Nick Redfern's Blog, page 62

Ernest Hemingway...007?

Over at Mysterious Univers e , I take a look at the FBI's declassified file on legendary writer Ernest Hemingway...

Minnesota Iceman News

Coming soon from Anomalist Books, Neanderthal: The Strange Saga of the Minnesota Iceman by the late Bernard Heuvelmans:

Mad Gasser or Mad Man in Black?

That's the question I ask in a new article at Mysterious Universe . You can find it at this link , and here's how it starts (the photo above shows my various books on the MIB, including overseas editions):

Back in the 1940s, the people of Mattoon, Illinois were plagued by a sinister character that became known as the Mad Gasser of Mattoon. The name was a very apt one: the mysterious figure gassed his victims, as a means to gain entry to their property, and to take advantage of whatever caught his eye. His actions followed a similar wave of attacks – in the 1930s – in Botetourt County, Virginia. But, today at least, let’s focus on the later events. On the night of August 31, 1944, a man named Urban Raef was overcome by a mysterious gas that provoked sickness, weakness, and vomiting. Despite Mr. Raef’s fear that there was a gas leak in the house, such was not the case. Rafe’s wife – to her horror – found herself briefly paralyzed.

Also among the Gasser’s victims, was Mrs. Bert Kearney, who lived in Mattoon, too. On September 1, 1944, and approximately an hour before the witching-hour struck, Mrs. Kearney was hit by what was described as a “sickening, sweet odor in the bedroom.” As was the case with Mrs. Raef, the “gas” caused temporary paralysis in her legs. It also resulted in a burning sensation to her lips, and a parched feeling in her mouth.

UFOs: Getting Involved

How did I get involved in the UFO subject? Here's the answer...

Monkey of the Dead

There's a new article from me at Mysterious Universe. The subject: the mysterious "Man-Monkey" of England. Here's how it starts:


Like a lot of people in the paranormal field I write on a number of subjects, but chiefly Ufology and Cryptozoology. And, also like most people in the field, I have my favorite, specific cases. One of them concerns a bizarre creature that haunts a certain bridge in central England. The name of the monster is the Man-Monkey. Such is the interest I have in the story, I wrote an entire book on the subject. I’ve also commented on the affair right here, at Mysterious Universe , such is the large body of data and witness-testimony on the case.

The tale dates back to January 1879 when a man crossing Bridge 39 over the old Shropshire Union Canal – near the Staffordshire village of Woodseaves – had the shock of his life. Out of the surrounding and dense trees a large, monkey-like animal came charging. It jumped onto the man’s horse and cart, and scared the living-you-know-what out of the man and his four-legged friend. The shining-eyed monster was no normal animal, however. It was described as being semi-physical and semi-spectral – in the sense that it had the ability to jump atop the cart, but when the man tried to hit the thing with his horsewhip, the whip went straight through it. As in literally. The beast quickly bounded away, and back into the shadows. The man raced to the local pub for a soothing pint of beer or several. Hell, maybe even the horse did!

Shape-Shifting Cats

Over at Jim Harold's website, there's a new article from me on the subject of Britain's ABCs. Or, as they are better known: Alien Big Cats.

There are more than a few theories to explain the ABC reports. And the theory I focus on in the article is probably the most controversial of all.

Namely, that they're supernatural shape-shifters...

Radar and UFOs

And one more new Mysterious Universe article: UFOs and radar , which tells of a fascinating saga from the early 1950s...

Men in Black Gloves

There's a new article from me at Mysterious Universe which adds a new component to the Men in Black mystery. Here's how it starts...

In September of last year, I wrote an article here at Mysterious Universe titled “Men in Black…Cloaks.” It began as follows (QUOTE): “There’s no doubt in my mind that when it comes to the matter of the Men in Black, there is a direct connection between these menacing characters and a wealth of other supernatural phenomena. That includes the Hat-Man, the Shadow People, the Black-Eyed Children, and the Women in Black. All of these entities are definitively sinister in nature and should be avoided at all costs. And, to a degree, they even mirror each other.

“The Black-Eyed Children, for example, parallel the MIB when it comes to trying to find their way into homes, usually late at night. The MIB and the Hat-Man are both known for their old-style fedoras. The Women in Black are the absolute female counterparts of the MIB, even down to the pale, overly-smooth skin. And there are more than a few reports on record of Shadow People wearing fedoras. This leads me to believe all of these ‘things’ are manifestations of one phenomenon, albeit in different (but not too different) guises. There is, however, yet another entity that falls into this particular category. It’s one that I have a few reports on, but which often gets overlooked when it comes to the MIB connection. We’re talking about ‘Men in Black Cloaks.'” (END OF QUOTE)

Well, now there’s yet another sub-category to add to all of the creepy characters described above: “Men in Black Gloves.”

UFOs 3

Over at Mysterious Universe , there are 3 new articles from me:

1. UFOs: "Violent Avoiding Action."

2. "Belgium and the UFO Issue."

3. 1942: UFOs, Japanese, or War Nerves?

When Size Doesn't Matter

Weird but interesting!

I picked this book up the other day for a very cheap price, a 1967 edition of a paperback novel based on the 1960s UFO series, The Invaders , one of my favorite shows.

The book is titled Alien Missile Threat .

But, although it's a full-length book (249 pages), as you'll see from the photo it's not just small, but tiny - in fact, just slightly bigger than a cigarette box.

Cool but odd find!