Spontaneous Human Combustion: Difference between revisions

A classic [[Urban Legends|Urban Legend]], hundreds of [[But It Really Happened!|allegedly true]] accounts of this phenomenon have been reported for over centuries, the oldest known stories dating from as far back as the [[Older Than Steam|the mid 1600's]], and thanks to the aura of mystery and strangeness surrounding these incidents, [['''Spontaneous Human Combustion]]''' is an anomaly that some can’t help but try and find a valid explanation for.

As such, works of fiction tend to explore this subject in a few ways. Comedic works, more often than not, tend to let such occurrences happen without a clear explanation of how it happened being given. On the other hand, more serious stories -- especiallystories—especially [[Speculative Fiction]] works or strange tales about the paranormal--mayparanormal—may reveal some kind of explanation and may even reveal an external cause (likely one that is pseudoscientific and even more bizarre than [['''Spontaneous Human Combustion]]''' already is on its own -- possiblyown—possibly involving anything from aliens or ghosts causing it, an uncontrolled [[Pyrokinesis|Pyrokinetic]] ability, or something even weirder).

(In reality, it appears that most if not all alleged cases of [['''Spontaneous Human Combustion]]''' were actually incidents of a slow-burning fire fed by melting body fat and consuming the body of a smoker after they die in their sleep and drop their cigarette onto their chair or bed. The [[Myth Busters]] tested this explanation and found it far more plausible than a person just suddenly exploding into flames like a phosphorus grenade. After all, the human body ''is'' something like 70% water... See the [[wikipedia:Spontaneous_human_combustionSpontaneous human combustion#Suggested_explanationsSuggested explanations|Wikipedia article on the phenomenon]] for more details.)

* Reports of people bursting into flames circulate in a couple of the ''[[Garrett P.I.]]'' novels, as a rumor going around the city. Garrett finally looks into the matter in ''Whispering Nickel Idols'', and learns that {{spoiler|Chodo Contague triggered some of them with the help of some pyrogenic rocks planted by his lawyer}}. Saucerhead also tracks down some cases that turn out to be ordinary accidental fires, under circumstances very similar to the [[Real Life]] mishaps that inspired the [[Spontaneous Human Combustion]] [[Urban Legend]].