Mac Tonnies, 34, Has Died
Posted by: Loren Coleman on October 24th, 2009
Why do some people die so young, and all we hear is that they passed away of “natural causes”? The two pieces of information do not compute.
Mac Tonnies, 34, a rising intellectual presence in Fortean thought, the “Posthuman Blues” blogger, and the author of the forthcoming book, The Cryptoterrestrials (Anomalist Books, tentatively 2010), has departed this plane. He was found dead in his apartment on Thursday afternoon, October 22, 2009. Reports indicate that there was no foul play or suicide involved, and “natural causes” are being blamed for his sudden and unexpected death. There is some indication that he may have been feeling “faint” in the days leading up to his death.
I never met Mac, but he did correspond a few times with me. In April 2008, he was curious about a mysterious graffiti artist that had popped up in his town, who was leaving iconic Nessie stencils around and about. He wrote me and asked if I’d heard about any other incidents like it happening around the country. I posted a brief note on Cryptomundo about the cryptoart.
The title of Mac’s forthcoming book, The Cryptoterrestrials, also, of course, interested me. In talks I had with his publisher, Patrick Huyghe, I understood it would be a book that extended the thoughts of John Keel’s ultraterrestrials. I looked forward to seeing what new take Tonnies had on it all, and was open to hearing if cryptozoology played into his intellectual ponderings.
The tributes for Tonnies, as often happens in a surprising death like this, are pouring in from his deep friends. I recommend those of Nick Redfern, Greg Bishop, and the many others of his true friends.
Mac Tonnies had the potential to ask some challenging questions. That seemed to have scared some people. For the extended version of my obituary, to read what I have to say about the unfortunate “death list” on which he was placed, please see here.
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
RIP, Mac Tonnies.
I already expressed my condolences over at Nick’s blog.
Sad beyond belief. One of the Greats dead at a young age.
Hopefully the “CryptoTerrerstrials” book will be finished.
Tonnies knows the “truth” of a lot of his theories now.
RIP
This is very sad news. I had noticed that he hadn’t posted on twitter or posthuman in a number of days but i figured he was just busy with other things. very sad news.
Not to be disrespectful, but frightening things were on his mind that he pondered that could have chilled people to their very core of their being?
Korollocke: May I ask you—what are you talking about?
I don’t think you’re being “disrespectful” at all—I’m just unsure of what you mean…
Are you saying Tonnies died of fright from thinking about paranormal stuff? Is that it? Please clarify yourself, Sir. 🙂
This is something that I just can’t get over…..
Paranormal and cryptozoological researchers seem to die or “disappear” much more frequently than the norm. Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t shake that “creepy” feeling.