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Air-Kraken Day – March 17th

Air Kraken sighting

Some of you may be aware of the scourge of the skies – the deadly Air-Kraken.  Though Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote of them (The Horror of the Heights), and the whole ecology supporting these sky based terrors, they seem to have been mostly forgotten about.  Well, with March being the height of their mating season, it’s as good a day as any to look warily to the skies and remember the mighty Air-Kraken.

It is of course, St. Patrick’s Day also, so perhaps you’ll take a glass or two of whatever tickles your fancy, and look to the skies to see if you might by chance spot an Air-Kraken flitting between the clouds – it’s probably the very best time to do so.  Current theories believe them to be either semi-transparent and made from mostly aerogels, or alternately colour-changing like water-based squid and supported aloft by sacs of hydrogen.
Thank you both Mr Rowland and Mr Kiskolou of the Steampunk Forum for educating me in the ways of Air-Kraken.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 14th, 2007 at 10:43 pm by Tinkergirl and is filed under Uncategorized.

  • Incredible that these beasts never gained more of a following in the weird tales realm. A bit reminiscent of a prosaic cousin of Yog-Sothoth, aren't they?
  • ILLYA
    didn't something to this effect also aperer in Sky Breaker?
  • Kiskolou
    It's funny, i knew nothing of any of the "horror of the hieghts" thing or any of that when i made the thread, just found the idea amusing. Glad to see something i contributed interest so many!
  • Fantomas
    Ahhh, behold the mighty air-kraken, eligant in all it's motions beyond description...but not beyond well worthy mention.
    Grand and beyond all other reasonably massive craetures in its grace. May they forever blacken the skys.
  • hmmm , delicious!!
  • Wenhaston Blackheath
    A scholarly Paper on Flying Squid can be found here:

    http://people.hofstra.edu/faculty/jason_d_willi...
  • steampunk666
    dead link
  • Cool but I think you may be Air Kraken up!
  • Kabuki
    You'd think the smaller ones would be getting sucked in to the intakes of air ships more often... I've flown a few times, and never once have I seen any tracking data for "Schools of Sky Squid" on the update monitors. Perhaps they keep that screen in the flight control tower?
  • Mr Svensson
    I'm afraid that the use of jet engines and increased airplane traffic has more or less rendered these noble beasts extinct, sadly enough. I propose a toast for the Air Kraken!

    Very interesting post, it really tickles my interest. When I think of Sir Doyle, what comes to my mind is usually dinosaurs and a certain famous detective. But from now on, every time I see or hear his name I'll be remembered of the proud air kraken that gracefully soar high above us. Can't thank you enough, obviously.
  • Clockwork Rose
    Ah, I never cease to be amazed by the work of Sir Doyle, and his capacity to create works of such literary artistry. A man to be admired, for sure, and one that I am sure is more than capable of giving chase to such an immense creature.
  • XxDoCxX
    This is really weird, because when I was a kid I remember being outside my house, looking up and seeing what looked like a jellyfish/squid thing swimming sideways in the air. I had struck it to childhood imagination, but seeing this made me think I wasn't such a crazy 8 year old. I like it.
  • Wizard of Rails
    This immediately made me think of a Beatles song. "There's a Squid in the sky over London, la dee da dee da dee da..."
  • Cat Edwards
    As we thought about the possible extinction of the Kraken due to air traffic (suggested by Mr. Svensson), my husband stated the obvious. We don't encounter turbulence of a benign source while traveling by air. It is, of course, the Air Kraken--and, as we know, they are plentiful! So, get a window seat, be vigilant in your scanning of the skies, and fear not for the permanent demise of the leviathan!
  • Ronald
    "Cool but I think you may be Air Kraken up! "

    haha...............
  • Ronald
    but if the kraken need swimming goggles ,i can provide

    via
    http://www.sourcingmap.com/swimming-goggles-c-1...
  • I propose we put together a coalition to save the Air Kraken. We could strap our activists to the front of jet engines as a show of solidarity. Any volunteers?
  • too cool
  • Jarry
    We actually saw one of these in 1977. Definitely something I will never forget. I was online looking to see if someone else had seen one of these things. I didn't even know it had a name. I'm trying to find out where I could report this occurrence.
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