The Encyclopedia of Alien Encounters [Paperback]

Alan Baker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2000

What really happened at Roswell in 1947? Has actual contact been made? From Area 51 to the Philadelphia Experiment, Quantum Theory to Cattle Mutilations, its all in The Encyclopedia of Alien Encounters. This highly engaging and informative collection offers an authoritative and objective account of key events, places, people, theories and myths of extraterrestrial lore. An excellent resource for both long-time UFO followers and those just making contact, this book concentrates solely on the field of alien or non-human encounters, resulting in the most complete and comprehensive resource available. Easy-to-read entries, in A-to-Z format, delve into various aspects of alien contact, including: UFO sightings and alien abductions; black helicopters, the unmarked helicopters frequently seen in connection with UFO/alien activity; conspiracy theories, such as those associated with cattle mutilation; Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI); works of fiction inspired by encounter reports and how they mirror society's and the media's reactions to such encounters; and the phenomenon's influence on the popular mythology of the twentieth century.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

UFOs have exerted a fascination over the modern imagination that few phenomena can rival. This work brings together stories and speculation about human and alien encounters in both fact and fiction.Arranged alphabetically, entries cover incidents, people, places, and stories. Television programs and movies such as Alien , Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and The X-Files are included. The familiar subjects such as Area 51 , Crop circles , and Men in black are all here, as are famous encounters by George Adamski, Kenneth Arnold, and Betty and Barney Hill.The articles are generally well written and informative. They range in length from a few sentences to almost two pages. The author warns in the introduction that all the events described are "alleged" and that he has taken an impartial stance on the issue. He includes more mundane explanations for some phenomena, like the two English men who claimed to have created the crop circles, at least in England, and he does mention other theories regarding sightings of unidentified objects, such as weather events and government experiments. Supplementing the articles is a bibliography of mainly books and a few periodical articles.Very little new information is included. Many of the incidents and individuals can be found in the two-volume The UFO Encyclopedia: The Phenomena from the Beginning, by Jerome Clark (2d ed., 1998), and UFO: The Definitive Guide to Flying Sauces and Related Phenomena, by David Ritchie (1994). Ritchie's view excludes visitors from outer space but includes paranormal explanations. Libraries with either of those two works or other good UFO books can probably pass on this one. But for school or public libraries with either a large demand or small holdings on the topic, this volume would be a good choice. REVWR
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Brings together stories and speculation about human and alien encounters in both fact and fiction." -- Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin, November 15, 2000

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Facts on File (June 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816042276
• ISBN-13: 978-0816042272
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,608,338 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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