Paradigm Symposium 2014

For those who may be interested, I'll be speaking at the annual Paradigm Symposium (in Minneapolis) on October 2-5. I'll be speaking about my forthcoming book, Close Encounters of the Fatal Kind.

It's always an excellent gig, so get along if you can!

Atmospheric Lifeforms

Tony Morrill has a cool, thought-provoking new article at Forteania, which begins as follows:

"As anyone who has visited this blog in the past is likely aware, I’m a fan of alternative theories. Usually the more out there, the better! With this in mind I want to take a look at the old-fashioned (out-dated?) concept of Atmospheric Lifeforms. That is, actual living entities which make their home far above the ground high up in the atmosphere. At first blush this idea sounds a bit preposterous, but let’s look into the history of the concept a bit and reserve judgement until a little later."

Check it out!

Gargoyles - A Movie Favorite

There's a new Mysterious Universe article from me on one of my all-time favorite movies.

It starts like this...

"Very often I get asked: what do you think of the way in which the movie industry treats the world of Cryptozoology? Well, that’s an extremely good question! There’s no doubt that, in my opinion, there are some excellent creature-themed movies out there. Unlike a lot of my friends and colleagues in the field, I really enjoyed The Mothman Prophecies that starred Richard Gere, Laura Linney and Alan Bates. Bob “Bobcat” Goldthwait’s Bigfoot-themed movie, Willow Creek, is fantastic. And I have a lot of great memories of The Valley of Gwangi. But, my favorite all-time movie of the cryptozoological kind? Without doubt it’s Gargoyles.

"Now, some might say that Gargoyles is not strictly cryptozoological. Instead, it might be argued that it’s a straightforward monster movie. I, however, disagree! And I’ll tell you why I disagree."

The Eighth Tower - Reviewed

My latest Mysterious Universe article is a review of Anomalist Books' recent re-release of John Keel's often overlooked 1970s book: The Eighth Tower.

When Keel submitted his manuscript for The Mothman Prophecies to his publisher, they edited out around 50 pages.

So, Keel opted to significantly expand upon that missing/abducted 50 and turned it into The Eighth Tower. 

And it's a bloody good job that he did, as it's classic Keel and definitive reading!

Here's the review...

Monster Reptiles Down Under?

Do giant reptiles - ones that are presumed to have become extinct in the distant past - still exist in certain parts of Australia?

Check out this new article, which makes for excellent reading!

UFOs: The Disinformation Angle

There's another new Mysterious Universe article from me. This one follows on from my "alien bodies or special-effects?" article of a few days ago. The subject: a wider look at how the UFO subject has been manipulated...

Here's the link and here's how it starts:

"My recent article on how the UFO subject (and specifically the issue of 'alien bodies on ice') has been used as a tool of disinformation has provoked a lot of people to email, Twitter and Facebook me on this thorny, controversial issue. And many of those same people seem to be missing the point. Hardly surprising, since disinformation is a murky mixture of fact and fiction. It’s chiefly designed to confuse the targeted individual or group – whether the Nazis during the Second World War, the Soviets at the height of the Cold War, or, in today’s world, maniacs who want to provoke terror.

"But, to what extent has the UFO phenomenon been used and manipulated to confuse both enemy targets and the UFO research community? The answer is: to a huge extent! If you read my latest article on this very subject (as linked to above), you’ll know it focused on claims that, in the mid-1950s, the U.S. Air Force secretly commissioned the creation/manufacture of a number of very lifelike 'dead alien bodies.'"

The "Roswell Slides" Latest...

Kevin Randle has a new post on the controversy of the forthcoming "Roswell slides," a saga I'm slightly involved in...

The Anomalist and the Bodies

The Anomalist has linked to my new Mysterious Universe article (on the idea that at least some reports of "alien bodies on ice" might have been born out of Cold War-era disinformation games) and states:

"Nick Redfern shares his favorite case from his Fascinating But Frustrating Files (hey, we have one of those too!). Redfern thinks he's solved the mystery of the enigmatic mystery of the Roswell alien bodies and not surprisingly, the solution involves Hollywood and a lot of money."

Well, hardly!

I don't think I have solved the "enigmatic mystery of the Roswell alien bodies" at all!

Roswell was 1947. I make it clear in the article that this supposed disinformation operation didn't even begin until the mid-1950s. So, in that sense, Roswell is still an enigma.

It's entirely possible that the government has real dead aliens on ice, but chose to present photos of fabricated, special-effect-based creations to the Soviets as a means to spook them and to identify a Russian spy-ring (which is the thrust of the article). Indeed, it's very unlikely they would show them photos of the real bodies (if such things exist).

The facts are few and the scenarios are many, but that "...Redfern think he's solved the mystery of the enigmatic mystery of the Roswell alien bodies..." is definitely not one of those scenarios!

A Backwards Beast

As bizarre as it sounds, there are numerous folkloric tales (from all around the world) of fantastic beasts that displayed one particularly oddity: their feet faced backwards!

Here's a link to a good article on the subject.

As to why I'm bringing up this matter, my new Mysterious Universe article focuses on a 2014 case that falls into this very category...

Cloning the Mammoth

Martin Clemens has a cool new article at Mysterious Universe on the controversial issue of whether or not the Mammoth should be cloned...

ET Vs. Special-Effects

My latest Mysterious Universe article is, without doubt, one of the weirdest I have written in a long time. Not surprising, given that it involves a major movie legend, the Loch Ness Monster, Sherlock Holmes, dead aliens that may not be dead aliens after all, Russian spies, and commies!

Here's the link...

The Pyramids and the Pentagon: Japanese-Style

For those who may be interested (or who can read Japanese!), a Japanese edition of my book The Pyramids and the Pentagon has just been published. I tried to figure out what it says, but no luck ;)

Close Encounters of the Fatal Kind

My next book, Close Encounters of the Fatal Kind (to be published by New Page Books in June) gets a mention at Yahoo UK News...

RPJ and the Chupacabras

Fortean friend Red Pill Junkie has a great new article at Intrepid Mag that digs into one of his particular fascinations: the Puerto Rican Chupacabras.

It starts like this...

"Although UFOlogy will always be my 1st & foremost paranormal passion I consider myself a true Fortean, since all manner of things that go bump in the night fascinate me. Ever since the day I found a copy of Tim Dinsdale’s book Loch Ness Monster, back when I was a little mask-less luchador, I began a deep interest in the field of Cryptozoology; Nessie, Bigfoot, Champ & Mokele Mbembe, I still have a deep love for this menagerie of monsters.

"…All but for one exception: The infamous Chupacabras. I just can’t stand that thirsty son of a bitch, for reasons I’m about to explain…"

 

And here's RPJ's complete article, which is as entertaining as it is fascinating!

 

 

Seeking the Cryptoterrestrials

My new Mysterious Universe article is a look back at Mac Tonnies' 2010 book, The Cryptoterrestrials. You can find it right here...

Linda Godfrey: New Book! American Monsters

If, like me, you're a big fan of the work of Linda Godfrey (Hunting the American Werewolf, The Michigan Dogman, The Beast of Bray Road, etc.), you'll be pleased to know there is a new book coming from Linda. Its title: American Monsters: A History of Monster Lore, Legends, and Sightings in America.

Okay, it's not out until August, but, what the heck, it's already online as a pre-order, so check it out!

Here's the link, and here (below) is the book info from the publisher:

"From pre-Columbian legends to modern-day eyewitness accounts, this comprehensive guide covers the history, sightings and lore surrounding the most mysterious monsters in America—including Bigfoot, the Jersey Devil, and more.

 

"Bigfoot, the chupacabra, and thunderbirds aren’t just figments of our overactive imaginations—according to thousands of eyewitnesses, they exist, in every corner of the United States. Throughout America’s history, shocked onlookers have seen unbelievable creatures of every stripe—from sea serpents to apelike beings, giant bats to monkeymen—in every region.

 

"Author, investigator, and creature expert Linda S. Godfrey brings the same fearless reporting she lent to Real Wolfmen to this essential guide, using historical record, present-day news reports, and eyewitness interviews to examine this hidden menagerie of America’s homegrown beasts."

Strange Lights and Stranger Creatures

Linda Godfrey has an excellent new online article. It details her case-files and investigations  demonstrating the connection between unknown animals and anomalous lights in the sky.

You can find the article right here...

The Gliding Woman

This past weekend I was working in Los Angeles and, in the early hours of Saturday morning, found myself suddenly wide awake with a silhouette-type image of a woman very briefly gliding past the left side of the bed. In a second, "she" was gone. Since the "encounter" happened right as I woke up, it was clearly (I think! lol) a kind of hypnagogic/"waking dream" situation. Nevertheless, it was an odd one!

Cats With Jet Packs??!!

A bizarre but fascinating story!

UFOs: Who Knows The Truth?

"One question that I am often asked when it come to the matters of UFOs, cover-ups and conspiracies is how, specifically, can monumental secrets concerning alien life, Roswell, crashed UFOs, etc., be successfully hidden by 'the government,' when countless other sensitive issues – such as Watergate, Iran-Contra, and even the Monica Lewinsky affair – surface on a regular basis? Is it really feasible that the truth about UFOs could remain successfully buried when all manner of other data of a secret and significant nature comes tumbling out?

"Well, my answer to that question is: it very much depends upon who is hiding the secrets. When it comes to UFOs, maybe it’s not 'the government,' after all, that is hiding the UFO truth – whatever the truth may be. Incredibly, maybe the government (as an elected body), the military, and the collective intelligence community, don’t actually know. But, here’s the thing: just perhaps, someone else knows. And who, precisely, might that someone else be? Let’s take a look."


That's how my new Mysterious Universe article begins...

Creatures of the Caves and Caverns...

My new Mysterious Universe article is on the strange subject of monsters not in the woods, the lakes, the mountains, or the jungles...but the ones that may exist deep below us.

It starts like this...

"Over the years, I have collected a number of very weird stories on one particular subject that doesn’t necessarily always get the coverage it deserves – regardless of whether the subject actually has any merit to it or not! It’s the issue of strange, humanoid creatures living deep below the UK, whether in caverns, caves, huge tunnels, and/or old and disused mines. And we’re talking about the modern era: the 20th and 21st centuries.

"Yeah, I know: it sounds like something straight out of H.P. Lovecraft. And, perhaps, that’s all it is. The fact is, however, there are more than a few stories out there that suggest – just maybe – there is something to the controversy. And I stress the maybe!"

Roswell: Fourteen Theories! (Part 2)

The second part of my 2-part article at Mysterious Universe on the no less than 14 theories that exist to explain what happened at Roswell, New Mexico in July 1947...

Roswell: Fourteen Theories!

My new Mysterious Universe article is a two-part one that focuses on the many and varied theories that have been put forward to explain what happened at Roswell, New Mexico, way back in July 1947.

Would you believe there are more than a dozen theories?

Here's how part-1 starts (I'll link to part-2 as soon as it appears online):

"Back in January of this year, I penned an article for Mysterious Universe titled Roswell: Multiple Realities and MIB. It looked at the controversial scenario of how shifts in what we perceive as “reality” might allow for more than one theory for the Roswell affair to have merit. Granted, my article was purely speculative in nature, but it did provoke some interesting comments. It also provoked the question: exactly how many theories are there for what happened on the Foster Ranch, New Mexico in the summer of 1947? Well, the answer is: a hell of a lot! Incredibly, at least fourteen!

"While some of those theories are well known – to the point of having now become legendary – others are far less so. And with that in mind, I figured it would be a good idea to acquaint everyone, once and for all, with the many and varied scenarios that have been posited for the truth behind the Roswell enigma. So, where do we start? The beginning, where else?"