When the Asteroid Hits

The incomprehensible notion of a very large chunk of ice or rock from outer space smashing into the Earth has only become mainstream within the past two centuries. Though early writers imagined the utterly fantastic consequences of comet collisions and speculated on the devastation they might wreak, it was not until the 1980s when scientists finally resolved that dinosaurs were extinguished by an asteroid 66 million years ago. This startling announcement captivated the media and tilted the science fiction world but in reality, history may have been punctuated repeatedly by such events.
This book collects and analyzes ideas of asteroid, comet, and planetary impacts with Earth spanning two centuries, from the first realization of extinctions in fossil records to the new millennium, reflected in scores of sci-fi stories, films, and televised science documentaries. The author examines social and geopolitical fears tied to the prospect of a cosmic-borne catastrophe. Science, fiction, and speculation are artfully melded.

Allen A. Debus, a retired environmental chemist, has long been infatuated with dinosaurs, paleontology, science fiction, Godzilla and King Kong. He has written several books addressing prehistoric creatures—both real and fictional—in popular culture, and attends Chicagoland’s Wizard World and G-Fest. He is a member of the G-Fan Hall of Fame and lives in Hanover Park, Illinois.

Allen A. Debus
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 312
Bibliographic Info: 84 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9458-0
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5274-0
Imprint: McFarland

Preface: Warning from Space 1

Introduction: What Goes Around Comes Around 7

One. Mammoths and Comets in Popular Culture—Early Perspectives 17

Two. On Comets: Inflicting Terror and Angst in Modernity—A Popular View 27

Three. Target—Earth! 42

Four. Worlds in Collision 55

Five. Mid-Century Descent into Quackery? 66

Six. Fossil Impact—Kentland Interlude 77

Seven. Hammer Fall 88

Eight. Inextricably Linked—Asteroids and Dinosaurs Enter Mainstream 103

Nine. Cycle of Cosmic Catastrophes: Nemesis—Death Star Days 112

Ten. Time Travels—Reality of Instantaneity! 128

Eleven. Mammoths, Meteorites, and Supernovae—Life on the Fringe 145

Twelve. Megadeaths—Demonology and Fates of Dinosaurs, Mammoths, and Man 164

Epilogue 182

Appendix: What Happened Before Could Befall Us Again! (Visualizing Asteroid Impacts and Comet Collisions) 213

Chapter Notes 267

Bibliography 299

Index 301