaves you to make up your own mind .

Towards the back of the magazine are reviews of books , games and films , most of which are a little away from the mainstream. There are also a variety of advertisements for an assortment of products and companies - t shirts, jewellery, hydroponic supplies etc .

Overall, I enjoy the magazine - the writing is clear and intelligent, whilst being easy to read . The photos, while occasionally being a bit gruesome, illustrate the articles well, and there is plenty to make me think, as well as make me laugh.

At 4.25, I feel its a good price for a monthly magazine , as it will keep me busy for a good few days as I read articles then spend some time thinking about them . For anyone with an interest in the paranormal, whether a believer or not, I recommend this magazine .

I'll leave you with a short snippet from this months little 'Michael Jackson Conspiracies' section .

"Some bloggers suggested that President Ahmedinejad had Jackson killed in order to shift the world's gaze from the violent post-election clampdown in Iran . It certainly worked in terms of media both new and old, with everything from newspapers and TV to Twitter obsessing over the dead star to the exclusion of much else "

Go buy it!

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