Top 10 UFO Books

Ufos, aliens, flying saucers, abductions and goverment coverups...  Who can resist it all? The subject has been an intrinsic part of our popular culture and the fabric of our lives since Kenneth Arnold's famous sighting in 1947 (and as some of the authors below speculate - much, much earlier).  I've been a lifelong enthusiast, keeping an open mind, reading all I can from all sides of this heated debate.  What I've compiled here is my take on the best of the best - the most thoughtful, comprehensive and illuminating studies on the subject. 

Dolan is a brilliant and painstaking researcher, having gained access to mountains of files through the Freedom of Information Act and conducting countless personal interviews, he's compiled over a thousand pages of damning evidence from our nation's archives. Evidence upon evidence of unexplained sightings, of coverups and most importantly - he traces how this phenomena (whatever it is) has created a black-ops covert security state, acting for the most part independently of even our elected officials. Fascinating stuff - even if the preponderance of facts and cases does get a little overwhelming. And yes, here you'll find the answer to the age-old question - why don't these craft buzz the White House lawn? (answer - they did, repeatedly, and Dolan's got the proof.) A two volume compilation (so far - hurry up Richard and get 1991-present done!)

Written over thirty years ago, this underground classic is making a comeback. Vallee, a scientist, mathematician and NASA consultant, was the real-life inspiration Spielberg used for the researcher 'Lacombe' in Close Encounters. Here in Passport to Magonia, Vallee took the research 'out of the box' entirely, and was the first to delve into the mythic characteristics of the UFO phenomena, comparing the similarities of present-day sightings/experiences to those of the fairy-folk in Ireland, and then in culture after culture, he establishes a consistent tradition of visitation by otherworldly forces - the latest being in the guise of technologically advanced 'aliens'.

NY Times reporter Howard Blum came up with a sensational study on the government's involvement in the UFO arena - from the truth about Project Blue Book, to the ineffectiveness of national security to identify, capture or even approach these objects that invade our air space frequently, and at will. Perhaps the most perplexing revelation here is the case of a UFO investigator who was used by the government, fed disinformation and discredited to fit the cover-up agenda. Well-researched, highly detailed and interesting, but still most UFO proponents were hoping for more of a 'smoking-gun' impact from this source.

A must-have for anyone interested in the Abduction aspect of the UFO experience. Starting with the classic case of Betty Andreasson and drawing in similarities with hundreds of other abductees, Fowler shows that these memories and traumatic experiences go far beyond common human psychological explanations, and in fact, seem to be pointing to an ultimate motive, a sense of guidance and control. For many, many years they have been watching - and in a subtle way revealing a profound message that we can't ignore. Regardless of your preconceived notions on this subject, Fowler's detailed research and careful conclusions will make you second-guess everything. Followed up in 1996 by Part II, which focuses on the fascinating comparisons of abductions to Near Death Experiences.

Critics alternately slammed horror-author Strieber (probably without reading these books), or praised his courage to go out there and write about something that could cost him his career. Whatever the case, these books were a sensation. Communion was made into a movie, and all three were mega-bestsellers. Starting with his own abduction experience, Streiber goes on to detail recurring visitations and his own efforts to understand the purpose of the Visitors in our lives... what he ultimately believes is a potential-lifting purpose for those who come in contact with these beings. 

Okay, this is one probably very few have heard of, but it's waaaay too cool to pass up.  An anthology of essays, stories, interviews and cartoons by some of the top minds in this - and any - field.  Every one of these contributions guaranteed to twist your mind into loops and make your synapses pop.  Entertaining and thought-provoking, as well as providing a great summary from all angles (including the oft-overlooked psychedelic mushroom explanation).  Crop circles, cattle mutilations, playful gods or aliens just looking for some prime galactic real estate?  Trust me, this is good...

Yeah, he's back in the number 4 spot.  Actually, there's a trilogy of books he wrote circa 1990 (including Confrontations and Dimensions) - all are great!  With personal investigations and detailed case studies from all over the world (especially Europe and South America), Vallee presents a comprehensive picture of the darker side of things - it ain't all 'higher-purpose / save the planet and yourselves' goodness here.  Deadly encounters, injuries and missing persons. And in Revelations - he switches to present a wildly inventive theory on crashed saucers, recoveries and all that stuff that just never sat well with me (how can such an advanced species be so stupid to crash-land after some 'radar interference' by us primitives?)  No, the more compelling case, as Vallee presents, is that these sorts of things are government-created to hide the larger, more complex truth.  He makes the great case that these aren't necessarily beings from 'out there', but again, like in Magonia - they've been here (or in another 'here' dimension) for millennia, and aren't going anywhere soon...

Respected Harvard psychiatrist John Mack, M.D. went public after years of intensive research into the alien abduction experience with this book in 1995. He claims that the 'vast body of data' he amassed during his research with subjects forced him to re-evaluate everything he thought about alien abduction, and made him a believer. He collates here some of the more intriguing and corroborating experiences, and these stories ultimately wind up challenging the very nature of humanity. Again, like Fowler's work - these theories are intriguing, and it shows that even so-called skeptics and scientists, once confronted with a compelling series of connected evidence, may question what they thought was once 'fact.' It's a shame Mack died tragically several years ago, or he may have had much more to add to this field.

What I consider the Bible of Ufo studies.  Everything and anything you wanted to know.  Bruce covers it all - first providing the framework with great detail on the 'modern experience' - everything pertaining to the sightings, the abductions, the supposed crashes and recoveries, disinformation and coverups; then - for the next two hundred pages he covers what I found really interesting - and at the heart of the matter (but others may see as a diversion), he focuses on what these beings may actually be.  Bringing in ancient myth and Egyptian/Sumerian history, he ultimately winds up with what I describe as a mixture of Vallee's extra-dimensional beings and all those 'ancient astronaut' theorists. Beings more or less indistinguishable from gods, that were here, and are still here to some degree, tampering, interfering, guiding - whatever, it's all intriguing, powerful and scary.

So good I read it every five years or so. After giving a clear and easily-readable history of the UFO field, Thompson explores the subject in the context of what Carl Jung called 'modern myth-making'. He cleverly presents his conclusions in a glorious bundle wrapped up in myth and psychology, leaving true believers and critics alike in awe. The opening and ending lines to his Epilogue is brilliance: "So it has gone all these years. So it continues to go." He compares this phenomena (and its related brethren: angelic visitations, NDEs, religious miracles, shamanic journeys, fairy encounters) to the myth of Sisyphus - who must eternally roll a great boulder up a hill only to have the gods knock it back down before he gets to the top. In this sense, it's not the destination that matters, it's the climb - and in the same way, Thompson suggests, what's happening here is that we're being taught something - ultimately not the answer to what these chimeras are, but that what matters is only our wide-eyed, dogged pursuit of them.