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The Cryptoterrestrials: A Meditation on Indigenous Humanoids and the Aliens Among Us

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Over the course of the last 60 years or so, the world of Ufology has spawned a truly huge number of books: many very good indeed, a not-insignificant number very bad, and a great deal hovering precariously somewhere in between. Just occasionally, however, a title comes along that is truly revolutionary, ground-breaking and - as far as its potential implications are concerned - thought-provoking in the extreme.

For me, personally, Jacque Vallee's Messengers of Deception and John Keel's UFOs: Operation Trojan Horse both fall into that latter category. Albeit in admittedly different ways, Vallee and Keel made equally strong cases for the existence of genuine UFOs in our midst. But, both Messengers and Trojan delivered to the reader two far more explicit messages: (A) UFOs are real; but that doesn't mean they are necessarily extraterrestrial; and (B) the phenomenon is clearly deceptive and manipulative in nature and intent.

Of course, for many of the longstanding (a.k.a. the bloody old) players within Ufology, any talk of deceptive messengers, or of Keel's super-spectrum, is dismissed as mere speculation and not much else. For them, UFOs have to be extraterrestrial. After all, they have upheld such notions and beliefs for decades; and to relegate them to the rubbish-bin is not an option.

Well, I have a few choice words for those people who are so rigidly set in their ways: the extraterrestrial hypothesis is itself entirely speculative and totally lacking in hard evidence. All we really know for certain is that there most assuredly is a genuine UFO phenomenon. But, as for definitive proof of its actual point of origin or origins? Please! There is none. At all. There is merely a lot of data clearly demonstrating the presence of unidentified "others" amongst us.

Vallee and Keel most assuredly and astutely recognized this. They understood that a puzzle which - at first glance - seemed to be defined by the presence of nuts-and-bolts spacecraft and flesh-and-blood aliens in our midst, was far, far stranger than many within Ufology wanted to admit.

And there was someone else who also recognized this ufological factor: Mac Tonnies. Mac was a very good friend of mine; and like all his friends I was shocked to the core when he passed away suddenly and tragically in October 2009, at the age of only 34.

But, I am pleased to say, Mac's latest - and, inevitably, final - piece of work ensures that his memory, legacy and ability to think outside of the conventional ufological box will live on. That work is The Cryptoterrestrials: A Meditation on Indigenous Humanoids and the Aliens Among Us.

Like Vallee and Keel, Mac rightly recognized that UFO encounters could not be dismissed as the ravings of lunatics, the tales of the fantasy-prone, or the lies of those seeking fame and fortune. But, he was also careful not to get sucked into the near-viral mindset that practically screams (take a deep breath): UFOs = alien spaceships piloted by little gray chaps from across the galaxy, who are on a mission to save their dying race by stealing our DNA, eggs and sperm.

Rather, Mac - right up until the time of his death - was chasing down the theory suggesting that the UFOnauts may actually represent the last vestiges of a very ancient race of distinctly terrestrial origins; a race that - tens of thousands of years ago may have ruled our planet, but whose position of power was thrown into overwhelming chaos by two things: (A) the appearance of a "debilitating genetic syndrome" that ravaged their society; and (B) the rising infestation of a violent species that threatened to eclipse - in number - their own society.

They are the Cryptoterrestrials. And that violent species that blusters around like an insane, unruly and spoiled child, and that has done more damage in its short life-time than can ever be truly imagined, is, of course, us.

With their society waning, their health and ability to even successfully reproduce collapsing, and their absolute worst nightmare - the Human Race - becoming the new gang in town, the Cryptoterrestrials followed what was perceived as the only viable option: they quietly retreated into the shadows, into the darkened corners of our world, below the oceans, into the deeper caverns that pepper the planet, and in their own uniquely silent and detached way, set about a new course of action.

That course of action - given that they were in some fashion genetically related to the Human Race - was to eventually resurface; to move amongst us in stealth; to pass themselves off as entities from far-off worlds (as part of a concerted effort to protect and hide their real point of origin); and to use and exploit us - medically - in an attempt to try and inject their waning species with a considerable amount of new blood: ours.

In addition, Mac believed, the Cryptoterrestrials were - and, by definition, still are - subtle-yet-brilliant, cosmic magicians. For them, however, there is no top-hat from which a white-rabbit is pulled. There is no hot babe sliced in half and then miraculously rejoined at the waist. No: their tricks are far more fantastic. As well as deceiving us about their origins, the Cryptoterrestrials have - via, perhaps, the use of advanced hologram-style technology, mind-manipulation and much more - led us to conclude that they have an infinite number of craft, resources and technologies at their disposal.

And that is the trick, the ruse: in actuality, their numbers today may be very small. They may well be staging faked UFO events to try and convince us that they have a veritable armada at their disposal when, perhaps, the exact opposite is the case. And, most important of all, they desperately want us to think of them as visitors from the stars. If their plan to rejuvenate their species is to work, then stealth, subterfuge and camouflage are the essential orders of the day.

Of course, the above all amounts to a theory - just like the ETH. And, Mac's book makes it very clear that he is theorizing, rather than being able to provide the reader with definitive proof for such a scenario. He does, however, offer a logical, and at times powerful, argument in support of the theme of his book.

As for so-called "alien abductions": the clumsy, intrusive means by which ova and sperm are taken by a race of beings we are led to believe are countless years ahead of us is addressed. That the ability of the aliens to wipe out the memories of those they abduct is constantly and regularly overturned by nothing more than simple hypnosis is highlighted. And the unlikely scenario that our DNA would even be compatible, in the first place, with extraterrestrial entities is also firmly dissected. Mac's conclusion: all this points not to the presence of highly-advanced aliens who are thousands of years ahead of us; but to the actions of an ancient Earth-based society whose technology may not be more than a century or so in advance of our current knowledge.

Mac also noted how the "aliens" seem to spend a hell of a lot time ensuring they are seen: whether its taking "soil-samples" at the side of the road; equipping their craft with bright, flashing lights; or hammering home the point to the abductees that they are from this planet, from that star-system, or from some far off galaxy. Just about anywhere aside from right here, in fact.

Roswell comes into the equation, too: and in ingenious fashion. Those who do not adhere to the extraterrestrial hypothesis for Roswell point to the fact that many of the witness descriptions of what was found at Roswell, are collectively suggestive of some form of large balloon-type structure having come down at the Foster Ranch, Lincoln County, NM on that fateful day in the summer of 1947.

The possibility that ET would be flying around New Mexico in a balloon is absurd. But, as Mac notes, a race of impoverished, underground-dwellers, highly worried by the sudden influx of military activity in New Mexico (White Sands, Los Alamos etc), just might employ the use of an advance balloon-type vehicle to secretly scope out the area late at night.

Perhaps, when elements of the U.S. military came across the debris, they really did assume it was balloon-borne material and probably of American origin. Until, maybe, they stumbled across something else amid the debris, too...

The Cryptoterrestrials continues in a similar vein; to the extent that we are left with a stark and surreal image of a very ancient - and very strange - race of beings who may once have been the masters of this planet; who were sidelined thousands of years ago; and who are now - under cover of darkness and while the cities sleep - forced to grudgingly surface from their darkened lairs and interact with the very things they fear (and perhaps even hate and despise) most of all: us.

Survival is the name of their game. And deception is the means by which it is being cunningly achieved.

Whether you agree with Mac's theorizing or not, The Cryptoterrestrials is a book that is expertly and beautifully written. It challenges the reader to throw out old, rigid views. It represents the careful studies of a man who knew he was going out on a limb - but who, thankfully, didn't give a damn about appeasing the UFO research community in fawning style. And, for me, it truly is a Messengers of Deception for the 21st Century and for Generation-Next.

Mac Tonnies passed away in his sleep on October 18th of 2009, at age 34. This was his last book and his legacy to the study of UFOs and the paranormal.

For "The Cryptoterrestrials," Tonnies interviewed some of the most original thinkers inside and outside of the UFO field, and studied their writings. He decided (as a few others did) that the concept of alien life from other planets did not explain many of the reported high strangeness aspects of the phenomenon: Why do these so-called "aliens" apparently need to abduct people over and over? Why do they need so many tries to learn what we can already decipher from one biological sample? Such bizarre behavior could certainly use a better explanation.

Tonnies presents another line of thought: Perhaps non-humans, if they truly exist, exhibit the interest they do because they are as intimately connected to the Earth as us and other living things. Such concern would be evident if they actually shared our planet.

This book is for those who want to explore the newest speculation on the age-old question of apparent non-humans and their possible interactions with us. Tonnies does not wish to push his theory as the final word on the subject. Those looking for definitive answers will not find a great deal of comfort here. If you are looking for enlightened and intelligent discussion on anomalies in general and on the UFO subject in particular, you are in for a treat.

The idea that the human race shares the Earth with one or more hidden sister species and that one of these hidden species (living beneath the Earth in caverns/a Hollow Earth/under Antarctica/a non-specific "other-dimension" - take your pick) might have developed a technology in advance of our own which is wholly or partly responsible for the UFO phenomenon, is a very old one. It's fair to say that no evidence worthy of science supports this idea, nor ever has.

In his manuscript for "The Cryptoterrestrials" the late Mac Tonnies reheats these old ideas and stirs in the speculations of Jacques Vallee, John Keel and others from past decades that an Earth-bound intelligence is behind at least some of the UFO phenomenon and attempts societal manipulation by deceiving humans with whom it chooses to interact into believing they're seeing extraterrestrials. He names the resulting stew his "Cryptoterrestrial Hypothesis" (CTH for short). However the CTH as explained in the book is neither a new idea nor a true hypothesis, as (unlike the ETH) it lacks supporting evidence and fails to address the obvious questions. It's a loose unfinished essay more than a book; speculation rather than serious theory, and perhaps the author's own term "a meditation" is more appropriate.

Mac admitted he did no original research, no field work and conducted no interviews with UFO witnesses or experiencers: he was an armchair theorist and internet blogger, absorbing and rehashing the work of others, usually with intelligence and eloquence. The author rails against the ETH and those who give it credence, and repeats Vallee's old arguments from the 1970s thus:

"That the UFO phenomenon is so rampant argues against extraterrestrial origin and favors an intelligence with a penchant for theatre..." (p36)

Like Vallee, Mac fails to convince us why the ubiquity of UFO encounters and the frequent attendant strangeness rules out an extraterrestrial origin. On the contrary, many argue more convincingly that this very ubiquity and strangeness - and more especially the occasionally evident "penchant for theatre" - forcibly strengthens the ETH. He then promptly reveals his hand by falling into the anthropomorphic trap typical of Sagan or Shostak by declaring "I believe genuine ET visitors would not do this, instead they would do that..."

So this is evidently the root of the author's thought process: a crypto-anthropomorphic belief-system which allows for certain beliefs and disallows others, regardless of evidence.

His "meditation" may be summarised as follows:

1. UFOs and alien/humanoid encounters are definitely real phenomena: the number of accounts over time is high and geographically dispersed, and the narratives reasonably consistent

So far so good, but then the belief-driven mindset kicks in:

2. I do not believe that "genuine" extraterrestrials would behave like this: they wouldn't do what they are reported to do, they should be doing something else instead because my belief-system says so

3. However, an Earth-originated tribe of elusive "Cryptoterrestrials" can be imagined who I can accept might do these things

4. Furthermore we can fantasise that these imagined cryptoterrestrials might suffer from some genetic malady which would explain their abductions of humans; be reclusive and declining in number; and engage in theatrical deception to convince the human population with whom they share the planet that they are extraterrestrial


The argument, such as it is, is assumptive and full of holes. The case against the ETH is not proven, and even a weak case for the "CTH" is not successfully made. What we're left with is yesterday's leftovers, speculative ideas re-heated, spiced and served with new garnish, supported by no evidence.

There is also unfortunately more than a hint of arrogance: of youthful confidence (the author was only 34 when he died in October 2009) believing its intellect superior to older, wiser minds and even misrepresenting - perhaps through misunderstanding rather than intent - the convictions of others in order to demonstrate this superior intellect. One example of many: he more than once claims Budd Hopkins to be a champion of the ETH, a hypothesis pilloried and rejected by Mac as misguided and plain wrong. Well, I happen to know not only Budd Hopkins' writings but the man himself very well personally, and have spent many rich hours with him over the years in face-to-face discussion. In the many hundreds of cases investigated over 35 years and in all his writings, lectures and works, he has never declared any firm belief that the abductors are of extraterrestrial origin. He refers to them as "alien" advisedly: as he says, this word denotes "others", a different intelligence than us, outsiders. Whether they are from The Pleiades, from the centre of the Earth, from another "dimension", time travellers or some other phenomenon hitherto unknown is of supreme irrelevance to him and something about which he does not and will not speculate. That many abductions are linked to structured craft - UFOs - is certain, as there are simply too many cases and too much evidence for any field investigator to deny. But this is not the same thing as belief in the ETH: to characterize Hopkins this way is to misrepresent his views - knowing or unknowing, it's still misrepresentation. It would have been easy to find out Budd's views on this issue: just ask him. Tonnies obviously never bothered, and there is a bit too much of this kind of thing in his short book, I'm afraid, and rather too much assumptive and not-too-well-informed speculation masquerading as intellectual superiority for my taste.

The writing however is refreshingly literate. The author favours vocabulary difficult for most readers (one of Mac's favourite words, "memes", seems to equal the late John Mack's reliance on "ontological" to explain himself) and rarely uses a familiar or simple word where something more obscure is available. Taken more or less at random, from p106:

"...these `emissaries' are enticingly liminal...their home turf seems to be a Keelian interzone, as if their passport to our domain forever hovers on the verge of expiration."

Well, you get the idea: keep your dictionary close by. This might make reading the short book a mildly challenging experience for some. And "short" is used advisedly: the book is only 120 pages including the praise-gushing foreword by Nick Redfern and afterword by Greg Bishop, obviously friends and champions of Mac. As a print-on-demand title from Anomalist Books, it has to be said the quality ain't that great. My copy arrived with the text noticeably misaligned to the page at a 10-degree angle on the first 36 pages, and after one careful reading the binding is so poor that the pages are already mostly detached from the spine and falling out, which does not bode well for the longevity of this edition nor its saleability on the second-hand market in future years. A few typos have eluded the editing process. Nadia Sobin's striking cover image may help sales a bit, as imaginary and speculative as the content of the text. The small cartoons at the start of each chapter are a nice touch though, and well drawn.

So in summary: an unfinished essay slightly over-hyped as an "important" book, which it isn't. At best, it's old ideas repackaged anew into an unsupported and speculative "meditation." If you've read Jacques Vallee's books from the 1970s to the 1990s and John Keel's "UFOs: Operation Trojan Horse" then you've read this stuff before. Two stars for the literacy and the cartoons. However you may find the book mildly irritating if you value genuine investigation, use of the scientific method or original thought, because unfortunately there ain't much of any of this in evidence, and for these reasons this book doesn't deserve a higher rating. It's OK in its limited way and quite well written, but there's better reading out there on the subject if your time is valuable.

RIP Mac, and may you find the answers wherever you are now.

March saw the release of author and blogger Mac Tonnies' much anticipated book The Cryptoterrestrials, "A meditation on indigenous humanoids and the aliens among us." Tragically, Tonnies died in his sleep on October 18, 2009, at the young age of 34, prompting many to question if his death was entirely natural. He was just weeks away from turning in his manuscript to his publisher, and with the help of family members and friends, his final draft has now been published by Anomalist Books.

The book is not so much an elucidation of his theory, as a devastating critique of the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis (ETH) and the rigid thinking of "mainstream" ufology. Tonnies' book is rich with questions and insightful speculations about what could be behind the UFO phenomenon. He follows in the footsteps of Charles Fort (The Complete Books of Charles Fort), Jacques Vallee (Passport to Magonia: On Ufos, Folklore, and Parallel Worlds) and John Keel (The Eighth Tower) in pointing out the many reasons why a new approach to the study of UFOs and "aliens" is desperately needed. While I do not necessarily agree with all of his conclusions, and he is at times overly optimistic (a fact to which he admits in his last chapter), Tonnies' book offers much food for thought on the subject of UFOs, "aliens", and the paranormal. He points out the links between the "little people" of folklore and Grays of today, asking if they are one and the same, "distorted representations of an actual species":

"Maybe the ubiquitous Gray is simply a costume that works, in which case one can't help but yearn for a glimpse of next year's fashion . . . For too long, we've called them aliens, assuming that we represent our planet's best and brightest. Maybe that's exactly what they want us to think." (p 26)

He contrasts this idea with Vallee's idea of an "omniscient pacemaker sowing memes in an effort to ensure our evolution conform[s] to some unknown alien ideal" through "artificially emplaced psychosocial conditioning". He also notes the inherent between the UFO's "explicitly physical" nature and their paranormal qualities, citing the research of Keel. UFOs are observed performing "mysterious disappearances, "impossible" maneuvers, and [showing] a predilection for trickery." In other words, they behave more like holographic projections, and the absurdity of their appearance and the behaviors of their "occupants" is what prompted Keel to propose that they are cosmic tricksters.

But are these contradictory ideas - physical humanoids vs. omniscient meme-ometer, physical vs. paranormal - mutually exclusive? I think that the existence of a fourth spatial dimension, elucidated in Laura Knight-Jadczyk's High Strangeness: Hyperdimensions and the Process of Alien Abduction could reconcile these apparent contradictions. Such a dimension of variable physicality could account for the "postbiological Singularity" which Tonnies proposes. In other words, it isn't postbiological (i.e. a marriage of physical technology with biology) so much as a totally different kind of biology, along the lines of Tonnies speculation about the Many Worlds Interpretation of quantum theory, "in which our universe bifurcates each time a subatomic event's wave function "collapses":

"Could the human brain, suitably "tuned", produce comparable results? Given reports of humanoid beings "materializing" and "disappearing," it's tempting to speculate that our visitors have mastered a technology of consciousness, able to manipulate their own wave functions and skip back and forth between multiple universes at the speed of thought. This is one (admittedly colorful) explanation for the lack of physical evidence; "they" might lurk in "hyperspace" as well as familiar, 3-D space-time. Moreover, this form of travel might be accomplished without the need for energy-intensive machinery; if shamanic experiences are any indication, the ability to transcend space and time might be a more fitting subject for parapsychologists than theoretical physicists." (p. 32)

While Tonnies admits that his hypothesis is more "flesh-and-blood", he notes that the theories are not mutually exclusive, and that "we would be timid to avoid addressing the UFO phenomenon's parapsychological aspects." (p. 33) Criticizing Vallee's multiverse and Keel's "superspectrum", he rightly points out that both theories require "nothing less than a redefinition of the physical universe." (p. 37) He's got that right, but I think that is exactly what is needed. While Tonnies' hypothesis is interesting, and accounts for a lot of data, I still think that the hyperdimensional hypothesis covers more ground, and even takes into account a certain variation of the "CT" hypothesis.

Richard Dolan has called such a scenario a "breakaway civilization" - a group humans or humanoids, most likely living in the vast underground bases researched by Dr. Richard Sauder (Underground Bases and Tunnels: What is the Government Trying to Hide?), who may very well be influencing the men behind the scenes of world power. Such a civilization may well have been here for a very long time, and we may even share some common ancestry, as Tonnies hypothesizes. But I think that such an idea is better seen as simply one facet of a reality which is much more all-encompassing, and does require a radical redefinition of the physical universe, and our place in it.

Tonnies offers some eminently plausible and frightening speculation along the lines of Keel. For example:

"Given the vast number of reported out-of-body and near-death experiences, I find it difficult to reject the prospect of "nonlocal" consciousness; perhaps a sufficiently advanced technology can manipulate the "soul" as easily as we splice genes or mix chemicals in test tubes. If so, encounters with "extraterrestrials" may help provide a working knowledge of how to modify and transfer consciousness." (p. 53)

As Tonnies observes, the flashing lights and tantalizing playfulness of the "others" seems staged. It's as if they want us to see them. And what are we to make of all the various shapes of craft and cryptids? And how to explain that the sightings seem to match the expectations of the observers and morph throughout time (e.g. the great airships of the late 1800s)?

"If the ET intent is to test our reactions to its presence (or something more profound, as the phenomenon's impact on our mythology might indicate), quickly assembling "ships" and even "aliens" from raw materials would enable the disparity of forms seen in the sky. The flexibility of nanotech construction would allow the UFO intelligence to respond to our preconceptions in "real time," thereby ensuring a permanent foothold in the collective unconscious while maintaining plausible deniability... (p. 25)

"While one can argue endlessly in favor of a literal extraterrestrial interpretation, a holistic approach leads us to consider that the UFO intelligence not only wants to perpetuate itself via dramatic encounters with ostensible "occupants," but intends to discredit its own machinations: it stages exciting UFO events that infect both the research community and the popular imagination, knowing that the phenomenon's inherent absurdity will eventually inspire cognitive dissonance and undermine attempts to arrive at an indictment. We're thus conditioned to accept the ETH one moment only to succumb to the "giggle factor" the next..." (p. 44)

As I said, I don't think Tonnies' conclusions are all that, but his thinking is sharp, and his ideas are both fun to read and important to think about. You can also read the book in one or two sittings, so I think it's worth checking out.

Readers of Fate Magazine will be very familiar with the central thesis of this book: "Alien" encounters aren't from above, but instead are from below or terrestrial in origin, such as "the Deros" from Richard Shaver. Tonnies updates the concept, and coins it the Crypto Terrestrial Hypothesis (CTH). The book is too short at 113 pages and a bit too speculative, with zero real research by Tonnies. Really, it's just 100 pages of Tonnies postulating his theories... "...this could be", etc. I don't think Tonnies conducted a single interview in writing this book, he merely speculates.

Being such a short book it was obviously a quick read, which was aided by the fact that Tonnies was a decent writer (he died recently at the age of 34), yet it still felt as if it could use some editing. Tonnies lexicon became obnoxious, as he would repeatedly over-use pretentious words (sometimes with questionable results) that could send his readers scrambling for their dictionary. Actually, if properly edited, this wouldn't be a book as much as an article in a UFO magazine.

I still rate the book with two stars as it was relatively interesting and Tonnies was a fair writer. Does he prove his case for CTH? Absolutely not. Is it interesting? Mildly. I'd like to be more positive about this book but really it was just okay.

I have had my mind truly blown three times. Once by Robert Anton Wilson's "The Cosmic Trigger", again by Philip K. Dick's "Valis", and now by Mac Tonnies' latest and unfortunately last. This book is the product of an amazing, open, active mind and turns modern ufology on it's ear (right where it belongs).

I just finished the book (or the extended essay, as it more properly should be called), and have a few comments to add. First of all i would like to say that i have enjoyed listening to Mac on almost any radio show and podcast i have caught him on. Even on Coast 2 Coast he managed to shine through more than most do with George Noory, which is a remarkable feat in itself. So just to be clear, i have great respect for the man. Secondly, i choose to see this as what it has been called all along since Mac's death: an unfinished manuscript.

If you are planning on buying the book then it is probably because you have also somehow heard of the hype surrounding it ever since Mac died (and even some time before), and you are curious about it. The sad fact though, is that Mac Tonnies could very possibly have put together a good book if he was given more time, but it seems that he was quite far from the mark when he died. In my opinion it is unfortunate that this was released at all. I'm not going to go into too many examples of the books weaknesses here, since it has been done adequately by some of the other reviews here (the "negative" ones that is), but the main problem is that there is basically nothing new under the sun, despite the many claims that there is.

It is problematic that the hype has been more about Mac tonnies as a person than what this book actually accomplishes. I dont think its a particularly good idea in the long run, cause it might turn a lot of people away from the subject, and come across as a dishonest effort of promotion. So I urge Nick, Greg etc. to take a few steps back and think about what really has been created here. I've only been interested in the subject for a fraction of the time that you have, so when i cant seem to find anything original in Mac's speculations i cant help but wonder what more seasoned UFO 'buffs' might think.

I know Mac was your friend and i understand that you want to defend his legacy, but i'm afraid that treating him as the equivalent of 2pac in ufology is going to do a great disservice to him and the field that you claim he would have revolutionized.

Author and blogger Mac Tonnies had almost finalized the manuscript of 'The Cryptoterrestials' (2010) when he died in his sleep at the age of thirty-four in October of 2009.

Presumably, the amateurish 'The Cryptoterrestials' was published as a loving tribute to its author by friends at Anomalist Books. If so, that's appropriate, because it certainly can't be read as an important or original book on such Fortean topics as alien abduction, unidentified flying objects, folklore and mythology, non-human subterranean dwellers in or on the earth, visitors from outer space, parallel universes, "transhumanism," or theory on or about any of these.

But one certainly can't expect much from a `serious' book that relies on the work of Nick Pope, Whitley Strieber, and Budd Hopkins as sources of reliable, sound information. The very fact that Tonnies took these authors seriously speaks volumes about him and the tenor of his mind.

Tonnies believed that Hopkins was misguided in his belief that beings from outer space are behind 'alien abductions,' but Tonnies himself literally interprets "the harvesting of ovum, semen, and genetic material" from such shadowy and unverified encounters. In fact, at almost every turn, Tonnies falls into the literalist trap; he would have done himself better had he read more Patrick Harpur and less Hopkins, Strieber, et al.

However, the main problem with 'The Cryptoterrestials' is that, despite the self-flattery Tonnies subtly indulges in ("some Forteans seem to think I'm onto something") and the wild over-praise of Greg Bishop in the afterword, there are no new ideas presented.

Both Tonnies and Bishop pretend that the idea that 'the aliens,' or "others," presumably behind the rash of UFO sightings going back decades, even centuries, aren't really from outer space, but are in fact another species of intelligent, sentient creature living with man on this planet, is a new one. Though the entire volume, including Editor's Note, Foreword, and Afterword is only 107 pages, Tonnies doesn't make the following admission until page 92: "To be fair, the cryptoterrestial prospect isn't as new as it might seem to readers new to forteana."

Those well versed in the literature know that it isn't a new idea by any means. Jacques Vallee was drawing strong suggestive comparisons between traditional worldwide fairylore and 'alien' behavior during close encounters some forty years ago; and forty years ago, John Keel eloquently argued against the theory that the 'flying saucers' and 'aliens' being encountered originated on other planets.

In Invisible Residents (1970), Ivan T. Sanderson argued that there appeared to be a race of intelligent, technologically savvy non-human beings prospering beneath our seas and oceans, and capable of doing whatever they wanted to in our skies.

Other authors, from William Butler Yeats to F. W. Holiday and Patrick Harpur have discussed at length the idea that fairies, elves, pookas, ghosts, poltergeists, lake monsters, bigfoots, and other 'paranormal creatures'--including 'aliens'-- may have a common earthly source, and none of them genuinely be what they appear to be. Even the mentally ill Richard Shaver was able to get into the act quite influentially.

Tonnies's short "meditation"--'musing' would be a better word -- is also badly written, redundant, contradictory, and endlessly circular; the chapter titles typically have little to do with their contents.

Common sense is also in short supply: Tonnies discusses a firsthand account in which a woman believes a non-speaking alien (or possibly a "hybrid") purchased a pack of cigarettes from her at a convenience store, but doesn't say how, if the figure didn't speak, it was able to ask for cigarettes. Did the figure just point to what it wanted? Did the figure pick up a pack from a counter display? Did the figure accept the first brand offered?

In another example from "a source," the person in question encounters "miniature" beings that are "human-like in all respects" while in "a wooden area of the American Northwest." The little people have an Asian cast to their features, and claim to be of a race that "predates known North American cultures." But Tonnies doesn't tell the reader how these "little people" communicated to his "source," or in what language they spoke. Every question that might make the encounter more believable goes unasked. How tall were they, exactly? Twelve inches? Three feet? Two feet? What were they wearing, and in what circumstance were they discovered? How many figures were present? Was it day or night? What time of the year?

While Tonnies does reference Vallee and Keel, as well as Albert Budden, he doesn't appear to have been able to separate the intelligent and accurate wheat from the vague and soft-boiled chafe. Bishop states that 'The Cryptoterrestials' "is probably not for the uninitiated," but the poorly read and the uninitiated can be the only successful audience for this unimpressive mishmash of other people's ideas.

Mac serves up a smorgasbord of theories for us to taste.Some readers will savor them,some will say not bad,and others will violently spit them out.I liked what he offers up here,although I must say,some things in the buffet were just a little exotic for my taste buds,but were worth a sample,anyway.And Mike Clelland's little illustrations throughout made an appetizing dessert,to round the meal off.
It's a shame that Mac is not around anymore to offer up second helpings,because I for one would be saying,"more please".

This is a very interesting book exploring the possibilities that the phenomenon we commonly attribute to beings visiting from space actually have their roots here on Earth. Mac Tonnies presents these theories in a new way, where he doesn't attempt to prove or disprove through any scientific method, but merely postulates the possibilities and works through the merits of the various ideas. By musing, not dissecting, he invites the reader to think about these ideas and imagine for him or her self what the reality may or may not be. I personally find this approach refreshing and does much more to stimulate thought and growth of the subject than the usual pseudo-scientific "proofs" presented in other paranormal books in the form of blurry photographs and cryptic "top secret" documents. Instead, we are presented with the reality that it is likely our own imaginations that are the most useful tool for discovering the mysteries of the paranormal world.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the paranormal and the possibility that "we are not alone".