In Advance of the Landing: Folk Concepts of Outer Space [Hardcover]

Douglas Curran (Author), Tom Wolfe (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2001

Since it was first published in 1985, Douglas Curran's photographic exploration of the strange world of UFO "true believers" has established itself as a classic work not only within the New Age/UFO community, but among sociologists, psychologists, and in the art and photography communities. This new edition, with an expanded text revisiting the Roswell, New Mexico, incident of 1947, brings back this essential work in a handsome new edition. As Tom Wolfe explains in his foreword: "Douglas Curran is not only a photographer but also a reporter, and an extremely gifted one. I am tempted to suggest that he also qualifies as an anthropologist, but I think I will leave it at 'reporter.' To be a reporter of Douglas Curran's caliber is a lofty enough achievement. He has discovered an exotic world, and for eight years he has traveled remote terrains throughout the United States and Canada exploring it. This book is the culmination of a quest that, by terrestrial standards, is as extraordinary as that of the people he brings to life." In the course of that long quest, Curran recorded-in sympathetic words and perceptive photographs-the ideas and experiences of individuals whose obsession with outer space inspired them to create elaborate homemade spaceships and even more elaborate belief systems. Now updated with several new photographs and an expanded text-and more relevant than ever, given the popularity of The X-Files and other investigations of alien life-In Advance of the Landing remains the definitive probe of a singularly fascinating subculture.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This selection of more than 60 photos (26 in color) depicts how saucer lore has permeated North American culture, from UFO-style houses in Chattanooga and Pensacola and a so-called abductee's "fiberglass replicas of the aliens who abducted her," to UFO-detection stations and a mural alongside Houston's Flying Saucer Pie Co. As Wolfe notes (in an introduction typographically designed in a saucer shape), Canadian photographer Curran has "discovered an exotic world," in which his subjects "struggle to rise above the plain facts of their lives here on Earth." Curran documents the artifacts and rituals of UFO cult grups, including efforts to summon UFOs with a "cosmic brain battery" and a "Welcome Space Brothers!" sign at a lonely "landing site." Overall, this is an amusing, deadpan look at UFO cultism that avoids condescension or mockery of the believers.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"In Advance of the Landing is a fascinating book that shows with compassionate insight how deeply man's longing for extraplanetary contact is felt." -William S. Burroughs "This is an amusing, deadpan look at UFO cultism that avoids condescension or mockery of believers."-Publishers Weekly"

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Abbeville Press; Exp Upd edition (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789207087
• ISBN-13: 978-0789207081
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 9.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #187,495 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my all-time favorites!, August 8, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: In Advance of the Landing: Folk Concepts of Outer Space (Hardcover)

I've read virtually every UFO book that's come out over the past 40+ years, and this remains one of my all-time favorites. I have the original softbound edition, which has become a cult classic and now goes for something like $100. This is more of a sociological document than a UFO book. It perfectly captures the entire spectrum of quirky characters involved in the UFO field, and the photographs are an absolute hoot. I return to this book time and again just for a laugh and to remind myself that there are nuttier people in the UFO field than me. There's nothing condescending about the authors' treatment of their subjects, however. They obviously have a genuine fondness for them -- and you will, too. This is a "must have" for anyone with an interest in UFOs.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic of modern folk belief, October 15, 1999

By 

Sherry Austin "sherryaustin.com" (Southern U.S.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In Advance of the Landing: Folk Concepts of Outer Space (Paperback)

IN ADVANCE OF THE LANDING is a sensitively written and photographed testimony of how far we will go to have something--anything--to hope for. I find myself looking again and again at the pictures and stories of people who labor in workshops or in empty fields building rockets and flying saucers, people who await the landing of extraterrestrials they KNOW are coming soon. This subject is as worthy of serious study as any religion, and you don't have to look hard to see how closely these people's expectations parallel second comings, raptures, and apocalyptic salvation scenarios of better-known religions. As ludicrous as some of the believers are (Ariel, the "queen" of the Unarian religon who dresses like a fairy godmother, a tiara atop her bubble hairdo) I came away with renewed fascination for and frustration at our capacity to believe. An excellent artifact of our times.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truthful but sad commentary, May 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: In Advance of the Landing: Folk Concepts of Outer Space (Paperback)

This is an excellent book which combines good journalism with excellent photography. Once you pick it up its hard to put it down. The book is facinating but at the same time alarming because the people in it are real. Mr. Curran gives an excellent and frank portrayal of the people who hold to the reality of UFO's and their occupants. He presents them, without any judgement, in an accurate a manner as possible. You can clearly see the bankrupcy of their beliefs. It is a sad but truthful commentary of the manner in which a human being can choose to waste his life.