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John Keel's Book of UFOs: The Best of Flying Saucers Magazine
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, when he was subject to nonstop surveillance and harassment from both human and supernatural spooks, intrepid Fortean investigator John A. Keel made extensive field notes concerning the phenomena he was confronting in West Virginia and New UFOs, Men in Black, creature entities, ultraterrestrials, and odd coincidences and synchronicities. The result was a series of concise, thematically related reports, many of which were incorporated into magazine articles for Saga, Fate, Flying Saucer Review, and Flying Saucers magazine.
In those articles, Keel unraveled threads discussed in his classic books "Operation Trojan Horse," "The Mothman Prophecies," and "The Eighth Tower," which were written soon after. Utilizing occult lore, recent scientific research, and direct personal investigation, Keel drew back the curtain on the mind-blowing nature of our terrestrial reality.
In this volume, we look at Keel's favorite articles from Flying Saucers magazine, which was published and edited largely by Ray Palmer. Keel went on record as saying that he thought Palmer was the "father of ufology," and he helped Palmer by submitting many articles to the magazine, and even helping with editing chores whenever possible.
This special Keel-curated edition features interesting articles by Keel, Palmer, Brad Steiger, Gray Barker, Brent Raynes, Peter Guttilla, William Cullen, Larry Bryant, Alois Knapp, Tom Lingham, Jennifer Stevens, Erich Aggen, Jr., Dennis Stamey, Alberto Perego, T. Scott Crain, and Hans Lauritzen.
"The intersection of science and creative thinking..." -High Times
“A great collection of classic articles from the field of ufology…" -UFO Magazine
"A look back at a very interesting time in UFO history…" -MUFON Journal
In those articles, Keel unraveled threads discussed in his classic books "Operation Trojan Horse," "The Mothman Prophecies," and "The Eighth Tower," which were written soon after. Utilizing occult lore, recent scientific research, and direct personal investigation, Keel drew back the curtain on the mind-blowing nature of our terrestrial reality.
In this volume, we look at Keel's favorite articles from Flying Saucers magazine, which was published and edited largely by Ray Palmer. Keel went on record as saying that he thought Palmer was the "father of ufology," and he helped Palmer by submitting many articles to the magazine, and even helping with editing chores whenever possible.
This special Keel-curated edition features interesting articles by Keel, Palmer, Brad Steiger, Gray Barker, Brent Raynes, Peter Guttilla, William Cullen, Larry Bryant, Alois Knapp, Tom Lingham, Jennifer Stevens, Erich Aggen, Jr., Dennis Stamey, Alberto Perego, T. Scott Crain, and Hans Lauritzen.
"The intersection of science and creative thinking..." -High Times
“A great collection of classic articles from the field of ufology…" -UFO Magazine
"A look back at a very interesting time in UFO history…" -MUFON Journal
168 pages, Paperback
Published November 22, 2018
About the author
Raymond A. Palmer
119 books7 followersRaymond Arthur Palmer, also known as Raymond Alfred Palmer, and Ray Palmer.
He was the influential editor of Amazing Stories from 1938 through 1949, when he left publisher Ziff-Davis to publish and edit Fate Magazine, and eventually many other magazines and books through his own publishing houses, including Amherst Press and Palmer Publications. In addition to magazines such as Mystic, Search, and 'Flying Saucers," he published numerous spirtualist books, including Oahspe: A New Bible, as well as several books related to flying saucers, including "The Coming of the Saucers," co-written by Palmer with Kenneth Arnold. Palmer was also a prolific author of science fiction and fantasy stories, many of which were published under pseudonyms.
According to Bruce Lanier Wright, "Palmer was hit by a truck at age seven and suffered a broken back." An unsuccessful operation on Palmer's spine stunted his growth (he stood about four feet tall), and left him with a hunchback.
Palmer found refuge in science fiction, which he read voraciously. He rose through the ranks of science fiction fandom and is credited, along with Walter Dennis, with editing the first fanzine, The Comet, in May, 1930.
Ziff-Davis acquired Amazing Stories in 1938. The publisher sacked then editor T. O'Conor Sloane and, on the recommendation of popular author Ralph Milne Farley, offered the editorship to Palmer. In 1939, Palmer began a companion magazine to Amazing Stories titled Fantastic Adventures, which lasted until 1953.
When Ziff-Davis moved its magazine production from Chicago to New York City in 1949, Palmer resigned and, with Curtis Fuller, another Ziff-Davis editor who did not want to leave the Midwest, founded Clark Publishing Co.
As an editor, Palmer tended to favour adventurous, fast-moving space opera-type stories. His tenure at Amazing Stories was notable for his purchase of Isaac Asimov's first professional story, "Marooned Off Vesta".
Palmer was also known for his support of the long running and controversial Shaver Mystery stories, a series of stories by Richard S. Shaver. Palmer's support of the truth of Shaver's stories (which maintained that the world is dominated by insane inhabitants of the hollow earth), was controversial in the science fiction community. It is unclear whether Palmer believed the Shaver stories to be true, or if he was just using the stories to sell magazines.
Palmer began his own science fiction publishing ventures while working for Ziff-Davis, eventually leaving the company to form his own publishing house, Clark Publishing Company, which was responsible for the titles Imagination and Other Worlds, among others. None of these magazines achieved the success of Amazing Stories during the Palmer years, but Palmer published Space World magazine until his death.
In 1948, Palmer and Curtis Fuller co-founded Fate, which covered divination methods, Fortean events, belief in the survival of personality after death, predictive dreams, accounts of ghosts, mental telepathy, archaeology, flying saucer sightings, cryptozoology, alternative medicine, warnings of death, and other paranormal topics, many contributed by readers.
Curtis Fuller and his wife Mary took full control of Fate in 1955, when Palmer sold his interest in the venture. The magazine has continued in publication under a series of editors and publishers to the present day.
Another paranormal magazine Palmer created along the line of Fate was Mystic magazine, which after about two years of publication became Search magazine.
In the 1970s, Palmer also published Ray Palmer's News Letter which was combined into another of his publications called Forum in March 1975.
In the first issue of Fate, Palmer published Kenneth Arnold's report of "flying discs." Arnold's sighting marked the beginning of the modern UFO era, and his story propelled the fledgling Fate to national recognition. Through Fate, Palmer was instrumental in popularizing belief in fl
He was the influential editor of Amazing Stories from 1938 through 1949, when he left publisher Ziff-Davis to publish and edit Fate Magazine, and eventually many other magazines and books through his own publishing houses, including Amherst Press and Palmer Publications. In addition to magazines such as Mystic, Search, and 'Flying Saucers," he published numerous spirtualist books, including Oahspe: A New Bible, as well as several books related to flying saucers, including "The Coming of the Saucers," co-written by Palmer with Kenneth Arnold. Palmer was also a prolific author of science fiction and fantasy stories, many of which were published under pseudonyms.
According to Bruce Lanier Wright, "Palmer was hit by a truck at age seven and suffered a broken back." An unsuccessful operation on Palmer's spine stunted his growth (he stood about four feet tall), and left him with a hunchback.
Palmer found refuge in science fiction, which he read voraciously. He rose through the ranks of science fiction fandom and is credited, along with Walter Dennis, with editing the first fanzine, The Comet, in May, 1930.
Ziff-Davis acquired Amazing Stories in 1938. The publisher sacked then editor T. O'Conor Sloane and, on the recommendation of popular author Ralph Milne Farley, offered the editorship to Palmer. In 1939, Palmer began a companion magazine to Amazing Stories titled Fantastic Adventures, which lasted until 1953.
When Ziff-Davis moved its magazine production from Chicago to New York City in 1949, Palmer resigned and, with Curtis Fuller, another Ziff-Davis editor who did not want to leave the Midwest, founded Clark Publishing Co.
As an editor, Palmer tended to favour adventurous, fast-moving space opera-type stories. His tenure at Amazing Stories was notable for his purchase of Isaac Asimov's first professional story, "Marooned Off Vesta".
Palmer was also known for his support of the long running and controversial Shaver Mystery stories, a series of stories by Richard S. Shaver. Palmer's support of the truth of Shaver's stories (which maintained that the world is dominated by insane inhabitants of the hollow earth), was controversial in the science fiction community. It is unclear whether Palmer believed the Shaver stories to be true, or if he was just using the stories to sell magazines.
Palmer began his own science fiction publishing ventures while working for Ziff-Davis, eventually leaving the company to form his own publishing house, Clark Publishing Company, which was responsible for the titles Imagination and Other Worlds, among others. None of these magazines achieved the success of Amazing Stories during the Palmer years, but Palmer published Space World magazine until his death.
In 1948, Palmer and Curtis Fuller co-founded Fate, which covered divination methods, Fortean events, belief in the survival of personality after death, predictive dreams, accounts of ghosts, mental telepathy, archaeology, flying saucer sightings, cryptozoology, alternative medicine, warnings of death, and other paranormal topics, many contributed by readers.
Curtis Fuller and his wife Mary took full control of Fate in 1955, when Palmer sold his interest in the venture. The magazine has continued in publication under a series of editors and publishers to the present day.
Another paranormal magazine Palmer created along the line of Fate was Mystic magazine, which after about two years of publication became Search magazine.
In the 1970s, Palmer also published Ray Palmer's News Letter which was combined into another of his publications called Forum in March 1975.
In the first issue of Fate, Palmer published Kenneth Arnold's report of "flying discs." Arnold's sighting marked the beginning of the modern UFO era, and his story propelled the fledgling Fate to national recognition. Through Fate, Palmer was instrumental in popularizing belief in fl
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 22, 2024
A bit hard to rate this fairly. It is a collection of articles etc. Still it is readable.
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