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The UFO Magazine UFO Encyclopedia: The Most Compreshensive Single-Volume UFO Reference in Print
This is the most up-to-date, comprehensive guide to the study of UFOs and extraterrestrial contact in print today. With more than 5,000 entries, revealing photographs, diagrams, and commentary of experts in the field, The UFO Magazine UFO Encyclopedia draws from a database of seventeen years' worth of articles, opinion, and research on such diverse subjects
• Alien encounters, abductions, and eyewitness accounts
• Theories of time and space travel
• Psychokinesis, astral projection, and teleportation
• Evidence of extraterrestrial presence on Earth, past and present
• The possibilities of antigravity propulsion and interstellar travel
• The new science of cloning, and the now-infamous Raelian cult
And much more!
Whether you consider yourself a hard-line skeptic or a true believer, or are simply fascinated by the existence of otherworldly visitors, this authoritative volume will prove to be an essential reference work for anyone wanting to learn about the still-controversial world of UFO and extraterrestrial investigations.
• Alien encounters, abductions, and eyewitness accounts
• Theories of time and space travel
• Psychokinesis, astral projection, and teleportation
• Evidence of extraterrestrial presence on Earth, past and present
• The possibilities of antigravity propulsion and interstellar travel
• The new science of cloning, and the now-infamous Raelian cult
And much more!
Whether you consider yourself a hard-line skeptic or a true believer, or are simply fascinated by the existence of otherworldly visitors, this authoritative volume will prove to be an essential reference work for anyone wanting to learn about the still-controversial world of UFO and extraterrestrial investigations.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 6, 2004
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April 17, 2025
A COMPREHENSIVE REFERENCE TAKEN FROM THE PAGES OF UFO MAGAZINE
William J. Birnes was the publisher of UFO Magazine at the time this book was published in 2004. He wrote in the Foreword, “Now, for the first time anywhere, a complete history of UFO Magazine and its most intriguing stories appear here in… a complete single-volume reference to UFO phenomena….” (Pg. vii-viii) He explains in the Introduction, “As we do in the magazine, we have tried to stay as neutral as possible regarding the credibility of different claims and assertions.” (Pg. xv)
They note about alien abductions in general, “There’s a great deal of skepticism regarding alien abductions, not only within the professional psychiatric community, but within the UFO community as well. The skepticism ranges from deep concern over the methodology utilized to recover memories from self-described abductees, to the range of experiences abductees report, to the lack of independent witnesses, and to the bizarre nature of the stories themselves.” (Pg. 3-4)
They admit, “Controversy has always surrounded George Adamski and his claims. For example, detractors say that the conditions he described on the various planets are known to be impossible, while meanwhile, supporters respond that such absolute statements end up disintegrating in the light of new scientific discoveries, such as the recent evidence of microbial life on Mars… There are also disputes about the validity of the photographs he claimed to have taken of the alien craft, yet U.S. and British intelligence agencies befriended Adamski and sponsored his worldwide speaking tour, leading to speculation that he was a government plant… (Pg. 9)
They say of the ‘Alien Autopsy’ film, “Possibly one of the most elaborate commercial UFO hoaxes of all time, a classic piece of deliberate government misinformation, designed to throw the UFO community into confusion---or the real article… Skeptics argue that for a film of this import, the camera … [should] be placed on a stationary tripod to precipitate in-focus imaging, and the footage would be shot using color stock… The film itself has been scrutinized by many experts. Some have pronounced it a fraud, others say that it is authentic. However, the one aspect of this case that puzzles most people is the reluctance of Santilli to have the film stock tested for age. This one fact alone has cast the most doubt on Santilli and his film.” (Pg. 13-14)
They explain, “Many researchers in the UFO community believe that events depicted in the Bible… are actually a telling of historical fact: the implantation of the earth by creatures from another world… by direct interbreeding or by active hybridization, which continues to this very day. Stories of the ‘giants in the earth,’ the Nephilim who married the descendants of Adam and Eve; the awesome energy of the Ark of the Covenant; the explosions that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah; and Ezekiel, who saw a wheel ‘turning like a fire in the sky,’ are all believed by some researchers to be true accounts of UFO activities and encounters.” (Pg. 38-39)
They state of Frank Kaufman, purportedly “a sergeant of the CIC detachment at the Roswell Army Air Field [who] says he was on duty the night base radars tracked the UFO that eventually crashed outside of Roswell… he [claims] he was detailed by the Army to stay in Roswell after the war as a disinformation specialist to keep people from learning the truth about the Roswell crash. After the story broke and Jesse Marcel went public, Kaufman felt it was time to tell his tale as well. Some have questioned Kaufman’s credibility, but he paints an interesting picture, nonetheless.” (Pg. 80)
They say of the Condon Report, “One of the most controversial studies of UFOs and, some say, an attempt at disinformation at the instigation of the Air Force…. The 36 panel members … found many cases that seemed to indicate that UFOs were of an extraterrestrial nature. But … the conclusions stressed by Condon overshadowed the rest…With the study completed, the Air Force quietly shut down Project Blue Book and buried the UFO subject from public view once and for all.” (Pg. 98-99)
They report, “Milton William [‘Bill’] Cooper was shot and killed by police officers after he himself opened fire and wounded one of the officers … in the process of serving a felony warrant on him. Cooper was a conspiracy theorist who…became involved in a number of Area 51 theories, later claimed to be a disinformation specialist ‘testing’ the UFO community, and finally… associating himself with the ultra-right wing community.” (Pg. 100-101)
Of Philip J. Corso (author of ‘The Day After Roswell’), they comment that he claimed, “he was responsible for taking the Army’s remaining cache of Roswell technology… and secretly slipping it to those defense contractors and industries working on the same technologies… Corso’s claims, although heavily disputed at the time, were later proven to be correct when the release of memoirs of former KGB officers revealed just such a plan (which was ultimately abandoned as unmanageable…” (Pg 101-103)
They state, “False memory syndrome is a controversial subject in UFO research because some skeptics believe it is the regression therapists themselves who are preconditioned to believe that events reported by abductees are, in fact, alien abductions, and who then suggest that scenario to their vulnerable and highly suggestible patients.” (Pg. 127)
They say of the Gulf Breeze photos by Ed Walters, “Debunkers and skeptics decried Walters’ stories are pure fabrication and held up every aspect of his life to a disturbing scrutiny. Evidence was also presented purporting to prove that Walters had faked his UFO photographs…” (Pg. 149)
Of J. Allen Hynek, they report, “In 1966, during a widely publicized UFO flap… Hynek made the public statement that he believed some of the objects being observed were merely ‘swamp gas.’ … he was flayed by UFO skeptics and believers alike. By the time Blue Book was shut down, Hynek had become disillusioned with the Air Force’s continued stonewalling of the UFO matter and by the preponderance of the affirmative evidence he’d seen over the years.” (Pg. 162)
They explain that ‘alien implants’ are “Odd-looking metallic or ceramic devices that many abductees claim have been implemented beneath their skins during medical tests performed on them by alien abductors. While these claims have been considered paranoid delusions by almost all skeptics and even some believers, beliefs changed dramatically when Dr. Roger Leir [a podiatric surgeon]… went public with reports of operations he’d performed on implantees and the nature of the devices he’d extracted.” (Pg. 166)
Of Robert [‘Bob’] Lazar, they summarize, “One of the more enigmatic figures in current UFO research and lore, Robert Lazar has claimed that he worked at site S-4 at the mysterious and top-secret Area 51 in Nevada, on a project that involved the reverse-engineering of extraterrestrial technology… [Lazar] was continually subjected to surveillance and background checks, and he would often run afoul of S-4 officials for ‘minor’ violations of protocol and security.” (Pg. 188-189)
They recount that “John Lear gained notoriety by circulating a story… that the U.S. government entered into a deal with the extraterrestrials … under the terms of which a conveyance to the U.S. government of advanced ET technology, our government would allow the ETs to conduct experiments on human beings they abducted and … livestock they captured.” (Pg. 189)
They note that “[John] Mack’s findings have caused rumblings within the psychiatric community and amongst his more conservative peers … [at] Harvard University… He has weathered the storm, however, and continues his controversial practice.” (Pg. 196)
They assert, “Although the authenticity of the [MJ-12] documents and the existence of a group called ‘Majestic’ has been the subject of fierce debate within the UFO community, author Stanton Friedman has argued convincingly that, even on circumstantial evidence alone, the existence of such a group must be true in order for the subject of UFOs to have been studied, dealt with, and then covered up.” (Pg. 198)
They acknowledge, “The credibility of [Billy] Meier’s story hangs on the analysis of his photographs… and the information allegedly given him from the Pleiadians… Debunkers say the photographs are merely models of spacecraft supported by wires; Meier had shot a number of these photos and films facing directly into the sun to obscure the wires supporting the models. A one-time Meier supporter allegedly told the press he saw the actual models of the spaceships in a barn; others claim that Meier built the models after he saw the spaceships.” (Pg. 213)
They state that “The fictional account of the Philadelphia Experiment … was enough to provoke the Office of Naval Research to release a statement … branding the whole affair ‘science fiction.’” (Pg. 247)
This book will be of great interest to UFO ‘believers’ (and even to some skeptics!).
William J. Birnes was the publisher of UFO Magazine at the time this book was published in 2004. He wrote in the Foreword, “Now, for the first time anywhere, a complete history of UFO Magazine and its most intriguing stories appear here in… a complete single-volume reference to UFO phenomena….” (Pg. vii-viii) He explains in the Introduction, “As we do in the magazine, we have tried to stay as neutral as possible regarding the credibility of different claims and assertions.” (Pg. xv)
They note about alien abductions in general, “There’s a great deal of skepticism regarding alien abductions, not only within the professional psychiatric community, but within the UFO community as well. The skepticism ranges from deep concern over the methodology utilized to recover memories from self-described abductees, to the range of experiences abductees report, to the lack of independent witnesses, and to the bizarre nature of the stories themselves.” (Pg. 3-4)
They admit, “Controversy has always surrounded George Adamski and his claims. For example, detractors say that the conditions he described on the various planets are known to be impossible, while meanwhile, supporters respond that such absolute statements end up disintegrating in the light of new scientific discoveries, such as the recent evidence of microbial life on Mars… There are also disputes about the validity of the photographs he claimed to have taken of the alien craft, yet U.S. and British intelligence agencies befriended Adamski and sponsored his worldwide speaking tour, leading to speculation that he was a government plant… (Pg. 9)
They say of the ‘Alien Autopsy’ film, “Possibly one of the most elaborate commercial UFO hoaxes of all time, a classic piece of deliberate government misinformation, designed to throw the UFO community into confusion---or the real article… Skeptics argue that for a film of this import, the camera … [should] be placed on a stationary tripod to precipitate in-focus imaging, and the footage would be shot using color stock… The film itself has been scrutinized by many experts. Some have pronounced it a fraud, others say that it is authentic. However, the one aspect of this case that puzzles most people is the reluctance of Santilli to have the film stock tested for age. This one fact alone has cast the most doubt on Santilli and his film.” (Pg. 13-14)
They explain, “Many researchers in the UFO community believe that events depicted in the Bible… are actually a telling of historical fact: the implantation of the earth by creatures from another world… by direct interbreeding or by active hybridization, which continues to this very day. Stories of the ‘giants in the earth,’ the Nephilim who married the descendants of Adam and Eve; the awesome energy of the Ark of the Covenant; the explosions that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah; and Ezekiel, who saw a wheel ‘turning like a fire in the sky,’ are all believed by some researchers to be true accounts of UFO activities and encounters.” (Pg. 38-39)
They state of Frank Kaufman, purportedly “a sergeant of the CIC detachment at the Roswell Army Air Field [who] says he was on duty the night base radars tracked the UFO that eventually crashed outside of Roswell… he [claims] he was detailed by the Army to stay in Roswell after the war as a disinformation specialist to keep people from learning the truth about the Roswell crash. After the story broke and Jesse Marcel went public, Kaufman felt it was time to tell his tale as well. Some have questioned Kaufman’s credibility, but he paints an interesting picture, nonetheless.” (Pg. 80)
They say of the Condon Report, “One of the most controversial studies of UFOs and, some say, an attempt at disinformation at the instigation of the Air Force…. The 36 panel members … found many cases that seemed to indicate that UFOs were of an extraterrestrial nature. But … the conclusions stressed by Condon overshadowed the rest…With the study completed, the Air Force quietly shut down Project Blue Book and buried the UFO subject from public view once and for all.” (Pg. 98-99)
They report, “Milton William [‘Bill’] Cooper was shot and killed by police officers after he himself opened fire and wounded one of the officers … in the process of serving a felony warrant on him. Cooper was a conspiracy theorist who…became involved in a number of Area 51 theories, later claimed to be a disinformation specialist ‘testing’ the UFO community, and finally… associating himself with the ultra-right wing community.” (Pg. 100-101)
Of Philip J. Corso (author of ‘The Day After Roswell’), they comment that he claimed, “he was responsible for taking the Army’s remaining cache of Roswell technology… and secretly slipping it to those defense contractors and industries working on the same technologies… Corso’s claims, although heavily disputed at the time, were later proven to be correct when the release of memoirs of former KGB officers revealed just such a plan (which was ultimately abandoned as unmanageable…” (Pg 101-103)
They state, “False memory syndrome is a controversial subject in UFO research because some skeptics believe it is the regression therapists themselves who are preconditioned to believe that events reported by abductees are, in fact, alien abductions, and who then suggest that scenario to their vulnerable and highly suggestible patients.” (Pg. 127)
They say of the Gulf Breeze photos by Ed Walters, “Debunkers and skeptics decried Walters’ stories are pure fabrication and held up every aspect of his life to a disturbing scrutiny. Evidence was also presented purporting to prove that Walters had faked his UFO photographs…” (Pg. 149)
Of J. Allen Hynek, they report, “In 1966, during a widely publicized UFO flap… Hynek made the public statement that he believed some of the objects being observed were merely ‘swamp gas.’ … he was flayed by UFO skeptics and believers alike. By the time Blue Book was shut down, Hynek had become disillusioned with the Air Force’s continued stonewalling of the UFO matter and by the preponderance of the affirmative evidence he’d seen over the years.” (Pg. 162)
They explain that ‘alien implants’ are “Odd-looking metallic or ceramic devices that many abductees claim have been implemented beneath their skins during medical tests performed on them by alien abductors. While these claims have been considered paranoid delusions by almost all skeptics and even some believers, beliefs changed dramatically when Dr. Roger Leir [a podiatric surgeon]… went public with reports of operations he’d performed on implantees and the nature of the devices he’d extracted.” (Pg. 166)
Of Robert [‘Bob’] Lazar, they summarize, “One of the more enigmatic figures in current UFO research and lore, Robert Lazar has claimed that he worked at site S-4 at the mysterious and top-secret Area 51 in Nevada, on a project that involved the reverse-engineering of extraterrestrial technology… [Lazar] was continually subjected to surveillance and background checks, and he would often run afoul of S-4 officials for ‘minor’ violations of protocol and security.” (Pg. 188-189)
They recount that “John Lear gained notoriety by circulating a story… that the U.S. government entered into a deal with the extraterrestrials … under the terms of which a conveyance to the U.S. government of advanced ET technology, our government would allow the ETs to conduct experiments on human beings they abducted and … livestock they captured.” (Pg. 189)
They note that “[John] Mack’s findings have caused rumblings within the psychiatric community and amongst his more conservative peers … [at] Harvard University… He has weathered the storm, however, and continues his controversial practice.” (Pg. 196)
They assert, “Although the authenticity of the [MJ-12] documents and the existence of a group called ‘Majestic’ has been the subject of fierce debate within the UFO community, author Stanton Friedman has argued convincingly that, even on circumstantial evidence alone, the existence of such a group must be true in order for the subject of UFOs to have been studied, dealt with, and then covered up.” (Pg. 198)
They acknowledge, “The credibility of [Billy] Meier’s story hangs on the analysis of his photographs… and the information allegedly given him from the Pleiadians… Debunkers say the photographs are merely models of spacecraft supported by wires; Meier had shot a number of these photos and films facing directly into the sun to obscure the wires supporting the models. A one-time Meier supporter allegedly told the press he saw the actual models of the spaceships in a barn; others claim that Meier built the models after he saw the spaceships.” (Pg. 213)
They state that “The fictional account of the Philadelphia Experiment … was enough to provoke the Office of Naval Research to release a statement … branding the whole affair ‘science fiction.’” (Pg. 247)
This book will be of great interest to UFO ‘believers’ (and even to some skeptics!).
December 17, 2012
I got sent this years ago by a movie company I was working for who had the rights to the stories from UFO Magazine. It's not terrible, but at less than 400pp it's a little thin to be called a "comprehensive encyclopedia." I guess that sounds pedantic, but I doubt I'm the only person to be disappointed that the entry on, say, "Greys," is only two sentences long! In its defense, more geared to people who actually believe in this stuff (like the magazine) as opposed to slack-jawed gawkers such as myself.
May 16, 2012
My second book in my latest project (the Dewey Endeavor), and it was actually really interesting. It gives a good quick overview of the world of UFO's and it's culture. A good reference for someone like me who just wants a summary. Oh and there's pictures, which is a nice bonus when one is reading non-fiction.
June 15, 2009
A very disappointing, badly edited and incomplete compilation of U.F.O. reports, figures, events and rumors, from medieval times to the present. Information is either inaccurate or too brief. Anyone who reads Fortean Times even at a glance would be upset at this one.
March 3, 2022
Tin-foil hat optional. :)
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews