Desmond Leslie: A New Book

For anyone interested in the Contactee movement in general, and the saga of George Adamski in particular, there's a new book that you'll definitely want to get hold of. The author is Robert O'Byrne, and its title is Desmond Leslie 1921 -2001: The Biography of an Irish Gentleman.

Leslie was, of course, the co-author with George Adamski on his famous (or perhaps infamous!) book, Flying Saucers Have Landed.

Here's the blurb for the book, which looks to be massively entertaining and informative:

"When a guidebook to Ireland described his family as being 'mildly eccentric', Desmond Leslie took offence and wrote to the publishers informing them that, on the contrary, the Leslies were very eccentric. Throughout his life, he maintained a reputation for unconventionality - hardly surprising when one of his godparents was a noted Satanist who kept a pet parrot in his trousers.

"Desmond Leslie more than matched this behaviour: one of the most popular items on YouTube is a BBC broadcast showing him punching the critic Bernard Levin on live television more than forty years ago. Thanks to his 1953 bestseller "The Flying Saucers Have Landed", co-written with George Adamski, Desmond Leslie remains a cult figure among UFOlogists.

"After serving as a Spitfire pilot during the Second World War, he settled in London and embarked on a career as a writer, producing a string of innovative and critically acclaimed novels, one of which anticipated George Orwell's 1984 by a year.

"At the same time, he worked as a film producer and screenwriter and composed music for film and television in the second half of the 1950s. In 1963 he returned to Ireland to live at Castle Leslie in County Monaghan, and for the rest of his life devoted himself to protecting the family estate, today one of Ireland's finest country-house hotels.

"Son of writer Sir Shane Leslie and brother of historian Anita Leslie, Desmond Leslie has never before been the subject of a biography, which includes personal recollections by family members and by the well-known writer Herbie Brennan. In portraying the Anglo-Irish during the second half of the twentieth century, as they struggled to find a new role in a rapidly changing world, Robert O'Byrne offers a wholly engaging case study of his propulsive and charismatic subject.

"Robert O'Byrne, journalist and art historian, is author of The Irish Georgian Society: A Celebration (2008), Dublin's Gaiety Theatre (2007), Mind Your Manners (2004), Living in Dublin (2003) and Hugh Lane 1875-1915 (2000)."

Angelucci & LSD

Over at his blog, Mark Pilkington - author of the book Mirage Men - discusses the strange case of friend to the Space-Brothers, Orfeo Angelucci (whose story is told in my Contactees book).

As Mark notes, Angelucci recorded in his 1959 book Son of the Sun a weird experience that occurred in 1954, when he may have been the unwitting player in some bizarre MKUltra-type experiment - one that had everything to do with clandestine psy-ops, concerns about Communism, and nothing to do with literal aliens.

As Mark says: "So how’s this for a temporary working hypothesis? Adamski and others were claiming alien contacts and espousing anti-American beliefs. Meanwhile Orfeo Angelucci and fellow contactee George Van Tassel, both employed at one of the US’s most advanced aircraft development plants, also claimed contacts with space beings. Angelucci, as it happens, had previously sparked a police hunt after launching balloons containing the aspergillus clavatus mould, a fact sure to have drawn the FBI’s attentions. Were Angelucci and Van Tassel given some kind of hallucinogen, deployed as a ‘truth drug’ to quiz them about possible Communist or Soviet sympathies and, perhaps to pump them full of extraterrestrial anti-Commie rhetoric for good measure?"

And here's Mark's full post, which I strongly urge you to read!

Raven Reviews Contactees

My good friend, Raven Meindel, of Raven's Crypto Haven and the Exploring All Realms radio-show that we co-host reviews my Contactees book and says:

"If you're wanting to know the "who's who" of the contactees, this book includes the best of the best and the most famous of the contactee stories. You'll read about cases like the one of George Hunt Williamson, who made claims that he--like others before and after him, such as George Adamski--had captured the attention of the "Space-Brothers", an alien race that seemed eerie, but very concerned for the human race and our warring ways. You'll also learn about Truman Bethurum who had a romantic liaison with the lovely female alien 'Captain Rhanes' ( One of my personal favorite accounts in this book).

"Redfern also covers several of the bizarre yet intriguing theories that have surrounded Alien related cases over the years, such as mind-control experiments instrumented by our Government, and whether the UFO agenda may be tied to an ancient, Earth-based society that secretly live and move among us under false pretenses even today.

"Nick Redfern has a delightful way of making all his books pop to life, so you feel like you are part of every account he's detailing. This book is a 'must have' to ad to your collection !"

George Adamski: A New, FREE Book!

Yep, that's right! I did indeed say free! Titled George Adamski: The Toughest Job In The World, the book in question is a new one from Auckland-based writer Tony Brunt and is available from Scribd at this link.

I have already started reading the book and can say with certainty that it's a great addition to the body of data that we have on the "Professor." And I'd urge one and all to download and read the book.

After all, it's not every day you get a book that is both very good and free!!

Lecturing on the Space-Brothers

On Saturday afternoon, I drove down to Austin, Texas, where I was due to speak that evening on the subject of my Contactees book, at the Austin Center for Spiritual Living. The gig had been arranged by SMiles Lewis, and a good time was had by all! There was a decent-sized turn-out of about 50 people (including good friends Ken Gerhard - my co-author on Monsters of Texas - and Richie and Naomi West of the Center for Fortean Zoology).

And: in the two-hour-long lecture, I got a lot of very thought-provoking questions about the near-legendary, long-haired Space-Brothers (and Space-Sisters too, of course!), demonstrating that although the Contactee phenomenon may have been at its height in the 1950s, it's a subject that still continues to fascinate and intrigue.

PsiOp Radio & Contactees

This coming Sunday night, I'll be speaking about my Contactees book on S. Miles Lewis' program, PSiOp Radio. This will be a long interview, and we should cover a lot of good ground, cases and personalities: Adamski, Van Tassel, Bethurum, Angelucci, etc., as well as the various theories that have been put forward to explain what may lie at the heart of the Contactee puzzle. Hope to see you there!

Here's the link to the show.

Contactees in Austin

If you're in the Austin, Texas area on the evening of Saturday August 21, you may like to know I'll be speaking about my Contactees book at the Austin Center for Spiritual Living.

The address is 4804 Grover Ave Austin, TX 78756 and the lecture begins at 7PM.

Here's the official link to the lecture/organizer of the event, S. Miles Lewis of the Anomaly Archives, where you can find out more.

Shadowcass & Space-Brothers

Shadowcass has a new post over at her blog that will be of interest to those fascinated by the world of the Space-Brothers. Check it out!

So That's Paranormal?

I'll be on the So That's Paranormal? show tonight, discussing all things of a Space-Brotherly and Contactee nature - here's the link!

Contactees & Crop Circles

This coming weekend - June 24-25 - I'll be speaking at the annual Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) conference on my own, personal investigations of the Crop Circle mystery. And, one of the things I'll be addressing is the chapter in my Contactees book that focuses on the little-known cases of Space-Brother encounters in Crop Circles.

If you can make the gig, say hello!

Nick Redfern: Contactee?

Yes, it's official! I have now met an alien! Yep, a close-encounter, finally! Well...kind of. Unfortunately, this is just an on-screen alien, specifically a Dalek from the BBC TV show Dr. Who. I ran into this metal chap a couple of weeks ago, but he hardly seemed excited by the experience. In fact, he just stood there, cold and unsmiling. Then again, that's what Dalek's are like, so I should have expected nothing less.

The Mojave Desert, Contactees & More

Secrets of Death Valley: Mysteries and Haunts of the Mojave Desert is the latest release from Tim Beckley's Global Communications - and, on the subject of Tim: just how many books has the man published??!!

This is a book that scores big-time for a number of reasons. Firstly, if you're into the domain of the Contactees and the Space-Brothers, then this is most definitely a book for you (and which is precisely why I'm reviewing the book at my Contactees blog!). On this very subject, you get a complete reprint of George Van Tassel's I Rode a Flying Saucer; as well as his A Brief History of Giant Rock - which makes for fascinating reading.

Moving on from the Space-Brothers, we have Regan Lee on a certain Space-Sister: namely "Diane," who became such a big part in the life of Contactee Dana Howard back in the '50's. Regan has written several excellent articles on the Diane-Dana story over the last couple of years, and - in view of this - I think it's high time that Regan wrote the definitive book about the cosmic pair. After all, Regan - perhaps more than anyone else - understands and appreciates the many and varied facets of the case, as well as its attendant mysteries, its ethereal aspects, and how and why the desert plays such an instrumental role in the affair.

Coupled with the Van Tassel material, Regan's paper makes Secrets of Death Valley a delight for the Contactee connoisseur.

Moving on from the Contactees, we get to learn a great deal indeed about haunted and lost ships of the desert, ghostly galleons, Viking (really!) mysteries, tales of ghosts and the paranormal, and much more.

Other highlights include reports of giant, human-like entities in Death Valley said to dwell in underground caves and caverns; Adam Gorightly on a certain aspect of Charles Manson and the attendant murders; and - one of my favorites - the truly surreal saga of the Camel Caravans, and how, and why, there just might be a solitary camel (or several) roaming the wilds of the United States. This latter material makes for truly engaging reading, and reveals much about a story largely lost to the fog of time.

All in all, Secrets of Death Valley is a highly entertaining, witty, well-written, wild-ride into the past, and into the realm of high-adventure in a mysterious desert world. It is a world populated by spooky and ethereal locations, eccentric and vibrant characters, and deep and dark secrets. And - I guarantee - the book will keep just about anyone and everyone who has ever been entertained by Fate, Argosy, Ray Palmer, Keel and all the rest busy for hours!

Keep 'em coming, Tim!

Just Energy Radio

On Friday, I was interviewed by Dr. Rita Louise for her Just Energy Radio show. The subject: Contactees; who they were; the nature of their experiences; government involvement in Adamski, Van Tassel and the rest of the 1950s friends of the Space-Brothers; and a great deal more too.

The episode is archived and can be found right here.

Contactees Reviewed

Pauline Wilson reviews Contactees...

Secrets of Death Valley

A couple of days ago, ufological legend Tim Beckley sent me a copy of the latest release from his Global Communications company: Secrets of Death Valley - Mysteries and Haunts of the Mojave Desert.

If you're into the Contactee issue, you won't want to miss this, as it contains a number of notable gems, including (A) a re-print of George Van Tassel's I Rode A Flying Saucer, (B) Van Tassel's A Brief History Of Giant Rock, and (C) a paper from Regan Lee on the subject of Dana Howard's 1950s encounters with the enigmatic space-sister, "Diane."

The book contains much more too that will be of interest to Forteans everywhere, but is well worth purchasing for the Contactee data alone.

As soon as I have read it, I'll be doing a lengthy review.

UFO Countdown Disclosure Clock

Over at UFO Countdown Disclosure Clock, there's a post that comments in-depth on my Contactees and the Absurdities of Ufology post for LOWFI.

The Grand Dark Conspiracy

A few days ago, I was interviewed by Daniel Bautz for his Grand Dark Conspiracy podcast on the issue of my Contactees book. The interview is now available, and can be found at this link. A lot of territory was covered in the interview, including (A) the definition of a Contactee; (B) the theory that many - if not all - Contactee experiences may occur in distinctly altered states; (C) the idea that at least some of the very early Contactees were trying to promote communism via the medium of UFOs; and much more.

LSD, UFOs & Contactees

In my Contactees book, I included a couple of chapters on 1950s Contactee, Orfeo Angelucci. One of the things I highlighted in the Angelucci sections was the fact that at least some of the man's experiences may have occurred while he was under the influence of LSD. Indeed, as I also demonstrate, he may well have been deliberately, and secretly, dosed by certain elements of the official world that, at the time, were exploring the realms of mind-manipulation and altered states of perception (see the image in this post for more data on the matter of LSD and the murky realm of official secrecy).

So, I was particularly intrigued to see that over at The UFO Iconoclast(s) Tony Bragalia has a new post titled UFOs & LSD: The Secret Connection. In part, he says:

"The UFO phenomena is so utterly mind-bending that the best way to understand it may be to go out of our minds. The role of expanded consciousness and access to the alien world is revealed in private conversations this author has had with eminent men of science. This includes talks with the now-late Harvard Psychiatrist Dr. John Mack and Harvard Professor Dr. Timothy Leary. They provide keen insight into the ultimate secret of the UFO. They uncover the hyperdimensional world in which the UFO traverses. They also detail the interplay between altered states of matter, altered states of mind and contact with the alien.

"Other notable scientists have joined to divulge the role of expanded consciousness and communication with ET intelligence. They include ecologist Terence McKenna; physician Dr. John Lilly; psychiatrist Dr. Stanislav Grof and the father of space flight, visionary Jack Parsons. Their search for the answers to the questions about flying saucers have led to a telling conclusion: only if we open our 'doors of perception' will we be able to understand this alien intelligence."

Click here for the link to the complete article.

And, on related matters, for those of you who may be interested, here's my review of Andy Roberts' book Albion Dreaming: A Popular History of LSD in Britain.

The Paracast & Contactees

A couple of weeks ago I recorded an episode of The Paracast - on the subject of my Contactees book. Also in on the interview was ufological legend, author, commentator and editor of Saucer Smear, Jim Moseley. Jim divulged much (some thoughtful, some scandalous, some hilarious, but all of it entertaining!) about some of the early figures he met from the Contactee field, including George Adamski himself. A lot of areas were covered in the interview, along with a great deal of theorizing regarding what may be at the heart of the Contactee controversy.

The interview is now online and available as a download right here.

Austin, Texas & Contactees

I'll be speaking on the subject of my Contactees book on the evening of Saturday June 26 at the Austin Center for Spiritual Living; details of which can be found at the following link: www.AustinCSL.org.

And the actual location of the gig is: 4804 Grover Avenue, Austin, TX 78756.

If you're in Texas and can get along, let me know!

Mufon and Contactees

I'll be speaking about my Contactees book on Sunday, June 13 for the Oklahoma chapter of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON). For more information, click on this link.

Contactees At The Paracast

Earlier today I was interviewed about my Contactees book for Gene Steinberg's The Paracast. Also interviewed for the episode was Ufological legend, Jim Moseley, who met some of the more famous Contactees, including Adamski, Van Tassel, Bethurum and Angelucci. We covered a lot of ground in the 2-hour recording, which will be broadcast on May 9.

Also: I'm pleased to announce that, from time to time, I'll be doing some co-hosting on The Paracast, too.

I'll post a reminder here closer to the date of the broadcast of the Contactee show.

Florida UFO Radio

A couple of night ago, I was on Florida UFO Radio, speaking about my Contactees book. If you missed the show, you can listen to it via the archives at this link.

Basil & Spice

Over at Basil & Spice, Lynette Fleming reviews my Contactees book.

Magonia Reviews Contactees

Over at the Magonia blog, Peter Rogerson reviews my Contactees book and says, in part:

"Reading these tales, there are a number of reasonable possibilities. They are all clearly the work of the human imagination (or perhaps lack of same), and the only question that remains is whether they came from the spontaneous imagination of dreams, hypnogogic and other visionary experiences; or from the crafted imagination, and in the latter case whether the contactees wanted a powerful imperative for their own religious and political views, or were in it mainly for the money. Redfern does note these possibilities, but prefers to invoke all sorts of complicated, baroque explanations, ranging from mind control experiments by secret government agencies, Mac Tonnies' 'crypto-terrestrials' (ie up-market Deros) or intelligent plasmas."

And here's the full review.

Space-Brothers at Zany Mystic

I'll be speaking about my Contactees book tomorrow night, on the A Fireside Chat With Zany Mystic show - at 9.00PM Central. Here's the link to learn more about the show and tomorrow night's episode. See you there!

Contactees & Religion

A couple of days ago, I gave a lecture to a class of sociology students at Baylor University, Waco, Texas on the parallels between the Contactee movement and religion. The presentation was well-received, generated a number of questions, and kicked off a good debate about the phenomenon. And, I'm amazed how, 60 years on, the original Contactees continue to provoke so much interest - even to the extent of becoming relevant to the world of mainstream, college education!

Kithra, Contactees and the Name Game

Kithra reviews my Contactees book and, in part, says:

"As I read on I found myself thinking about the Name Game, so here are the things that stood out for me in that regard:

- Mr. Janus and Prince Philip’s equerry – it suddenly occurred to me that Janus was also the name of a god in Roman mythology. He was the god of entrances and beginnings and endings. Normally he was shown as having two faces, or heads, facing in opposite directions.
- The story of the Maier sisters reminded me of Billy Meier; spelt differently but perhaps pronounced the same.
- How many of those early Contactees had the same Christian name of George: Adamski and Hunt Williamson, Van Tassel, and Geroge King."

And here's the rest of Kithra's review.

Radio Mysterioso - Tonight

Good friend Greg Bishop will be interviewing me on his Radio Mysterioso show tonight (8PM - 10PM Pacific Time) about my Contactees book. For all the info on the show, click here.

Contactees And Shirley Maclaine

Last week, I was interviewed by actress Shirley Maclaine - on the subject of my Contactees book - for her Independent Expression Radio show. She had a lot of interesting ideas and thoughts about the UFO controversy, and a lot of ground was covered; including the cases of George Van Tassel, George Adamski and Truman Bethurum. Here's the link for those who may want to listen in to the episode, which is now online.

Contactees on Paratopia

A few days ago I was interviewed by the guys over at Paratopia - Jeff Ritzmann and Jeremy Vaeni - about my Contactees book. We delved into a lot of areas: the cases, the people, the theories, the history and much, much more of a definitively space-brother nature.

The interview is now available on-line and can be found right here.

A Contactee Anniversary

I can't let it go by unnoticed that it was 100 years ago today that legendary Contactee, George Van Tassel (of Giant Rock and Integratron fame) was born!

And click here too for more on the man himself.

The Cryptoterrestrials: A Review

You can find my review of Mac Tonnies' new - and final - book, The Cryptoterrestrials, at my "Reviews" blog. Click on this link and it will take you there. As I noted in the post below, Mac's theories concerning cryptoterrestrials - rather than extraterrestrials - had a major bearing upon the Space-Brother/Contactee controversy.

The Cryptoterrestrials: Available!

If you have read my book, Contactees, you'll recall that one of the people I interviewed for the book was the late Mac Tonnies, who tragically died last year at the age of only 34.

The reason why I interviewed Mac was simple: at the time, he was working on a manuscript to be titled The Cryptoterrestrials, and which was focused upon the possibility that at least some UFO encounters might not be due to the presence of extraterrestrials from far-off worlds, but might represent the last vestiges of a very ancient, terrestrial race of beings - closely related to the Human Race - that use the alien motif as a brilliant piece of camouflage to move amongst us.

And Mac also applied this theory to the very human-looking Space-Brothers who are so prevalent within the Contactee arena. Mac told me:

"If we're experiencing a staged reality, some of the beings encountered by the Contactees might have been real; and the common messages of universal brotherhood could have been a sincere attempt to curb our destructive tendencies. The extraterrestrial guise would have served as a prudent disguise, neatly misdirecting our attention and leading us to ask the wrong questions; which we're still asking with no substantial results."

And, if that has caught your attention, you'll be pleased to know that Mac's book is now finally available to one and all, thanks to Anomalist Books who have just published it.

Here's the link to the Anomalist Books website where you can find out more about the book, and where to purchase your very own copies.

Shirley Maclaine on Contactees

I'll be speaking about my Contactees book on Shirley Maclaine's radio show this coming Sunday.

Here's the link:

http://www.shirleymaclaine.com/ieradio/about/next

Over The Threshold

Good news! Tim Beckley's Global Communications (who do an excellent job of reprinting old and rare books on the Contactee issue) have just released a new edition of Dana Howard's book, Over The Threshold.

I'll be reviewing the book right here as soon as I have read it; but in the meantime, here's what Global Communications have to say about this definitive blast-from-the-past:

"The author befriended the beautiful life form from another world, but was she a spirit or a space being? Dana Howard has been a sensitive since childhood. While still a youngster, she was stricken with tuberculosis and sentenced to an untimely death. Guided by a power higher than infantile reasoning, the young girl went on a hunger fast. It was then that her strange nocturnal travels out-of-body to more serene and beautiful worlds began. The child claims she even made friends in this 'fantasy' realm. Later, when the urge to 'fly' returned, it was than that the author met the beautiful Venusian messenger who called herself Diane. They visited together in the picturesque Mojave Desert which Dana Howard became aware was actually a portal between worlds, a locale which had inspired many stories of UFO landings and meetings with flying saucer occupants. The desert itself, it seems, was "alive" with spiritualized energy, seemingly acting as a magnet, pulling the space woman from the ether onto the desert floor. Far fetched as her experiences may seem, to add weight to her fantastic encounters, the author's inter dimensional friend appeared not only to her, but also to an amazed group of people who had gather with the author in a small white church in Los Angeles for the purpose of conducting a seance during which Diana the space being started to form out of a single thread of ectoplasm. This volume reproduces numerous photos of genuine spirits caught with the eye of the camera in amazing, controversial feats of cosmic photography."

Brown Mountain: Last Night

As I mentioned (below) a few days ago, the National Geographic Channel's new series, Paranatural, recently filmed an episode on mysterious "Ghost Lights" seen across the United States; but with a heavy emphasis on the activity that has been reported on Brown Mountain, North Carolina. As you may know, my Contactees book describes a particularly notable encounter of the Space-Brother variety that occurred on the mountain - and that had a direct connection to the lights - back in the 1960s.

Well, the show aired last night; but if you missed it (as I did, as I don't have a subscription to the channel), click on this link, where you can find an overview, photos and a clip from the show.

Brown Mountain Mysteries

As those who have read my Contactees book will recall, I have a section in the book on the mysterious aerial lights of Brown Mountain, North Carolina; the tie-in with the stories of the Space-Brothers; and good comments on the whole controversy from Micah Hanks.

Purely coincidentally, I was interviewed on the subject of the Brown Mountain Lights by the National Geographic Channel's new series Paranatural late last year - and the episode in question airs next Monday.

I'm not sure how much of my interview will appear; but in the meantime, here's good friend Josh Warren to tell you more about the episode in question and to tell you about his role in the show.

Over to Josh:

Dear Friends & Associates,

Please put this on your calendar now!

At long last, our highly-anticipated show on "Mystery Lights" is slated to air on the National Geographic Channel. It's called "Paranatural," and should reveal some of the most amazing footage our team has ever captured at the bizarre Brown Mountain. It will debut at 9pm east coast (New York) U.S. time, and may run a few more times that week. For a sneak peak of some weird footage we captured, please see: http://www.joshuapwarren.com/

For more information, be sure to tune into my radio program, SPEAKING OF STRANGE, this Saturday night, Feb. 27 (weather permitting I can make it to the studio), at 8pm east coast time. You can listen live to the online stream for free at: http://www.speakingofstrange.com/

Please forward this to your friends so they'll be sure to either watch the show, or set their DVRs, for the National Geographic Channel this Monday night, March 1, 9pm east coast time.

Thanks!

Joshua

www.JoshuaPWarren.com

Contactees/Fortean Times Online

As I mentioned here recently in an earlier post, Andy Roberts has reviewed my Contactees book for Fortean Times. The entire review has now been posted online at the FT website and can be found here.

Contactees at MUFON

I'll be speaking tomorrow for the San Antonio, Texas chapter of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) about my Contactees book. I'll be doing an illustrated lecture covering such subjects as the cases of George Adamski; Truman Bethurum; Orfeo Angelucci; George Van Tassel; and Daniel Fry; as well as looking at the various theories, ideas and insight offered on the subject by such researchers as Greg Bishop; Micah Hanks; and the late Mac Tonnies.

If you happen to be in the San Antonio area and can make the meeting, here's the link to the SA MUFON site where you can find all the relevant details.

Contactees at Mysterious Universe

You can find a new interview with me (recorded last week) on my Contactees book at Mysterious Universe. It was a good interview and we covered a lot of ground with respect to the Contactees; the nature of their experiences; the history of the phenomenon; some of the theories that have been put forward to explain what lies at the heart of Contactee-style experiences, and much more.

Rick Phillips Comments

Rick Phillips comments on my recent post on Contactees and ufological absurdities. A few minor points aside, we seem to be on the same track. Here's the lino to Rick's post.

Fortean Times on Contactees

The new issue of Fortean Times magazine includes a good review by Andy Roberts of my Contactees book. In part, Andy says of the book: "Nick Redfern, author of a wide variety of UFO books from the serious to the popular, has taken the bull by the horns and produced the, so far, definitive book on the subject."

He adds: "The best analysis of the contactees is that they were an unrelated bunch of fantasists, mystics, hucksters and conmen – sometimes all of those at once – with some possibly having connections with the intelligence services. Their story is a wild ride and is much more interesting than that of the later claims of those who claim to have been abducted. Ufologists can, if they pay attention, learn much of how ufology got to its present state by looking at the contactees instead of ignoring them. The definitive academic work on the contactees is yet to be written. While you wait for that you will find enough stories, theories and speculation about this fascinating group of space age messiahs in Nick Redfern’s history picnic to keep you in mind food for many months."

Contactees at LOWFI

A few weeks ago, I was recently asked write an article for the LOWFI site, and which has just been posted. It's on the Contactee movement.

If you're easily offended, delete before reading!

http://www.forteanswest.com/lowfiguesteditorial-NickRedfern0210.html

Greg Bishop on Omnec Onec

Good friend Greg Bishop digs into the story of Omnec Onec, Venus - and the price of Contactee books, too!

Andy Lloyd Reviews Contactees

Andy Lloyd, author of the books, The Dark Star; Ezekiel One; and The Followers of Horus reviews my Contactees book:

In part, Lloyd says: "The author presents an excellent and open-minded overview of various strands of research into the phenomenon: Narcotic drugs, hypnogogia, meditative trances, earthlights and the effects of DMT are all analysed thoroughly. There is a folkloric element at play here, too, and he sensibly brings Jacques Vallee's seminal work into the equation. Redfern even considers evidence that government agents were planted to spread ridicule amid a subject that was gaining popular momentum in the US. There are even darker possibilities, with accounts of mind-control experiments conducted on unsuspecting folk in isolated rural areas (as in the case of Villas Boas).

"In the end, Nick Redfern seems to avoid a definitive conclusion. His generally sceptical air indicates he is tackling the subject as just another of his enjoyable paranormal romps. But I know that he is also passionate about the UFO subject, and there remains an under-current of serious enquiry. Perhaps there is some doubt in his mind that the entire subject can dismissed out of hand, as would seem sensible from a more sceptical viewpoint. I think that hesitation to find fraud around every Contact corner is laudable, and provides the right balance to this book.

"I've often wanted to read a book devoted to this subject, and 'Contactees' does not disappoint."

And here's the link to Andy's complete review.

Venusian Contact!

The ever-industrious Regan Lee has a new post on the Venusian-alien angle...

The Parafractor: Archived

Another show on my Contactees book that is now archived, and which I recorded just a few days ago: The Parafractor.

ISIS Radio & Contactees

On Saturday night, I spoke about my Contactees book on ISIS Paranormal Radio. The show is now archived, and can be found right here.

Native Wisdom & Contactees

The interview I did last night on Native Wisdom on my Contactees book is now archived and available, and can be found by clicking on this link.

Native Wisdom: Tonight

I'll be speaking about my Contactees book tonight on the Native Wisdom radio show with host Andie Hight. For those who may want to listen in, here's the link.

Devil Girl From Mars

Now, I just know a blog-post title like that is going to get your attention!

A couple of nights ago I watched an old (1954) British, black-and-white science-fiction film called Devil Girl From Mars that starred Patricia Laffan as the Devil-Girl herself, and Hazel Court (who appeared in a number of the classic Hammer horror films of the late 1950s and early 1960s), and John Laurie, a Scottish character-actor best known in Britain for his role as Fraser in the BBC comedy of the 1960s and 1970s, Dad's Army.

Basically, the film tells the story of a hot alien babe from Mars called Nyah (who spends the whole film clad in a tight-fitting black outfit, black cloak and long black-boots - most certainly not something I was complaining about!), who comes to our world to seek out males to help boost the waning Martian population - which has been decimated as a result of a war on the red-planet between males and females, in which the women won. Of course, with the Martian men gone, this makes breeding quite a problem!

The plan is for Nyah to land her Flying Saucer in London. Unfortunately, things go awry and she comes down near an old inn in the wilds of Scotland - an inn that is populated by just the owner, a couple of employees and a handful of guests. And, yes, they become the small band that has to try and thwart Nyah's dastardly plans.

Well, personally speaking, having to repopulate a whole planet full of numerous Nyah's doesn't sound such a bad job to me at all - but I digress!

Anyway, I won't spoil the outcome for those who may want to watch the film, but I will say the following: Devil Girl From Mars certainly isn't a classic. But it is entertaining and thought-provoking, too. Indeed, it also contains a number of Contactee-based parallels, too.

For example, Nyah can speak all Earth-based languages (as, reportedly, could a number of the Space-Brothers); her people have been secretly listening to our radio shows and signals (and radio played a central role in several of the early Contactee cases); she warns (as did pretty much all of the long-haired and alien ones) of the perils of war and destruction; she provides a wealth of scientific data about her craft to those of the group she invites on-board (a curious theme present in many Contactee accounts); and is strangely detached and even slightly ethereal - which reminds me very much of Truman Bethurum's very own alien-babe, Captain Aura Rhanes of Clarion.

I suspect not many people will be aware of Devil Girl From Mars, but for anyone with an affection for the early years of the Flying Saucer culture (both in the real world and in the domain of fiction), it's worth a watch.

Regan Talks Venusians

Over at her Trickster's Realm at Binnall of America, Regan Lee has a good, new post titled Women from Venus that is definitively Contactee-driven; but that does a very good job indeed of demonstrating the high-strangeness that dominates the subject, and the difficulties that often prevent us from getting a clear handle on what lies at the heart of the Contactee mystery.

The Veritas Show: Tonight

Just recently I did a pre-record for The Veritas Show, with host Mel Fabregas, on the subject of my Contactees book. The show will be broadcast tonight, and you can find all the details at: http://www.veritasshow.com

In the meantime, here's a taste of the interview:

Bizarre Bazaar & Contactees

The new issue (No. 14) of Timothy Green Beckley's Bizarre Bazaar magazine (which can be purchased by contacting Tim at Inner Light, Box 753, New Brunswick, NJ 08903) contains an extensive interview with me about my Contactees book.

The interview covers a lot of ground, such as (A) my views on what lies at the heart of the Contactee mystery; (B) the FBI's interest in those claiming contact with long-haired Space-Brothers; (C) Mac Tonnies' theories that the Space-Brothers might not be so alien after all; and much more.

Magic, Mysticism & The Molecule

Just recently, I wrote the foreword to Micah Hanks' forthcoming book, Magic, Mysticism and the Molecule. I can say with absolute certainty that if - like me - you think that we should be looking into distinctly alternative areas and realms for the answers to the UFO puzzle and to a wealth of other Fortean puzzles too, then you will most definitely want to get hold of a copy of Micah's book at the earliest opportunity.

Also: in my opinion, Micah's theories, ideas and conclusions throw a wealth of much-needed and welcome light on the Contactee puzzle, too.

Click here to learn more about Micah Hanks' Magic, Mysticism and the Molecule.

Jim Moseley Reviews Contactees

Certainly one of the most legendary characters within the field of Ufology, Jim Moseley is someone who has been on the scene since the early 1950s - and he's still going strong with his witty, informative and cutting newsletter Saucer Smear (which can be obtained by writing to Jim at P.O. Box 1709, Key West, FL 33041).

I interviewed Jim for my Contactees book - on the subject of his memories of meeting George Adamski, as well as his views on the Contactee movement in general. And, Jim - having read Contactees - has now reviewed it in the new issue (Vol. 57, No. 1), and says in part about the book:

"...what we really like is that many theories are thrown forward but without dogmatic adherence to any particular one. The ET hypothesis is made to sound unlikely, and we strongly agree that it is unlikely. The solution to the mystery is far more complex than that."

OFFLINE FOR A FEW DAYS

I'm signing offline now, as I'll be lecturing on the subject of my book, There's Something in the Woods this weekend at the Ghosts of Cooperstown, NY event, details for which can be found here. I'll be back online on Tuesday, so have a cool weekend!

UFO Paranormal Radio Network

You can download a new interview with me about my Contactees book at the website of the UFO Paranormal Radio Network, which can be accessed right here.

Journey with Rebecca

I'll be on the Journey with Rebecca Radio Show tonight discussing my Contactees book. The time is 8PM to 10PM Central Time, and here's the link to the website for the show. See you there!

Alien Art

As some of you will know, Fortean researcher Regan Lee contributed significant data to my Contactees book (on the subject of Dana Howard's encounters of the 1950s). Well, the good news is that Regan has just set up a new blog: on Alien Art. Take a look!