Other editions of book In Search of the Unknown 1904

Because it all seems so improbable—so horribly impossible to me now, sitting here safe and sane in my own library—I hesitate to record an episode which already appears to me less horrible than grotesque. Yet, unless this story is written now, I know I shall never have the courage to tell the truth about the matter—not from fear of ridicule, but because I myself shall soon cease to credit what I now know to be true. Yet scarcely a month has elapsed since I heard the stealthy purring of what I believed to be the shoaling undertow—scarcely a month ago, with my own eyes, I saw that which, even now, I am beginning to believe never existed.

The hero, working under the auspices of the Bronx Zoo, scours the globe in search of extinct and legendary species, including the great auk, invisible swamp-dwelling predators, and "harbor masters," half-men, half-amphibians. Guided by his implacable self-confidence, the bumbling scientist faces down a world of dangers as well as the distractions posed by a series of beguiling women.

It appears to the writer that there is urgent need of more "nature books"-books that are scraped clear of fiction and which display only the carefully articulated skeleton of fact. Hence this little volume, presented with some hesitation and more modesty. Various chapters have, at intervals, appeared in the pages of various publications. The continued narrative is now published for the first time; and the writer trusts that it may inspire enthusiasm for natural and scientific research, and inculcate a passion for accurate observation among the young.

Because it all seems so improbable—so horribly impossible to me now, sitting here safe and sane in my own library—I hesitate to record an episode which already appears to me less horrible than grotesque. Yet, unless this story is written now, I know I shall never have the courage to tell the truth about the matter—not from fear of ridicule, but because I myself shall soon cease to credit what I now know to be true. Yet scarcely a month has elapsed since I heard the stealthy purring of what I believed to be the shoaling undertow—scarcely a month ago, with my own eyes, I saw that which, even now, I am beginning to believe never existed. As for the harbor-master—and the blow I am now striking at the old order of things—But of that I shall not speak now, or later; I shall try to tell the story simply and truthfully, and let my friends testify as to my probity and the publishers of this book corroborate them.

It appears to the writer that there is urgent need of more "nature books"—books that are scraped clear of fiction and which display only the carefully articulated skeleton of fact. Hence this little volume; presented with some hesitation and more modesty. Various chapters have; at intervals; appeared in the pages of various publications. The continued narrative is now published for the first time; and the writer trusts that it may inspire enthusiasm for natural and scientific research; and inculcate a passion for accurate observation among the young.

Robert William Chambers (May 26, 1865 – December 16, 1933) was an American artist and fiction writer, best known for his book of short stories entitled The King in Yellow, published in 1895.IN SEARCH OF THE UNKNOWN1904It appears to the writer that there is urgent need of more "nature books"—books that are scraped clear of fiction and which display only the carefully articulated skeleton of fact. Hence this little volume, presented with some hesitation and more modesty. Various chapters have, at intervals, appeared in the pages of various publications. The continued narrative is now published for the first time; and the writer trusts that it may inspire enthusiasm for natural and scientific research, and inculcate a passion for accurate observation among the young.THE AUTHOR.Where the slanting forest eaves,Shingled tight with greenest leaves,Sweep the scented meadow-sedge,Let us snoop along the edge;Let us pry in hidden nooks,Laden with our nature books,Scaring birds with happy cries,Chloroforming butterflies,Rooting up each woodland plant,Pinning beetle, fly, and ant,So we may identifyWhat we've ruined, by-and-by.

An ornithologist seeking prehistoric creatures also discovers modern romance in these strange and satiric short stories by Robert W. Chambers, an early master of supernatural fiction and the author of the cult classic The King in Yellow. Originally published in periodicals of the early twentieth century, these six interconnected tales recount a madcap series of international romps. The hero, working under the auspices of the Bronx Zoo, scours the globe in search of extinct and legendary species, including the great auk, invisible swamp-dwelling predators, and "harbor masters," half-men, half-amphibians. Guided by his implacable self-confidence, the bumbling scientist faces down a world of dangers as well as the distractions posed by a series of beguiling women.

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Chambers' early novel explores the mysteries of the unknown. "Very genuine, though not without the typical mannered extravagance of the eighteen-nineties, is the strain of horror in the early work of Robert W. Chambers . . . One cannot help regretting that he did not further develop a vein in which he could so easily have become a recognised master." -- H.P. Lovecraft

Because it all seems so improbable-so horribly impossible to me now, sitting here safe and sane in my own library-I hesitate to record an episode which already appears to me less horrible than grotesque. Yet, unless this story is written now, I know I shall never have the courage to tell the truth about the matter-not from fear of ridicule, but because I myself shall soon cease to credit what I now know to be true. Yet scarcely a month has elapsed since I heard the stealthy purring of what I believed to be the shoaling undertow-scarcely a month ago, with my own eyes, I saw that which, even now, I am beginning to believe never existed.