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Stratagem

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Fast-paced, clever, insightful, and profound -- Jacques Vallee's new book "Strategem" is all this and more. The story of a man's attempt to get to the bottom of a mind-blowing but tragic event deep in the Amazon delta that tears his only son from him soon points to a government conspiracy of silence and misdirection. Mark Harris, the head of an innovative Silicon Valley technology company is the man who, in a quest to find answers to the fate of his son, must use a strategem riffing off a surprising feature of his comapny's latest technology to help him peel back the layers that cover some of the deeper recesses of the black world of government secrets -- and beyond. A counterplot hatched by Mark and his friends soon turns the government's hunters into the unwitting hunted. What Mark and his friends uncover thanks to their strategem is more than they had bargained for, as it leads them to discover a new twist in the nature of unexplained aerial phenomena(UFOs). Vallee, widely respected for his series of thought-provoking non-fiction books on UFOs seen from a scientist's perspective, has in his first attempt at fiction written a compelling story based on a novel idea that may in the end prove to be more truth than fiction.

Jacques Vallee has written some of the most fascinating books on the subject of peculiar phenomena. He is a highly-acclaimed scientist and contributed much in the early days of computer development. He is intimately familiar with big business, academia, and government. He is also an impeccable and wholesome writer. As a UFOlogist, he had a close working relationship with Allen Hynek during the US Air Force "Bluebook" investigation and beyond. Steven Spielberg based a character in "Close Encounters" on Vallee, and is also quoted on the jacket of "Stratagem" in praise of one of Vallee's earlier works.

Vallee's latest offering to the field he has long since refrained from publicly participating draws on many themes of his early works. Vallee describes the world of every paranoiacs worst fears, with conspiracy and cover-up, in a tale of loss, loss, and regain. Toward UFOlogy, he suggests the need for a devised stratagem. Vallee has occasionally been criticized for his willingness to perceive the phenomena in obscure ways, and in this book he presents scenarios of ways in which researchers could do just that. He does not deride the possibility of dimensions of life beyond human understanding, such as near death experiences or unknown technologies, but does not offer much hope for the overall situation either.

A trip to the Amazon leaves a man's son missing after an "uncorrelated target" or "unidentified submersible object" obliterates their boat to bits. The book draws out the man's search for the truth of the incident, through a labyrinth of deceitful investment corporations, government agencies, and misguided countryfolk. Whether Vallee is retelling a story from his own knowledge or experience of actual events is unknown, but their are certainly aspects of the characters and story that reflect his own interests and circles. Perhaps some aspects of the truth can only be told in veiled forms such as fiction.

If you've a casual interest in UFOlogy, check this book out. If you've a serious interest, locate all of Vallee's books. One of Vallee's most recent books, "Forbidden Science", is a series of journal entries from his earliest days of researching UFOs. You'll find the same eagerness to learn and see new perspectives and non-conformity that you'll find in "Stratagem". There will be less adrenaline-action in that book, but the same man with a passion for the unconventional.

I developed an interest in unusual phenomena as a child, and in particular the UFO phenomenon. That amounted to basically collecting newspaper clippings of sightings, and reading a few of the books that were available at that time (Donald Keyhoe, Frank Scully, etc.). Then, in my early teens, I came upon Jacques Vallee's `Anatomy of a Phenomenon'. It opened up a whole new level of perspective on UFOs. After Vallee's second book, `Challenge to Science', I became a big fan of the author. His pioneering efforts to apply real science to understanding the enigma, as well as the breath and depth of his knowledge, left an indelible impression upon my impressionable mind. Since then, I have read all of his UFO-related books (and even one of his non-UFO books on computer networking), awaiting each one with great anticipation. Of course, I read many, many other authors as well, but Vallee was, and continues to be, preeminent in the field (with all due respect and admiration for the late J. Allen Hynek, James McDonald, John Keel and others).

As those familiar with Vallee know, his views on the nature of the phenomenon began to drift away from the more conventional, `nuts-and-bolts' flying saucers of extraterrestrial origin (ETH) and towards a more metaphysical, if ill-defined, orientation. In his seminal work `Passport to Magonia', Vallee left the reader with an enigmatic but tantalizing bit of speculation: "Perhaps what we search for is no more than a dream that, becoming part of our lives, never existed in reality. We cannot be sure that we study something real, because we do not know what reality is..."

Vallee continued to develop his ideas, culminating in his highly recommended trilogy, `Dimensions', `Confrontations' and `Revelations' (reportedly his last works on the topic as an active UFO researcher). In `Revelations', Vallee began to crystallize his thinking, stating that the "genuine UFO phenomenon...is associated with a form of nonhuman consciousness that manipulates space and time in ways we do not understand." While he doesn't completely discount the notion that this "nonhuman intelligence" may be from some other planet, he observes that "if there is a form of life and consciousness that operates on properties of space-time we have not yet discovered, then it does not have to be extraterrestrial. It could come from anyplace and any time..."

`Stratagem', while a fictional novel, is clearly an effort by Vallee to develop his ideas to conclusion. In that regard, it's much like his previous novel, `Fastwalker'. It's speculative, but presents the author's view on the origin of the phenomenon (or at least one possible origin) as an expression of his many years of empirical research.

The story centers around the high-powered Mark Harris, a financial whiz who becomes head of a high tech firm on the verge of unveiling a promising new technology, his long-time friend and business colleague (and through whose eyes the story is told), Robert, and Mark's son Ricky. One the verge of an IPO, the pressure requires Mark to take a vacation in Brazil with his son, with Robert invited to join. There, in the Amazon basin, the three of them experience an event that forever changes their lives, which ultimately sets in motion Harris' `Stratagem' to uncover the truth behind their incredible experience.

As a novel, it's a gripping account taken from the annals of UFO literature: the shocking and profound personal experience, the frustration and anguish of trying to extract answers from the military, politicians and supposed `experts', only to face derision, obfuscation and, ultimately, the realization that no one really has any answers (an important element of the book), the damaging effect on one's life and the resolve to carry on the search for answers. The story moves briskly, and fleshes out the main characters sufficiently to allow the reader to empathize with their plight. I sat down with the book and read it straight through, anxious to begin each new chapter. While somewhat less complex than `Fastwalker', it provided the same sense of excitement and anticipation found in that earlier work.

Vallee has skillfully incorporated elements of real life UFO facts, such as the Paul Bennewitz case, the Robertson Panel and more. He uses the story to call out the `true believers', skeptics and, most significantly (and critically), mainstream science. For those familiar with the subject, such inclusions help build the foundation for the unexpected but satisfying conclusion.

Assuming that Vallee in fact offers his ultimate take on the nature of the UFO phenomenon in the guise of a fictional novel, the question arises: does his conclusion make sense? Could his fictionalized hypothesis really be that elusive answer he's long hinted at? For this reader, the answer is an emphatic `yes'. While it does present a mind-blowing idea that some may have trouble conceptualizing, it is a logical extrapolation of the ideas he has been developing for many years. If he has uncovered the truth, it would provide rationality and logic to the many seemingly absurd aspects of this enigma.

`Stratagem' is recommended for both those interested in the UFO mystery as well as those who just enjoy a though provoking read.

Anyone who is at all curious about UFO phenomena will enjoy this book. Even though it was written as fiction, the author is one of the most informed researchers of the field. He has included in this book some events that may very well be true, but that he is unable to publish as fact. It is a well written adventure.

"STRATAGEM": THE LAST NOVEL OF JACQUES VALLÉE

"Stratagem" is the last novel written by the prolific Dr. Vallée that once again deals with the UFO subject.(Documatica Research, LLC, California, 2007, 220 pages).

To my great surprise, Colares, in the Amazonian region of Brazil, is the hot point chosen for the beginning and the end of the novel.

Those who frequently read the pages (http://www.uapsg.org/)
have been able to know about what happened in Colares during 1977. (See "Colares (Brazil), Caronia (Italy) A Challenge to UAPSG Members" - published on September 19, 2008).

Well, something extraordinary happened in Colares to the main characters of this novel, and they develop a plan -the stratagem of the title--to know who's behind what they experienced.

One of the weakness of the novel is that the stratagem is finally known by too many people, when the intelligent thing should have been to keep it as secret as possible.

In itself, it remembered me in certain way the "Operation Lure" suggested by Donald Keyhoe in his book "Aliens from Space".

But the approach here is not mythical and naïve as the one suggested by Keyhoe that expected to attract presumed extra-terrestrials.

Here the stratagem is directed to those guys who appear to have something to do with the UFOs, and try to control the whole issue.

Who are those rude thugs that are even capable to kill someone in order to keep a secret? Whom do they work for? And why they do so?

This serves as a pretext for Vallée who takes the opportunity to share with the readers some other pieces of his ideas about the official investigation of the UFO phenomenon by the US authorities, and by others.

The novel shows how it is possible to create a faked UFO landing, and all the consequences -some of them foreseeable, some of then not--that the event will create, and how it becomes an unstoppable snow ball that runs throughout the world. Exactly what had happened with many "UFO cases".

And also there is an explanation about what happened in a place near Roswell, which goes not exactly but quite along with what I wrote in my latest book.

I will not say a word about the nature of the strange phenomena seen in Colares, because it would be like revealing who is the assassin in a police novel.

But I cannot end this brief comment without saying that one of the most interesting ideas suggested by Vallée is that the investigation of the UFO phenomenon has been transferred from the official to the private sector. And also that the organization that develop such a task with a worldwide scope, has not the headquarters in the USA but in Belgium.

If you want to know more, just read the novel.

Sin dudas, Jacques Vallée ha contado con su profusa experiencia y trayectoria como ufólogo y analista de sistemas para escribir este libro.Además no han faltado otros elementos muy importantes y valiosos: sus excursiones a Brasil, país donde estuvo investigando el fenómeno OVNI y las extrañas manifestaciones de los "chupa-chupa", su conocimiento de ciudades europeas como París y Bruselas -donde transcurre parte de la novela- y obviamente su trabajo en informática desde el área de San Francisco, en California, donde se encuentra radicado desde hace varias décadas.Todos estos elementos confluyen en las páginas de "Stratagem" con meridiana claridad y forman parte de esta extraña historia que se inicia en aguas del Amazonas.

Los ufólogos que han seguido a Vallée desde la publicación de "Anatomía de un fenómeno" su primer libro sobre OVNIS en 1965, encontrarán en "Stratagem" una continuidad en el pensamiento del autor que tiene su origen en aquella época.Claro, han pasado más de 40 años y en el transcurso del tiempo se contabilizan "Pasaporte a Magonia" y "Mensajeros del engaño" entre otros libros de Vallée, de fuerte impacto en la comunidad ufológica y que constituyen un "turning-point" en su bibliografía: el primero por su audacia al comparar la creencia en los OVNI con otro tipo de mitos de diferentes épocas y lugares y "mensajeros" por su atrevida y novedosa hipótesis de la "intervención" y "manipulación" de grupos humanos en las manifestaciones OVNI.No hay dudas tampoco que Vallée ha especulado y evolucionado poco a poco y con cierta convicción en la hipótesis "interdimensional" o sea, que a través de los fenómenos no identificados y paranormales nos enfrentamos con un fascinante "multiuniverso".Conceptos e ideas que no habrían pasado desapercibidas entonces para ciertos "factores de poder".Si esos factores operan clandestinamente tras una increíble institución bancaria con sede en Bruselas y no en medio del Pentágono norteamericano o desde alguna desconocida base subterránea, no es más que otra original idea de Vallée que abre perspectivas más que interesantes para analizar en el futuro.

Cuando comencé a leer "Stratagem" me encontré con una historia escrita especialmente para ufólogos con cierto grado de "veteranía", con un Vallée predispuesto a expresar algunas ideas muy atractivas que no conviene difundir a nivel de ensayo sino a través de esta novela que más allá de su argumento o estilo literario ha planteado una posibilidad que no pasará desapercibida por los ufólogos de nuestro tiempo.Al fin y al cabo, Vallée se ha convertido en un ufólogo casi atemporal, cuya relación con el mundo de los OVNIS, supera cualquier barrera "interdimensional".En definitiva: recomendable lectura para quienes aún continúan buscando la resolución del misterio OVNI.