Strange Tales of the MIB

As some of you (but probably not many, at this stage) will know, I am currently working on yet another book on the Men in Black puzzle, for which I've got about 30,000 words complete so far. And in terms of final word-count, this is likely to be a very big one, and is significantly different to my earlier MIB-themed output.

Its title: Strange Tales of the Men in Black.

My earlier MIB-based titles have all been filled with files, witness reports, and data, but it was very much the case that I interviewed people, transcribed their accounts, and then presented the data in chapter format, partly in their words, and partly with me relating their accounts in summarized format.

But, it’s fair to say that my latest book on the Men in Black is somewhat of a radical departure from that format, in the sense that I am specifically letting the witnesses – certainly, the most important people when it comes to trying to understand the nature of the MIB phenomenon – tell their own stories, solely in their own words, and regardless of whether that's 500 words or 5,000.

And there won't be any chapters, as such. Rather, each case will have its own section - whether long or short. After all, there's no rhyme or reason to the MIB, so I figured why not have that reflected in the layout of the book?!

My role, in this new book - Strange Tales of the Men in Black - is merely to introduce you to the plethora of players in the seemingly never-ending saga of the Men in Black, have them relate the amazing facts - in wholly unedited and uninterrupted form - and then I;ll try and come to some form of conclusion with respect to each and every case cited in post-case "Comments from Nick"-style sections.

So, if you have (A) had a MIB experience, (B) have a theory about who or what they might really be, and/or (C) want to offer a comment or observation on anything MIB-linked, and are willing to share that info, do let me know, and I will be very pleased to hear from you.

I wish I could afford to pay each and every one who is willing to have their account included, but (despite what some have said and even written!), the field of a freelance writer is not a rich one! I will, however, send every contributor a free, signed copy of the book on publication, thank them in the Acknowledgments, and include any web links/blog links etc that the person may like to have included.

And if that appeals: You can reach me right here.

And for a bit of background about how I got interested in the MIB controversy and my previous output on the subject, here you go:

I was eleven years old when I was introduced to the menacing and macabre world of the enigmatic Men in Black. It was a typically bleak and windswept English evening in the late autumn of 1976 when they first darkened my door.

On the night in question – wide of eye and full of youthful excitement and anticipation - I eagerly began reading the disturbing pages of John Keel’s classic title, The Mothman Prophecies, which told of distinctly strange goings-on at Point Pleasant, West Virginia in the mid-to-late 1960s.


Strange goings-on? Hell, outright supernatural foulness and malignancy would be far more apt terminology! A glowing-eyed, winged-monster, surreal reports of contact with enigmatic alien intelligences on lonely, moonlit, tree-shrouded roads, occult phenomena plaguing the town, and lives manipulated and transformed in ways near-unimaginable were the order of the day - as was the brooding, predatory, and repeated manifestation of the dreaded MIB.

For reasons that I have never truly been able to fathom, from that very day onwards I became particularly fascinated by the Men in Black, their silencing of UFO witnesses, their near-ethereal presence in our world, and, of course, their overwhelming and mysterious elusiveness.

Who, or what, were they? From where did they originate? What did they want of us? Why were they so deeply intent on preventing Flying Saucer-seekers from learning the truth about UFOs? Even as a child, such questions plagued and tormented my mind. And, the further and deeper I dug into the world of Forteana, the more I found myself attempting to penetrate the veil of unsettling darkness and hostility that seemed to forever surround the MIB.

In the immediate years that followed my reading of John Keel’s legendary study of Mothman, I sought out just about as many works on the MIB as was conceivably possible. And, at the absolute top of my list – in joint first-place - were Gray Barker’s 1956 title They Knew Too Much about Flying Saucers and a small, overwhelmingly bizarre book titled Flying Saucers and the Three Men. It was penned in 1962 by a curious and undeniably paranoid character named Albert Bender, without who there simply would be no MIB puzzle – period.

Barker, a skilled, atmospheric writer with a flair for all-things dramatic, gothic, dark and stormy, was the perfect person to address the MIB mystery. But, he would never have been in a position to do so had it not been for the eccentric Bender – who, in 1953, was allegedly silenced by a trio of black-garbed, glowing-eyed entities from some strange netherworld after getting too close to the truth about Flying Saucers.

For someone now just barely in their teens, I found both Barker’s and Bender’s books and tales to be even more captivating than those of Keel. Of course, as my teens became my twenties, and then my thirties, my views on the MIB phenomenon changed, in some ways subtly, but in other ways far less so. But there was one thing that never did alter: My earnest wish to solve the puzzle of the true nature, origin and intent of the Men in Black.

Since those now-long-gone days of my childhood, I have pursued the MIB on a scale that has far exceeded my quests for Bigfoot, the Chupacabra, and the truth about Roswell combined.


My first book, A Covert Agenda, which was published in 1997, detailed a number of curious MIB-style encounters in the British Isles from the 1950s onwards.

One year later, my follow-up title The FBI Files, detailed what the Bureau knew about the MIB puzzle.

My 2003 title, Strange Secrets, included a chapter on the little-known issue of government documents on the Men in Black.

Three years later, I penned On the Trail of the Saucer Spies, which was a full-length study of the secret surveillance of certain elements of the UFO research community by MIB-type characters in government.


In 2010, I contributed material to Curse of the Men in Black: Return of the UFO Terrorists, penned by John Stuart and Tim Beckley.

Then, in 2011, my The Real Men in Black hit the bookshelves. This latter title specifically addressed the paranormal side of the MIB phenomenon, with a great deal of page-space focused upon the possibility that the darkly-clad ones might be time-travelers, energy-sucking vampires, Tulpas, Trickster-style entities, or even demons from Hell – or maybe all of the above!

And, in that same year, I was very pleased to be asked to write a new Foreword to an updated edition of Gray Barker’s 1983 book: M.I.B.: The Secret Terror Among Us.

In other words, while I have never been fortunate enough to have received a late-night visit from the MIB (Yes, I would consider such a visit to be fortunate, as I might then be able to finally answer the riddle of who they really are!), they have certainly got their grips into me in other ways.

Having written about, and pondered so extensively on, the Men in Black, would I consider my research in this area to be a full-blown obsession? Maybe so; I can’t really deny such a possibility, as much as I would dearly prefer to.

But, if an obsession it is, then I’m certainly not the first – nor will I probably be the last – to be pulled, magnet-like, into the eye of the MIB hurricane. Bender, Barker, Keel: they all came before me, and all three became truly enveloped by MIB high-strangeness.

Will Strange Tales of the Men in Black be my last word on the MIB mystery? I'm 100 percent certain it won't!

   

Micah and the MIB

And we also have Micah Hanks (pictured above) digging into the Men in Black controversy today, in a new post at Mysterious Universe.

Micah says: "The MIBs depicted on the silver screen appear as savvy heroes, of course, who go about proliferating an alien cover-up and flashing deneuralizers at confused bystanders (for their own good, of course). Quite the contrary, the legends within UFO circles that involve so-called Men in Black certainly play a darker role, and are at times even referred to as one of the more scary and menacing aspects of UFO-related phenomenon."

And here's where you can find Micah's full post...

A Memo on the MIB

The Men in Black mystery continues to feature prominently in the wake of the release of Men in Black 3.

Here's an interesting new post on a MIB-themed memo circulated by John Keel of The Mothman Prophecies fame back in the 60s...

Mermaids!

Did anyone watch the Animal Planet's Mermaids show a couple of night's ago?

Well, if you did, what can I say, aside from the fact that (A) it was  highly entertaining; (B) it was an example of "mockumentary" at its finest; and (C) if you didn't take it seriously (as, incredibly, some actually did!), it was all good fun.

Doubtless, there will be some who were angered by the whole thing. Others were maybe baffled by the show and its intent. But, there's no denying it has become a big talking point on the Net, as typing the word "Mermaids + Animal Planet" into a certain, famous search-engine will quickly reveal!

MIB and the Guardian

Britain's Guardian newspaper delves into the weird world of the Men in Black...

Celebrities and the FBI

Back in 2007, my Celebrity Secrets book was published and revealed the extent to which - for decades - the FBI closely, and secretly, spied on a whole host of celebrities - of TV, movies, books and music.

The reasons were, of course, the usual ones: drugs, Mob links, communist ties, sex with politicians, and much more of an entertainingly scandalous nature!

Well, the FBI has recently added some new celebrity secrets to its Vault website, and here they are:

1. New material on John Lennon. I wrote about the FBI/Lennon file in Celebrity Secrets, but the new papers add to what we know about official interest in the dead Beatle.

2. The Orson Welles FBI file was actually released some time ago, but is newly-posted online for those that may want to read it.

3. And here's the 10-part FBI dossier on Charlie Chaplin, also now online.

4. Finally, the following may be of interest: In Celebrity Secrets I included a chapter on the strange story of the FBI, espionage and adventure, and Ernest Hemingway. It so happens that Loren Coleman has a cool new post on Hemingway that you can find right here. And, here's one more from Loren, on the "Hemingway Curse", an article from 2007 that is newly-updated.

Bigfoot and Telepathy

A controversial issue guaranteed to create an inflammatory debate - and here's where you can find the story!

MIB: Development and Perception

Loren Coleman has a very good new post on the MIB, titled MIBs: Silencers vs Killers, which shows the fascinating way in which the imagery of the MIB has developed and evolved over the years.

Indeed, a solid argument can be made that the MIB of old - the pale, scrawny and menacing types that seem far more like Nosferatu than James Bond - have been eclipsed by the "secret agent" angle.

Of course, much of that results from the phenomenal success of the Men in Black movies. But, it's worth noting that - as Loren's article makes very clear via providing us with good imagery of the MIB - there has been a definite change in perception regarding the Men in Black.

I also think a good argument can be made that - as I note in my The Real Men in Black and On the Trail of the Saucer Spies books - there are at least two category of MIB: government and "something else."

And, I think officialdom has some degree of knowledge of this "other" group, even if they don't have all the answers regarding who or "what" they are. And just to confuse things even further, there seems to be evidence that the Intel/military world is not beyond occasionally exploiting and using the weirder MIB motif to hide and camouflage its own actions.

More on all this in a later post...

The MIB: Phone Freaks

I've got a new post up at Mysterious Universe that digs further into the whole issue of phone interference as it relates to the Men in Black, and which expands upon my odd experience on Saturday night's Coast to Coast show (see below).

In fact, since doing the show I've got an incredible number of new MIB cases to dig into, and there even seems to be "something in the air" these past few days re the MIB. And not just because of the release of Men in Black 3.

It's almost like there's something going on. But, I'm not sure what...yet...

Anyway, I'll be digging into the new stuff and will update you here on all new revelations as and when I can, and the witnesses permitting, of course.

In the meantime, here's my new Mysterious Universe post.

Yes, that's me being a MIB above, with an alien MIB in attendance. I'm pretty sure I'm the one on the left LOL.

Prophecy or Coincidence?

In a new post at Mysterious Universe, I tell a very weird story of what some may say is nothing stranger than coincidence, but that others might think is indicative of something much weirder.

I begin like this: "On January 29, 1986, a formerly secret document was dispatched to the then-director of the FBI, William H. Webster, by a special agent who was based at the Bureau’s Boston, Massachusetts office and that told an extraordinary and controversial story. Two days before the destruction of NASA’s Challenger Space Shuttle on January 28, declassified FBI files now reflect, the newsroom at Boston’s Channel 7 television station received a very worrying call from an unnamed source that had a direct bearing on the Space Shuttle explosion..."

And here's the complete article...

Vallee and the MIB

Check out Loren Coleman's new post on Jacques Vallee, Messengers of Deception, and imagery of the Men in Black kind. Good one! I want a book cover like this!!

A Bookgasm Q&A

There's a new Q&A with me at Bookgasm on a variety of UFO-related issues, belief-systems, and more...

Some of my words won't please some readers, but, so what?

The Hackney Horror

On May 24, over at Cryptomundo, Loren Coleman posted an intriguing article on a series of curious photos said to show a weird-looking animal at England's Hackney Marshes. You can find Loren's article right here.

As many within Forteana will know, the marshes are legendary for sightings of odd things, including (rather astonishingly and controversially!) bears, both physical and ghostly.

And, you can find more from me on these additional rogue-like cases from Hackney Marshes at Cryptomundo.

First, there's this one, that links to a feature good mate Neil Arnold (pictured with me above a couple of years ago) wrote on the Hackney mysteries.

Second, is this story, which reveals the latest news and theories on the creature - which, of all things, ties in with a UK rock band!

And, finally, there is this post from me, which covers an issue raised in the previous article. Namely, that of a famous Canadian dog and its ties to Cryptozoology...

The Men in Black Invade France!

Well...sort of...!

Actually, the blog-post title is intended to let people know that a French edition of my The Real Men in Black book is now available. And you can find all the info right here...

MIB, Coast to Coast, and Crazy Phones!

Well, Saturday night's Coast to Coast show on the Men in Black mystery went very well. It was a 3-hour-long episode (1AM to 4AM) in which I discussed with the show's host, John B. Wells, the many and varied complexities of the legend of the Men in Black.

We covered a lot of ground, such as the saga of Albert Bender, Gray Barker's significant part in the MIB controversy, the MIB-Mothman connection, the many and varied theories for who - or what - the Men in Black might be, and much more.

But, there was something else too...

Normally, whenever I do a radio show, it goes ahead without a hitch. But, not when I'm talking about the MIB.

On many occasions now, when that subject surfaces, we seem to encounter endless telephone interference - which is, as many will know, a staple part of MIB lore.

And, indeed, the Coast to Coast show was no different. On four occasions, the landline dropped. Then, so did my cell phone, which I use for an emergency back-up. And, it was an hour or so after the show began that normality was finally restored.

If this happened only once or twice, I would put it all down to glitches in the phone connection. But, as listeners to some of my previous shows on the MIB may know, this happens frequently - even to the point of where I pretty much anticipate it occurring!

Tricksters? A warning? Maybe time will tell!

And for those who may want to listen to Saturday's show, or read a recap of the episode, you can do so right here.

Wild Britain!

When it comes to out of place animals in the UK, people often think of the many and varied "big cats" roaming the nation. Nothing wrong with that, as there are plenty of them!

But it's an undeniable fact that there are many other things that now call the UK their home too, when - in reality - they originate in lands far away, just like those big cats.

And here's just one example, as detailed in my latest Lair of the Beasts column at Mania.com...

Coast to Coast and the Men in Black

Tomorrow night (Saturday, from 11PM to 2AM Pacific Time), I'll be on Coast to Coast AM talking about the Men in Black mystery - in conjunction, of course, with the release of Men in Black 3. Here's the link to the show.

Adamski and the Occult

While any mention of George Adamski inevitably provokes thoughts of all-things flying and saucer-shaped, my new article on the man himself at Mysterious Universe delves into the matter of his links to the world of the occult, which I touched on in my Final Events book.

Conspiracies and Secret Societies

Just recently I received in the mail a review copy of the new book from Brad and Sherry Steiger - without doubt the most prolific duo in the entire history of Forteana!

In fact, so incredibly prolific are Brad and Sherry, I sometimes wonder if they are actually human, or if they might really be shape-shifting entities from some strange and unearthly realm, cunningly disguised as members of the Human Race to allow them to move and work among us.

Indeed, Brad and Sherry don't just write books now and again, or as the mood takes them. Rather, they unleash them upon us just about as regularly as the rest of us change the TV channels!

In other words, they are a veritable and collective book-factory! No human, surely, is capable of such astonishing actions.

Frankly, I think it's all a conspiracy - which, given the subject matter of their new book, is very appropriate!

The good thing about the collective works of Mr and Mrs S is that quantity does not overshadow - or replace - quality. In fact, it's because of the quality of the book that I'm reviewing their latest release right now. Its title? Conspiracies and Secret Societies: The Complete Dossier (Second Edition).

If conspiracies, cover-ups and high-level secrets are your thing, then this new title is one you won't want to miss - at all.

Running in at almost a whopping 600-pages, it's packed with data on all sorts of suspicious cover-ups of a wide range and variety that encompass Forteana, politics, history, science and much, much more.

Plus, the style of the book is very easy on the eye. With the entries written in A-Z style, you can check out the Contents and Index and dip into whichever sections catch your eye at any given moment. And there's plenty of those sections to choose from, too!

When it comes to UFOs and Forteana, you'll find much on Roswell, alien abductions, the Men in Black, crop circles, the Montauk controversy, Remote-Viewing, underground alien bases, and much more.

In terms of ancient mysteries, entries on Noah's Ark, the Pyramids of Egypt, Atlantis, the Ark of the Covenant, and the Shroud of Turin get pride of place.

Suspicious deaths feature heavily, too, including those of a mountain of scientists, Princess Diana, JFK and Vincent Foster.

For fans of the weirder side of conspiracy theorizing, cattle-mutilations, black-helicopters, the Philadelphia Experiment, and HAARP all come into the mix.

Then there are those historical - and sometimes outrageous and dark - conspiracies relative to such controversies as Japan's Unit 731, and the Catholic Church abuse scandal.

Finally, we are exposed to the downright disturbing and sinister theories relative to possible plans to reduce the size of the human population, biochip implants, the weird wave of bird and fish deaths of late 2010 and early 2011, West Nile Virus, and the New World Order.

And, coupled with an extensive number of good illustrations, Brad and Sherry Steiger's Conspiracies and Secret Societies is an excellent addition to the field of conspiracy research, and one that will be ideal reading for either the long term student of such matters, or someone new to it all and wondering what is really going on in our world - and maybe even beyond it, too.

Long may the Steiger's (hard-working humans or super-fast keyboard users from the stars) continue to do what they do!

Darkest Night

If you like your cryptids in novel form, then look no further than Darkest Night...

The Men In Black Are Back!

With the release of Men in Black 3 now almost upon us, it's somewhat appropriate that there are three new items on the MIB controversy to share with you. And particularly so, given that the MIB generally travel in groups of three!

1. Over at Mysterious Universe you can find a new article from me that highlights a weird case from the 1950s. In fact, it's very weird...

2. A few days ago, I was interviewed by the Huffington Post about the MIB in fact and fiction. The article has now been posted, and you can find it right here.

3. Finally, there is an excellent new article from Loren Coleman on the MIB that should not be missed!

Chasing the Chupacabra

In a new article at Mysterious Universe, I begin...

"As someone who is an author, I am often asked to write reviews of other people’s books. The vast majority of all the books I review are focused upon the adventures and exploits of other people. Island of Paradise by Jonathan Downes, however, is very different, in the sense that it’s a book in which I play a central role. Nevertheless, I hope this has not influenced my opinion of the book! It’s a highly entertaining, warts and all study of what occurs during the course of an expedition of the Chupacabra kind…"

And if you want to learn more about my and Jonny's adventures on Puerto Rico in search of the alleged blood-sucking beast, read on right here!

The Men in Black - Fact & Fiction

With the release of Men in Black 3, over at Mania.com I take a look at the MIB in the real world. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones they ain't!

In fact, the real MIB are just about your worst nightmare ever...

From the Pyramids to the Pentagon

A new post (at Mysterious Universe) on my latest book, The Pyramids and the Pentagon, copies of which - although the official release date is still a couple of weeks away - are now starting to appear on the bookshelves...

Proof of Bigfoot: The Implications

I have a new post over at Mysterious Universe that begins as follows:

"Someone asked me just recently: what will happen if, one day, we find conclusive evidence that Bigfoot really does exist? Well, the first – and quite natural – assumption that springs to my mind is that those of us who spend so much of our time looking for such monstrous things will finally get vindication that we weren’t wasting our precious time, after all! But, there are bigger issues at stake than that. Actually, they are much bigger, and far more serious than the average cryptozoologist getting congratulated on a job well done…"

So, what might those bigger issues be? Read on!

A Guitar God With A Chequered Past

My old mate - and sometimes partner in crime - Jon Downes of the Centre for Fortean Zoology has a new post that covers (A) a guitar god (Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols), (B) the same guitar god's time spent in a band that should have been huge but sadly weren't (Chequered Past), and (C) a fine and entertaining new piece of footage that sees Jonesy donning a kilt for the occasion!

Here it is!

And  why, exactly, should Chequered Past have been huge? Well, I'll tell you: everyone in the band was a star (Michael Des Barres, Steve Jones, Clem Burke and Nigel Harrison from Blondie, and Tony Sales, who played with Iggy Pop and also with Tin Machine).

With Jones' signature guitar sound in evidence (a style many have tried to replicate, but have failed to come even close), and Des Barres' vocals, Chequered Past kind of made me think of the Sex Pistols meets Journey.

Now,  I know that Jon will be horrified (utterly horrified!) to learn that someone who mainly listens to punk occasionally veers away into other musical realms. But, I don't care. I quite like Journey. There, I said it!

And when the songs are good, and Jones' playing is blistering, then all is good!

Stand out tracks for me on Chequered Past's one and only full-length release are Underworld, World Gone Wild, and Tonight and Every Night.

Jonny, it's now all up to you to get them to reform. The world is waiting and the future of the planet depends on it!

Weird Wings...

A story - specifically my latest Lair of the Beasts post at Mania.com - that still makes me wonder if it was all a case of coincidence or something more weird...

Para-News: The Latest

This just in from author and researcher Richard Thomas:

"A new paperback edition of my ebook PARA-NEWS - UFOs, Conspiracy Theories, Cryptozoology and much much more is now available for pre-order from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. Para-News: UFOs, Ghosts, Conspiracy, Cryptids - and More is also available for pre-order from WHSmith.co.uk. The new paperback includes an extra 45,000 words of new content, making it almost double the size of the original ebook."

And you can find more about Richard's book - which is an excellent one I definitely recommend to people, and for which I wrote the foreword - right here.

Don't Believe

My latest post at Mysterious Universe on why belief is the bane of Forteana.

As I note at the start of the article:

"Just a few days ago, I was chatting with a colleague in the field of Cryptozoology about what the creatures of Loch Ness, Scotland really are – presuming they do exist, of course! I found it pretty enlightening that he got quite defensive over my remark that maybe the beasts are not still-surviving plesiosaurs - as so many, including pretty much the entire Scottish tourist industry, want or hope them to be. When I suggested the possibility of giant-eels roaming the deep waters of the old loch, a distinctly frosty atmosphere developed. Why? I’ll tell you why: because I had dared to question his carefully developed and nurtured belief system."

As I point out in the MU post, there's nothing wrong with believing in something. But it's when people make the leap that belief equals evidence that they cross the line...

1-Hit Wonders

At eHow.co.uk you can find my personal Top 10 list of 1-Hit Wonders of the UK.  A couple (specifically the Vapors and EMF) were very good. Many were very, very bad...

Here they are...

Freaky Fashions

Contrary to what a lot of people think, I don't just write about Forteana! Over at eHow, you can find a new post from me on what are (in my opinion, anyway) the UK's worst fashions. EVER!!

Platform shoes, flared trousers: they're all there. And here's the link.

Reviewing The Black Eyed Children

Interested in the creepy phenomenon of Black-Eyed Children? If the answer is "Yes!" then you may want to check out my review of a certain new book on the subject that is well worth getting hold of.

And here's where you can find the full review - at Mysterious Universe.

In Search of Monsters

And there's yet another new post from me at Mysterious Universe today. Nothing to do with MJ12 as described in the post below, though.

Nope: this one is all about Bigfoot and the strange things that sometimes occur during an expedition of the cryptozoological kind...

As I note at the start of the article:

"Sometimes, I’m asked – and particularly so at conferences – what’s it like going on an expedition in search of all-things of a supernatural, paranormal, ufological, cryptozoological or Fortean nature? Well, sometimes it goes very much like the following, which gives a good indication of what life is like in the field when pursuing the odd, the eerie and the downright uncanny. It was February 2008, I was on the road with Lance Oliver, of the Texas-based Denton Area Paranormal Society, and we were headed for Lake Ray Roberts, Texas – where something strange and monstrous had reportedly been seen…"

And here's the complete article.

The M12 Documents: An Anniversary

Over at Mysterious Universe, I have a new post up today that begins thus:

"Well, I was kind of expecting to see a bit of a fanfare this month about the infamous MJ12 documents. Why? Simple: this month marks exactly twenty-five years since they surfaced into the public domain in the pages of Tim Good’s acclaimed book of May 1987: Above Top Secret: The Worldwide UFO Cover-Up. That there hasn’t seemingly been much in the way of commentary on the 25th anniversary of what are, without doubt, one of the most controversial 'things' ever to have surfaced within the ufological arena, suggests a few possibilities…"

As for those possibilities and the complete article, you know what to do: click right here!

UK Mysteries: A Top 10

Over at eHow.co.uk you can find a new slideshow-style piece from me on my personal, favourite Top 10 mysteries from the UK. Of course, not everyone is going to share my views, but that's what debate is all about!

Anyway, they cover everything from UFOs to Bigfoot, lake-monsters to Spring-heeled Jack, and much more.
And here's the link.

Baskerville Thoughts

As someone who has a big interest in the quasi-cryptozoological phenomenon of Britain's ominous Phantom Black Dogs, I was looking forward to last night's first-time airing - here in the Dallas, Texas area - of the latest episode of Sherlock.

For those who do not know, Sherlock is the BBC's hit series on arguably the world's most famous fictional detective.

Well, last night's show was based around the classic saga of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Or, as the BBC's revamped and updated story is called: The Hounds of Baskerville.

What could have turned out very bad in the wrong hands, actually - in my opinion, and as someone who think the series is first-class - turned out to be excellent!

You can find a mini-review of the show from me over at Cryptomundo by clicking on this link.

Bigfoot: Mistaken Identity

I've come across some strange stories of Bigfoot in my time, but this one - which can be found at my latest Lair of the Beasts column at Mania.com - is, beyond any shadow of doubt, near the top of the list in the downright odd stakes!

And, yes, the photo above does play an integral role in the story!

Another BoA: Nessie

There's another new episode of Binnall of America now available: this one on the world's most famous lake-monster. You know the one: it lives in a big loch in Scotland...

Jim Marrs on BoA

Tim Binnall, of Binnall of America, has emailed me with the following. If conspiracies are your thing, you won't want to miss this one!

Jim Marrs, BoA:Audio, Season 7 premiere, 1 Hour, 43 Minutes:

BoA:Audio begins another journey into the world of the esoteric, the unknown, the paranormal, and the parapolitical as we launch Season 7 of the program with our traditional premiere guest: the legendary Jim Marrs. Among the topics discussed in this freewheeling conversation are ancient aliens, UFOs, the nefarious New World Order agenda, technology and surveillance run amok, weather manipulation, population control, Ron Paul and the 2012 election, and how dire the geopolitical landscape looks for those of us hoping to see a better tomorrow. Alongside the doom and gloom are plenty of laughs, sober reflections, and nostalgic looks back at how the world has changed since we sat down in August of 2005 to begin this program. Buckle up for another wild ride, because BoA:Audio, Season 7 has arrived !

Reviewing Orang-Pendek

Right now, Richard Freeman, of the Center for Fortean Zoology, has an excellent new book out on the mysterious orang-pendek of Sumatra. Richard has now been on no less than four expedition to Sumatra in search of the beast, and his book - ORANG-PENDEK: Sumatra's Forgotten Ape - is definitive reading for anyone interested in the issue of unknown apes, strange man-beasts and much more - both in the modern era and the past.

And, if that has got you interested in learning more about Rich's book, you can find a new review of it from me over at Cryptomundo.

A New Q&A

Over at The Pocket God blog, you can find an extensive, new interview with me that covers my books, my views on various aspects of Forteana, and my love of music. In fact, I think the questions on music overshadow the Fortean stuff - which is actually a refreshing change!

Here's the link to the complete Q&A.

Werewolf Radio: Tomorrow!

Tomorrow night, Linda Godfrey - author of The Beast of Bray Road, the forthcoming Real Wolfmen and more - will be the special guest on Ken Gerhard's radio show - about which you can find more right here. An episode not to be missed!

On the Track: 57

Episode 57 of the Centre for Fortean Zoology's monthly On The Track is now available. And, as always, it's a good one!

MIB & Monsters

With the new Men in Black movie looming, I figured: why not do a post on the links between the MIB and monsters? So, here it is...

Kithra Goes Underground

For those interested in the mysteries of London - or, rather, the mysteries below London - then the new article from good friend Kithra is bound to be of interest!
She says in her opening words:

"During the early part of 2012 there was a BBC documentary series on TV about the London Underground, called The Tube. In one of the episodes a couple of the tube drivers spoke about people who had thrown themselves under a tube train in order to commit suicide. This, they told us, was referred to as a 'one under.'  And it got me thinking about the possibility of ghosts being reported on the Underground. So, after some research, here are a few of the stories I’ve found. Of course, some are probably no more than urban legends while others may be true. But, no matter which category they fall into I still find them interesting.

"Unfortunately, due to time constraints, the details of many of the cases are not as comprehensive as I would like them to be. Nor do I consider this to be one of my better articles – for both of which reasons I apologize! However ………

"When you consider that the London Underground is over 140 years old, and has approximately 250 miles of track, most of it running underground, together with some tunnels that are still unaccounted for to this day, then it would hardly be surprising to find that it was haunted in places. Also, in many locations, when the original tack was being laid it encountered old plague pits where the bodies of those who died in that terrible affliction back in the 17^th Century were buried. So, I’m going to list the supposedly haunted stations in alphabetical order."

And, if the above-extract has caught your attention, here's the link to the complete article.

A Monstrous Anniversary Looms!

So, what anniversary might it be? My latest post for Cryptomundo reveals all...

UFOs: A Controversial Time-Line

UFOs, by their very nature, are always a controversial topic. But, what about - time-wise - the events that surround the sightings? Maybe, sometimes, we should not just be looking at the UFO encounters themselves, but at the bigger picture of what's afoot, which is what I have just done at my latest post for Mysterious Universe...

Shadows in the Sky - A Few Comments

Some time ago, good mate Neil Arnold asked me if I would write the Foreword for his new book, Shadows in the Sky: The Haunted Airways of Britain. Well, of course I bloody would! So, Neil fired the Word doc over to me, I eagerly devoured it, and duly sent Neil my hastily pounded out words of introduction to his mighty tome.

But, last week, I received in the mail the finished piece of work, which is why I'm bringing it up now. Now I'm not just saying this because we both like the Sex Pistols, Oasis and Motley Crue, but Shadows in the Sky is a book that, if you're a definitive Fortean, and/or are interested in Brit-based things of a paranormal, supernatural, cryptozoological, and/or ufological nature, then this is the book for you.

The production is excellent, as is the layout. But, coupled with the fantastic artwork of yet another good mate, Simon Wyatt, and also Alan Friswell and Adam Smith, Shadows in the Sky is the perfect piece of work for indulging in some late-night reading by the proverbial flickering candle.

One of the reasons I enjoy reading Neil's books is that not only does he have a great knowledge of British forteana, folklore, mythology and mystery, but he has a great passion and enthusiasm for such issues, too.

For Neil, like me, there's still something exciting and mysterious about ancient woodland, ruined castles, old haunted villages, snow-covered hills, late-night tales around the fireplace, and centuries-old legend. And that shines through in Neil's writing, which is informative, intelligent and entertaining.

Why's it called Shadows in the Sky? Because it deals with the mysteries of the skies, of course! And there's plenty of them. But, rather than waffle on and on, instead take a look at my Foreword for Neil's book, which I have copy-pasted below. And when you've read it, go and get a copy of Shadows in the Sky!

It is, as we say, where I originally come from, bostin'! (That means pretty damn good, in case "bostin" flummoxed you...)
And with that said, here's my Foreword:

When Neil Arnold asked me if I would write the Foreword to this very book – Shadows in the Sky – I quickly and enthusiastically said: “Yes!” Not just because Neil is a good mate who shares similar tastes in music and embraces the idea of living life to the full, but also because – as is the case with all of Neil’s books – his new one is a damned fine read!

There’s often a danger that when compiling and writing a book on countless cases and incidents of a distinctly paranormal nature, the finished product can come across as being overly sterile and encyclopedic. In other words: highly informative, but as downright dull as dishwater.

Thankfully, Neil is the sort of author who astutely realizes that capturing the attention and imagination of the reader is as important as presenting the evidence. And that’s what I like about Neil’s work: he’s a good, solid researcher, but one who also knows how to craft a fine and captivating account that is as factual as it is spellbinding.

And that’s precisely what you get with Shadows in the Sky: a mighty and mysterious tome best devoured by candlelight on a thunderous, chilled night. And if you happen to be in some spooky old house at the time, well, all the better!

So, with that said, what, precisely, is Shadows in the Sky all about? Put simply, it’s a first-class study of strange, bizarre and, at times, downright terrifying phenomena seen in the skies of the green and pleasant British Isles.

No-one should be surprised to learn that Neil devotes a whole section of his book to the controversy surrounding UFOs – and he does so in a fashion demonstrating that whatever the nature of the phenomenon, it’s a very ancient and mysterious one.

But, flying saucers and aliens are not the only things that pop up on Neil’s radar. He also provides us with a fascinating body of data on issues that some see as being connected with the modern era of Ufology, including weird and enigmatic ghostly balls of light, and 19^th and early 20^th Century sightings of “phantom airships,” unidentified balloons and much more. Neil even entertains us with stories of baffling falls of fish and frogs from the heavens above!

Then there are those ominous monsters of the sky – creepy winged creatures that sound like they surfaced straight out of the pages of an H.P. Lovecraft novel. Their names include the Brentford Griffin, the Owlman, and the Bird of Death. Truly, they are the stuff of nightmares.

Now that I have given you a taste of Neil’s book, it’s time to read on. Disappointed you won’t be. After reading Shadows in the Sky, however, you may find yourself glancing upwards far more than normal, pondering and brooding upon the many and varied monstrosities and mysteries that lurk above…

Layout and Fonts

Well, I'm already bored with this layout. Think I'm gonna change it. Far too bright and cheerful looking with all those reds and yellows. I think I'm going to go for something doomy, dark and black, black, black.

The Pyramids and the Pentagon: Next Month

Coming from me in June 2012...
And here's the blurb on the book from the publisher, New Page Books:

The Pyramids and the Pentagon is a detailed study of how and why government agencies have, for decades, taken a clandestine and profound interest in numerous archeological, historical, and religious puzzles.

Focusing primarily upon the classified work of the U.S. Government, The Pyramids and the Pentagon invites you to take a wild ride into the fog-shrouded past.

It’s a ride that incorporates highlights such as:

•The government's top-secret files on Noah’s Ark;
•Documents positing that the Egyptian Pyramids were constructed via levitation;
•Government interest in the mysteries of Stonehenge;
•Claims of nuclear warfare in ancient India;
•Links between the Face on Mars and the pharaohs of Egypt;
•And many more.

Nick Redfern’s The Pyramids and the Pentagon clearly and provocatively demonstrates that deep and dark conspiracies exist within the shadowy world of officialdom—conspiracies that have the ability to rock the foundations of civilization, religion, and history to their very core.

The strange and amazing secrets of the past are just a heavily guarded government vault away