Nick Redfern's Blog, page 98

Old Books And An Interesting Discovery...

  I found a few cool, old titles at a local, used bookstore the other day: a first edition of Arthur Constance's The Inexplicable Sky , from 1956; a copy of Adi-Kent Thomas Jeffery's The Bermuda Triangle booklet from 1973; Alvin Moore's Mys tery of the Skymen , (published by Gray Barker's Saucerian Press in 1979); and an old copy of Daniel Fry's The White Sands Incident .     I got all 4 for a total of $15. On top of that, in the back of the Constance book there were loads of old newspaper clippings tucked away, all on weirdness.     Plus: the Fry book was actually signed by the man himself!  It looks like the Fry book is signed to "Ralph and Fash," whoever they may be!   

Creature of the Month: One Eye

 
My latest Creature of the Month article at New Page Books' blog is on the little-known saga of "One Eye," the alleged monster of Lake Granbury, situated just a short journey from where I live.



You can find the article here , and here's how it begins:

"Every year, in the city of Dallas, Texas (which is just a short drive from my Arlington home) I do a series of lectures on the subject of cryptozoology, otherwise known as the study of unknown animals. They are lectures organized by one of the local school-districts for kids aged from about 7 to 9.
"Of course, they love hearing about such things as Bigfoot, Nessie, the Chupacabra, and the Yeti. And they love to pick my brains with a mass of questions! "But, it’s not just the kids that find the lectures intriguing. Occasionally, a parent or several will come along, to see what’s going on. And, sometimes, they will even share a story of the notable and intriguing kind..."

An African Monster

There's a new Mysterious Univers e article from me, which begins...

"Within the ancient folklore and mythology of the people of the Gambia, West Africa, there exist stories of a terrifying creature known as the Kikiyaon.

"It may justifiably be said that the beast was an African equivalent of other such legendary, monstrous entities of times long gone, such as gargoyles and harpies, in the sense that the Kikiyaon was a humanoid-style beast with the ability to soar the skies."

Here's where you'll find it...

New Saucerian Press: New UFO Titles

If, like me, you find the earlier years of Ufology to be far more interesting than those of today, then you'll want to get your hands on the latest from Andy Colvin's New Saucerian Press.

Andy (the author, of course, of The Mothman's Photographer series of books) is doing a great job of re-publishing old, flying saucer-themed books. And, right now, there are three new additions.


The first is Secrets of the Saucer People: Flying Saucer Revelations , written by "Michael X."

Andy says of this book (his words in bold):

New Saucerian is proud to issue a high-quality facsimile of one of the classics of 1950s West Coast saucering, Secrets of the Saucer People: Flying Saucer Revelations. This special 2014 reprint features wonderful period cover art by Bill Randall.

Written in 1957, this is an "educational and inspirational course of study" dealing with "interplanetary" craft such as flying saucers. It was especially written and intended for "New Age Individuals" everywhere.

The following five lessons are included in this special study:

1. The Saucer People on Earth

2. Flying Saucers at Giant Rock, California

3. Secretes of the Saucer People

4. The Magic of Ether Ships

5. Discs, Destiny, and You

As the introduction to the book makes clear, this work is based on "scientific" findings, ufological data accumulated by numerous researchers, intensive personal investigation, and "mystical revelation" by the author, the enigmatic and reclusive "Michael X."

Some say Michael X still lives, due to an agreement he made with the space beings, who have allowed him to live longer on Earth, as their emissary. If this is true, then we should thank the spacemen for keeping the words of this mystic sage alive, for new generations to hear and interpret.


The second book that Andy has republished is Mysteries of the Skymen, by Alvin E. Moore . 

And, again, here are Andy's words about the book (in bold, again, too):

Of all the UFO experts, Commander Alvin E. Moore sported one of the most impressive backgrounds. His skill in engineering and other sciences, and his expertise in history, law, and intelligence work uniquely qualified him to present and evaluate the mass of ufological data presented in this book.

Educated at the U.S. Naval Academy, The American University, and the George Washington School of Law, he holds B.S. and M.A. degrees. He is a retired line officer of the U.S. Navy, has specialized in aeronautical engineering, and was patent engineer and attorney for the Wernher Von Braun team of space scientists at Huntsville, Alabama. Moore has been granted more than 50 U.S. patents on his inventions - mostly on aircraft, marine craft, and automobiles.

Due to his basic nature and long governmental service, Commander Moore has a strong sense of duty. After 25 years of UFO observation and research, he was spurred by his obligation to his family, his nation, and to mankind, to publish this book.
 


The third of the new releases from New Saucerian Press is John C. Sherwood's Flying Saucers Are Watching You .

Once again, over to Andy...

Is it just "swamp gas," or are flying saucers indeed watching you?

Written in 1967, Flying Saucers Are Watching You is one of the rarest of Gray Barker's Saucerian publications, chronicling the legendary 1966 Michigan UFO sightings - on the spot, as they occurred.

This book is a collection of news clippings, eyewitness drawings and interviews, photographs, and personal recollections of a young engineering student, John C. Sherwood, who was there - in Michigan - when it all happened. Sherwood kept an extensive scrapbook, conducted his own investigations, and shared his results with Barker. (Later, he would work with Barker on other articles - using the pseudonym "Richard Pratt" - that would rock ufology with their intellectual and scientific complexity.)

Literally hundreds of civilians, college students, law enforcement personnel, and military personnel witnessed almost nightly sightings of strange lights and craft in and around Dexter, Michigan for three weeks in March of 1966. It became a national news story at time, along with a similar flap that was occurring simultaneously in the Ohio Valley (which preceded the mysterious "Mothman" sightings).

This 2014 reprint edition, with an introduction by Gray Barker, is a remarkable overview of one of the landmark UFO flaps. It also shares interesting insights into issues surrounding journalistic freedom, government secrecy, and the metaphysical nature of reality. A rare must-have for serious UFO researchers.

Reviewing "Lifeforce"

That's the subject of my new Mysterious Universe article...

The Zombie Book...

ALERT!! WARNING!! LOCK THE DOORS!! 

There's a zombie outbreak here in Arlington, Texas!

Well...kind of...

Copies of my new book The Zombie Book: The Encyclopedia of the Living Dead (co-written with Brad Steiger) have just arrived.

It's an A-Z style book that covers the "Z word" in TV, movies, novels, history, folklore, mythology, voodoo, viruses, and even zombie-themed government conspiracies. 

And at nearly 400 pages, it also makes a good, heavy weapon for whacking the brains out of the invading undead...

UFOs & Bigfoot: This Weekend

This just in from Stan Gordon , author of the excellent book, Silent Invasion (which, if you don't already have it, you really should!):

UFO and Bigfoot Conference at This Weekend’s Kecksburg , PA UFO Festival

The 9th annual Kecksburg Old Fashion & UFO Festival is going to take place from July 25-27, 2014, with many special events planned for the weekend. The event commemorates the crash landing of a mysterious object that fell from the sky into a wooded area near the community of Kecksburg during the late afternoon of December 9, 1965. The military that arrived in the area that day reportedly recovered the object and transported it to an Air Force base in Ohio. What the object was still remains a mystery.
The weekend festival is a great family event that has many unique ongoing features and great food. On Friday, starting at 6 PM, there will be half price night in the kitchen serving burgers, fries, and hot dogs. Inside the social hall will be a Craft Show and jewelry vendors as well as the Kecksburg V.F.D. UFO gift shop. On the outside there will be food Booths, Boy Scouts, apple dumplings, wood carving, and DJ Music.
Saturday, July 26: Open 11 AM to 11 PM.  Inside the social hall with the craft show and other venders will be displays with UFO, Bigfoot, and Paranormal researchers and groups. Some of those scheduled to attend include Stan Gordon- UFO researcher & author, Eric Altman-PA Bigfoot Society, Brian & Terrie Seech-Center For Unexplained Events, Fred Saluga-W. VA MUFON State Director, John Ventre-PA MUFON State Director, Ryan Cavalline and Dave Rupert-Legend Hunters and Cheryl Alsippi- ALKO PSI-paranormal research group.


The parade starts at 2 PM, followed by the bucket brigade, hay bale toss, and the bed race at 4 PM. The famous Smoke In the Valley Burn Out contest is at 6 PM. Entertainment will be provided by Agway Shop Lifters Band. The evening will commence with a fireworks display. Prizes awarded for Best UFO Entry, Best UFO Costume, Best UFO Pet Costume, and Best UFO motorcycle.


Sunday, July 27: Open 10 AM, music all day. Memorial Dedication and 75th Anniversary. UFO, Bigfoot, Paranormal display continues inside the social hall with other venders. Out of this world UFO hot dog eat off at 1 PM.

The annual UFO & Bigfoot Conference will be held from 1:30 to 5 PM. The conference is free, but a donation to the V.F.D. is appreciated at the door. Scheduled to speak are Stan Gordon-“An Update on recent UFO, Bigfoot, and other mysterious encounters reported from Westmoreland County and Pennsylvania.”  Eric Altman-"Westmoreland and Fayette County Bigfoot Encounters", John Ventre-“The Case for UFOs”, and Brian Seech-“Strange Cryptids of the Ohio River Valley.”
There will also be car cruise 10 AM- 5 PM (Dash Plaques to first 100) and a kids pedal power tractor pull at 3 PM for  3 to 10 years olds. There will also be music by the Katrina Lynn Band. The Social Hall venders and research display will stay open until 6 PM.
The Kecksburg V.F.D. fairgrounds is located at the intersection of Claypike & Route 982, at 5128 Water Street Kecksburg PA. For information call: 724-423-9540. 

The Women in Black...

Forget the Men in Black. What about the Women in Black?

That's the focus of my latest Mysterious Universe article (and of a forthcoming book from me on this very topic...).

UFOs, Project Pandora, MJ12

This is very interesting...

Over at the Department of Defense's website you can find a document that has been declassified via the Freedom of Information Act on the subject of Project Pandora (which, in part, was focused on how microwaves can affect the mind and nervous-system).

It's a fascinating file that dates back to the 1960s.

It's a lengthy file, too: it runs to 469 pages.

But, here's the weird thing...

If you scroll down to page 449, you'll see that it contains a copy of the controversial " MJ12/Eisenhower Briefing Document " on the Roswell affair of 1947!

Of course, as most people within Ufology know, the document is one that has been the subject of much debate regarding its authenticity or otherwise.

Indeed, the copy of the EBD in the Pandora file has a hand-written note on it stating that, "This cannot be authenticated as an official DoD document."

Well, that's fair enough, and something that most people within Ufology would agree with - it has not been authenticated.

But, here's the issue: what is a copy of the EBD doing in a DoD file on Project Pandora...?

Roswell, Dead Aliens, John Denver...

A strange combination, to be sure.

You can find out what it's all about in my latest Mysterious Universe article...