The Outer Limits of the Twilight Zone: Selected Writings of John A. Keel

by John A. Keel, Andrew Colvin (Editor), Leon Davidson

New Saucerian Press proudly presents "The Outer Limits of the Twilight Zone," a collection of articles and lectures by John A. Keel, the man many consider to have been not only the premiere investigator of all things unusual and “Fortean,” but who was also our very own, 20th-century “Mark Twain.”

Many of the articles in this anthology and its companion volumes, "Flying Saucer to the Center of Your Mind," "Searching for the String," "The Great Phonograph in the Sky," "The Passionate Percipient," and "The Perspicacious How to Investigate UFOs and Other Insane Urges" were revolutionary, and explored ideas popularized in Keel’s classic books. Written in Keel’s engaging trademark style, they are sure to delight fans with their fresh, unparalleled insights into the nature of reality.

In these pages, John Keel displays the keen observational skills and investigative tenacity that made him the enfant terrible of ufology for decades. In this no-holds-barred analysis – much of it written almost 50 years ago – Keel shreds most of the sacred-cow beliefs still held by many in ufological and “cryptozoological” circles today, and presents theories so radical that they are only now becoming the “4-D” or “interdimensional” thesis; the “breakaway civilization” theory; the possible role of “ancient aliens” in human history; the synthetic and/or hallucinatory nature of many “alien abduction” and “Men in Black” encounters; the role of spy agencies in paranormal research; and the alarming connection between UFOs, animal mutilations, and attacks on unsuspecting humans.

In short, "The Outer Limits of the Twilight Zone" is witty, incisive, impassioned, and prescient, and cohesively brings Keel’s message into focus in a way that perhaps no other book has. This 2013 edition features illuminating forewords by noted researchers Leon Davidson and Doug Skinner, as well as an introduction by the editor, Andy Colvin.

“After Keel introduced me to The Superspectrum, I was never quite the same…” –Adam Gorightly

“Goes deep into the mystery… A fascinating read…” –Tessa B. Dick

"Insightful… A leading light of 4-D saucering…" –Jim Moseley, Saucer Smear

“My favorite all-time human being…” –Skylaire Alfvegren, L.A. Weekly


CHAPTER TITLES

Answers Are on the Way (1970)

Memo to All Ufologists – Telephone Hoaxes (1967)

The Hidden History of the Flying Saucer Mystery (1996)

The Birth of Ufology (1967)

The Beginning of the Saucer June 24th, 1947 (1967)

Kenneth Arnold and the FBI (1970)

UFO “Agents of Terror” (1967)

Strange Messages From Flying Saucers (1968)

Mystery of the Alien Submarines (1974)

The Medical Evidence (1978)

Distortions of Reality (1978)

Flying High With the Mothman (1989 Lecture)

The Sinister Men in Black (1968)

Are Extraterrestrials Blackmailing Earth? (1977)

Cattle Rustling From the Skies (1975)

Pornography From Heaven (1970)

The Lustful Giants (1975)

Everyone Needs a Good Ley (1970)

The Bedroom The Frightening New “UFO Pilot” Mystery (1969)

UFOs and the Strange Deaths of Our Was it Murder? (1971)

The New UFO Injured, Burned, and Blinded by Flying Saucers (1969)

America’s First UFO Experts (1973)

Savage Little Men From Outer Space (1969)

E. Howard “A Bit of a Romantic” (1973)

The Maury Island Hoax (1975)

The Study of Shit (1999 Lecture)

The New UFO Sightings (1973)

Mothman Memories (1993 Lecture)

Mysterious Voices From Space (1968)

An Investigation into the Mysterious American Visits of the Mothman (1991)

The Birdman/UFO Connection (1970)

Genres: Nonfiction, Paranormal

265 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 12, 2013

About the author

John Alva Keel (born Alva John Kiehle) was a Fortean author and professional journalist.

Keel wrote professionally from the age of 12, and was best known for his writings on unidentified flying objects, the "Mothman" of West Virginia, and other paranormal subjects. Keel was arguably one of the most widely read and influential ufologists since the early 1970s. Although his own thoughts about UFOs and associated anomalous phenomena gradually evolved since the mid 1960s, Keel remained one of ufology's most original and controversial researchers. It was Keel's second book, UFOs: Operation Trojan Horse (1970), that popularized the idea that many aspects of contemporary UFO reports, including humanoid encounters, often paralleled ancient folklore and religious encounters. Keel coined the term "men in black" to describe the mysterious figures alleged to harass UFO witnesses and he also argued that there is a direct relationship between UFOs and psychic phenomena. He did not call himself a ufologist and preferred the term Fortean, which encompasses a wide range of paranormal subjects.