UFO Religion: Inside Flying Saucer Cults and Culture

Description

Ufology can be considered a religion or philosophy that is ripe for independent study. Here Gregory Reece provides a readable and entertaining look at UFO beliefs throughout history, from well-known stories like Kenneth Arnold's close encounter in 1947 and the cult of Area 51, to the eccentric Yamassee Indian Tribe of Georgia. Reece's research method is based mostly on pop culture sources, and he does come up with some interesting breakthroughs, especially his coverage of the incredibly flimsy foundations of the vast Roswell mythology and some dirt on the bizarre upper levels of Scientology. But all that Reece has really accomplished is a compendium of eccentrics and eccentric beliefs, via a rather directionless parade of summaries of existing books (a couple of which even have "UFO Religion" in their titles). This is more of a book report than a systematic research project.

Granted, Reece's running theme is pretty good, in that UFO sightings throughout history, and the shifting community of cults and enthusiasts, could be a manifestation of mankind's inherent fear of the unknown and sense of powerlessness in the vast universe. But that theme is mostly delivered via sarcastic (though usually funny) remarks by Reece at the end of each sub-chapter summary. The true results of his exploration into psychology, religion, and philosophy are only given breathing room in a rather underwhelming six-page conclusion. This book functions as a long list of specific examples sprinkled with snippets of a theme, but a more successful study would have been constructed in the opposite fashion. [~doomsdayer520~]