Eric van Daniwank's name in the best-sellers thread reminded me of my own flirtations with dodgy authors. There was Carlos Castenada of course, who I enjoyed for a month or two around the turn of the sixties. He doesn't quite count, as he did have the academic cred, and the first couple books might be read as allegory (or something.)
But, when I was in my early teens I totally bought into Lobsang Rampa (who now possesses the most hilarious Wiki page ever.) Thing is in the late 50s - early 60s almost no one in Europe or North America had been to Tibet, it was truly the "Lost Horizon," which is how a canny plumber from Plympton could claim his body was the host of a lama named Tuesday Lobsang Rampa, and make a fortune writing about it.
Any others...?
But, when I was in my early teens I totally bought into Lobsang Rampa (who now possesses the most hilarious Wiki page ever.) Thing is in the late 50s - early 60s almost no one in Europe or North America had been to Tibet, it was truly the "Lost Horizon," which is how a canny plumber from Plympton could claim his body was the host of a lama named Tuesday Lobsang Rampa, and make a fortune writing about it.
Any others...?
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