It began one quiet evening when Carol and I sat down to watch the 1951 sci-fi classic When Worlds Collide. The premise—a rogue planet on a collision course with Earth—was familiar, not just in its cinematic tension, but because it echoes the very heart of the novel I’m writing, Red Sky. What struck us most was how this story, first published as a novel in 1933, predated Velikovsky’s controversial Worlds in Collision by nearly two decades. Naturally, we wondered: Was Velikovsky influenced by this earlier tale?
With that question, we launched into a deep dive. I began pulling from my digital library and sourcing PDF versions of Velikovsky-related works online. And thanks to my AI research assistant (ChatGPT), we reviewed and summarized nearly a dozen of them. The results were fascinating. While Velikovsky does not appear to have drawn directly from When Worlds Collide, both stories are part of a long-standing tradition of rogue planet catastrophism—one rooted in mythology, science, and what some might call heresy.
Below is a narrative overview of what we found—each book contributing another layer to Velikovsky’s legacy, and by extension, influencing how I see the cosmology of Red Sky unfolding.
1. When Worlds Collide (1933 novel)
By Edwin Balmer and Philip Wylie
- A pair of rogue planets enter the solar system: one destroys Earth, the other offers salvation.
- A secret group builds an escape rocket to reach the second planet.
- Themes of collapse, survival, and cosmic judgment.
- While highly fictionalized, the novel precedes Velikovsky and raises many of the same apocalyptic concerns.
2. Worlds in Collision (1950)
By Immanuel Velikovsky
- Argues that Venus was ejected from Jupiter and caused chaos on Earth within human memory.
- Uses ancient myths and texts as evidence of celestial catastrophes.
- Claimed events like the plagues of Egypt, global floods, and the stopping of the sun were planetary in origin.
- Sparked academic outrage and led to one of the most notorious publishing scandals in scientific history.
3. Cosmos Without Gravitation (1946)
By Immanuel Velikovsky
- Proposed that gravity is an electromagnetic, not Newtonian, force.
- Claimed celestial bodies interact electrically across space.
- Laid groundwork for later plasma cosmology and the Electric Universe model.
- Was seen as pseudoscience at the time and dismissed by physicists.
4. Earth in Upheaval (1955)
By Immanuel Velikovsky
- Collected geological evidence to support his catastrophism.
- Argued that fossil beds, frozen mammoths, and sudden mountain uplifts showed rapid, violent changes.
- Challenged uniformitarianism in geology.
5. Stargazers and Gravediggers (1983)
By Immanuel Velikovsky (posthumous memoir)
- A personal account of the backlash against Worlds in Collision.
- Documents letters, meetings, and efforts to censor or discredit Velikovsky.
- Defends the integrity of his methods and compares himself to Galileo.
6. The Velikovsky Affair (1966)
Edited by Alfred de Grazia
- An analysis of the scientific, political, and cultural reaction to Velikovsky.
- Examines how institutional power silenced dissent.
- Argues for more open, pluralistic discourse in science.
7. The Velikovsky Heresies (2012)
By Laird Scranton
- Reassesses Velikovsky in light of modern science.
- Finds that many of his predictions—Venus’s temperature, retrograde spin, electromagnetic forces—were surprisingly accurate.
- Draws connections to Electric Universe theory.
8. The Age of Velikovsky (1976)
By C.J. Ransom
- Written by a plasma physicist who reviews Velikovsky’s claims fairly.
- Finds parallels with modern plasma cosmology.
- Defends Velikovsky’s right to be heard without endorsing every detail.
9. Velikovsky Reconsidered (1976)
By the Pensée Editorial Board
- A compendium of scientific essays reassessing Velikovsky’s theories.
- Discusses planetary data, geology, mythology, and philosophy of science.
- Neutral in tone, promoting open inquiry.
Comparative Table: Velikovsky and Related Works
| Title | Author | Focus | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| When Worlds Collide | Balmer & Wylie | Fictional rogue planet catastrophe | Precursor to Velikovsky’s themes |
| Worlds in Collision | Velikovsky | Planetary catastrophism via Venus | Heretical, partially vindicated |
| Cosmos Without Gravitation | Velikovsky | Electromagnetic space interactions | Proto-EU; dismissed early |
| Earth in Upheaval | Velikovsky | Geological evidence of catastrophe | Valid data, debated conclusions |
| Stargazers and Gravediggers | Velikovsky | Memoir of scientific suppression | Emotional but informative |
| The Velikovsky Affair | De Grazia et al. | Academic backlash & censorship | Sociological critique of science |
| Velikovsky Heresies | Laird Scranton | Modern re-evaluation of claims | Balanced and data-driven |
| Age of Velikovsky | C.J. Ransom | Scientific review by physicist | Sympathetic but careful |
| Velikovsky Reconsidered | Pensée Journal | Anthology of critiques and support | Scholarly and objective |
Final Thoughts: A Legacy of Courage and Controversy
Velikovsky was not a fiction writer like Wylie and Balmer. He was a medical doctor, psychologist, and polymath who dared to question the most sacred assumptions of astronomy and geology. Was he right about everything? No. But was he a crackpot? Absolutely not.
His willingness to challenge uniformitarian assumptions and defend ancient records as legitimate data is what resonates most with me as I write Red Sky. In a world where catastrophe is dismissed until it becomes undeniable, Velikovsky reminds us that truth often begins as heresy.
We owe it to the spirit of scientific discovery—not to mention the survival of our own fictional characters—to keep asking forbidden questions.
