Read more
News reports, books, articles and films about alien abductions have long captured the public imagination. This book traces the evolution of the phenomenon from the late 1940s flying saucer era and the contactee and occupant sightings of the 1950s to the widespread abduction stories of the 1960s and beyond. It examines how broader social, cultural and scientific contexts have shaped these accounts and offers a critical analysis of their interpretations over time.
Also discussed are the key researchers who have sought to understand the nature and intentions of alleged extraterrestrial beings, or "ufonauts," while addressing the skepticism about the subject. The efforts of the scientific community to investigate unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP) and abductions are assessed, acknowledging both the challenges and limitations of such inquiries. Firsthand encounters with non-human entities are examined, attempting to uncover the forces behind these sightings and arguing that there could be unforeseen consequences of ignoring the phenomena.
List of contents
Table of ContentsPreface
Introduction: Something Is Out There
Chapter One: Flying Saucers, Contactees and Occupants
Chapter Two: The Abduction Phenomenon Emerges
Chapter Three: Abduction Research Begins
Chapter Four: The Alien Intent
Chapter Five: Some Skeptical Objections and Alternate Explanations
Chapter Six: The Creatures Walk Among Us
Chapter Seven: Night's Black Agents: Men in Black
Chapter Eight: Bogus Job Interviewers, Phantom Road Workers and Alien Clowns
Chapter Nine: The Darkside Hypothesis: Black Helicopters and Military Abductions
Conclusion: Whistling Past the Graveyard
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the author
Paul Meehan is the author of several books on science fiction, film noir and horror films, and a contributor to the Noir City Sentinel, the journal of the Film Noir Foundation and to The Palgrave Handbook of the Vampire. He lives in Denver, Colorado.
