Light Years: An Investigation into the Extraterrestrial Experiences of Eduard Meier [Hardcover]

Gary Kinder (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hired by a group of UFO enthusiasts, Intercep, a Phoenix industrial counter-espionage firm, conducted a three-year investigation into Swiss farmer Eduard Meier's claim that he had experienced 130 encounters with extraterrestrials from the Pleiades, beginning in 1975. Kinder (Victim: The Other Side of Murder, who conducted some 120 interviews in his own follow-up investigation and spent 13 weeks in Switzerland with Meier, notes, "No case had ever offered so much evidence"daylight color photos and 8mm film of the Pleiadean "beamships," sound recordings, landing tracks and metal samples.IBM research chemist Marcel Vogel, who examined a metal sample on a scanning electron microscope, comments here, "With any technology that I know of, we could not achieve this on this planet." No scientist or lab researching the claim has discredited Meier, and no one can explain how a poor, one-armed farmer with a sixth-grade education could have fabricated such evidence. Kinder documents the reactions of various scientists and summarizes key events in the UFO controversy since 1947. He writes in a dispassionate manner that adds to the fascination of this unusual story wherein the incredible takes on credibility. Photos. 50,000 first printing; major ad/promo; first serial to Playboy; author tour.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This book examines the claims of Swiss UFO contactee Eduard Meier. The evidence offered to substantiate his story includes strikingly clear photographs, 8mm films, sound recordings, and metal samples. While these things alone do not constitute proof, they do provide science with something to study. Meier's account of his childhood contacts parallels accounts in Budd Hopkins's Intruders ( LJ 6/1/87). This objective study of one man's part in the UFO mystery is fascinating, but the veracity of Meier's story remains undetermined. Gary D. Barber, SUNY at Fredonia Lib.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 265 pages
• Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Pr; 1st edition (April 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871131390
• ISBN-13: 978-0871131393
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #264,250 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even-handed review of a very important case., September 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Light Years: An Investigation into the Extraterrestrial Experiences of Eduard Meier (Hardcover)

This is the story of an initially skeptical group of American investigators who spent several years studying case of Eduard Meier. Meier was a one-armed Swiss farmer who claimed to have been visited by extraterrestials over a period of years. These researchers made numerous trips to the Meier farm in Switzerland during the period when contacts were allegedly taking place. It describes the reactions of senior scientists at IBM, NASA, the US Navy and elsewhere to the hundreds of photographs, physical evidence and advanced scientific knowledge presented by the minimally educated Meier. Though often dismissed as hoax, the Meier case leaves a great deal which is unexplainable in any ordinary way. These visitations may well be more significant than the Betty & Barney Hill case in impacting our understanding of the place of humanity in the universe. The book left me wanting to know more.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Are the Pleiadians Our Ancestors?, August 20, 2003

By 

southpaw68 "southpaw68" (florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Light Years: An Investigation into the Extraterrestrial Experiences of Eduard Meier (Hardcover)

Author Gary Kinder explores the investigation into whether Billy Meier had actually been contacted by aliens or not. I was pretty well convinced by the book that he had made contact. A lot of people investigating the phenomenon in the book were deeply skeptical of Meier and did all they could to try to figure out how he could perpetrate a hoax, but could not find much. I thought the skepticism was getting ridiculous as I read on. But if someone doesn't want to believe in something, it doesn't really matter how much evidence is presented. My only disappointment with the book is that the author did not go into great detail about what the Pleiadians said to Billy Meier about themselves, their civilization, what they knew about our civilization, and what they were doing here. Kinder dismisses what the Meier said about the Pleiadians as "ravings". Meier made notes of each of his visits with the aliens, so going into detail about the conversations would not have been a problem. Kinder should have let the "madman" speak, instead of leaving it out of the book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book changed my mind about the Meier story, June 29, 2009

By 

Cat Whipple "Author of Indian Kitty Powwow Pr... (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Light Years: An Investigation into the Extraterrestrial Experiences of Eduard Meier (Hardcover)

I've heard about Eduard Meier for many years and assumed he was a kook, not because I don't believe that aliens from other worlds are here, but because of the things he claims. Like traveling back and forward in time; the Pleadians taking only 8 hours to get here from their homeworld (which is light years away); his travels to Mars and other planets in our solar system; etc.

But after reading this book, I now think that his claims are true. This book introduces the reader to the investigators who tried to disprove Meier's claims and instead, ended up having to believe him because of all the evidence and proof that exists.

The book also shows just how bizarre Meier's life became due to thousands of people coming to see him. And how the UFO community tends to be its own worst enemy - all the backstabbing and vying for control over what little evidence exists.

A well written and fascinating look into one man's bizarre life and the problems with trying to prove the existence of ET.