Book Reviews

The Dyatlov Pass Incident is a true mystery. Something happen in 1959 to a group of skiers in the Ural Mountains that defies any kind of easy explanation. All 9 were found dead, after fleeing their tent that night, slashing their way out, with no supplies and unprepared for the excessive cold outside. They were experienced at this type of camping, and why they would do this is beyond puzzling. They all died of hypothermia, some with even more puzzling injuries. So what happened to them? Keith McCloskey does a fantastic job in laying out their final days. He paints a picture of the Soviet Union at that time, and their trip up the mountain. You get a feel for who these people were and the environment they were living in. He then gets down to describing how they were found, and the condition and location of the bodies. It’s a hard to put down book. Keith attempts to give ample voice to the various theories and take things apart to examine the facts thoroughly. At no point does he claim to have a complete solution, nor does he ignore evidence. He presents what we know, how we know it, and possibilities. He does have his own thoughts on the matter, of course, which he expresses, but not in a way that feels like he is stating the definitive last word by any means. If you are new to this mystery or not, this is the book you want to read. Unnerving, fascinating, and just an overall good read. Highly recommended.

Keith's website: www.keithmccloskey.com.
Website for the book: www.dyatlov-pass-incident.com

Buy on Amazon.

Micah has done a wonderful job of focusing on an aspect of phenomenon that no one has properly dealt with in the past. Parts have been mentioned by such notable authors as John Keel, but Keel only dealt with small aspects of the whole phenomenon. Likely, there are many causes to the cases and events that Micah outlines in this book, and he presents many possibilities.

The book starts off with what Keel focused on, the Ghost Rockets over Sweden at the end of WWII, and what they may or may not have been. These missiles were seen often, and no adequate explanation yet exists. After exploring other cases around the world, Micah moves on to the Cold War era, and some cases which may have been real missiles or rockets but covered up for political reasons. Also included are cases of anomalous rockets being seen.

After this we move on to the more modern era, and especially the missiles seen in connection with TWA Flight 800. He also explores other similar cases from the same area before and after the main event. Near the end of the book, he deals with ways that these events are recorded officially, and speculates about what some of the explanations may be. At the end of the book, he compiles a chronological list of sightings from post WWII to present.

Overall a very well written book, exploring an aspect of anomalous phenomenon that is interesting and under investigated, both in the UFO community and outside of it.

Buy on Amazon.

Calculating Soul Connections: A Deeper Understanding of Human Relationships by Tom Blaschko is an interesting attempt to make sense out of spiritual energy (which he simply calls a soul) by giving it a framework to be understood in a more scientific manner. Does it work? Well, I think he has something here, yes. From my experience with spiritual energy, I can start by saying that it indeed exists. There are lots of traditions and theories that attempt to explain what it is, and how it works. Tom looks to create a system, with mathematical formulas included (although they can be skipped without losing anything in the book), to better understand how and why it works. He injects a bit of psychology, and offers up some of the work of Rupert Sheldrake for some examples. It's a little slow going at first, but a pleasant and quick read once you get into it. This is not a pile of wishy washy New Age material. Despite dealing with Chakras, energy, and souls, Tom relays it all in practical terms. Anyone who has had experience with this type of energy will see that this does make sense when he breaks it down. It also may help some in understanding how we relate energetically to others. It's a good attempt to create a more grounded system of understanding for what is not so easy to grasp in such a way. It may not be perfect, but it is a good start, I think.

Buy on Amazon.

This is a DVD review.

This is a fascinating, and ultimately, compelling piece of work. I've seen mixed reviews of it, and with most things like this, I went in skeptical. By about halfway through, however, I was starting to soften up on the whole thing, and by the end, I think what Paul Davids has here, is rather significant. At the heart of this, is the life and death of Forrest J Ackerman, a huge name in Sci-Fi circles. Ackerman was an Atheist, but said if there was something more beyond death, he would try and communicate back. Forest is not the first to make such claims, Harry Houdini being the most famous, but in that case, the relevant attempt at contact seemed to be primarily a séances at the anniversary of his death. This happened far more spontaneously.

One of the things that has been coming up more and more in this type of research is the role of synchronicity. For those that are not familiar, a synchronicity is a meaningful coincidence. A lot, but by no means all, of the evidence here are synchronicities. To some, that is reason to dismiss this. I think, though, that maybe this is just how it works. Not in some grandiose fashion, with a spectral form screaming out your name, but in the subtle workings of reality. Coincidences happen. But the sheer number of coincidences that would need to be accommodated here to dismiss it is absurd. And these synchronicities revolve around many people, not just Paul Davids.

Beyond that, you have mediums, who communicate very accurate information about Forest without knowing anything at all. You have a fascinating scientific experiment involving light photons and chemical analysis on a mysterious block of ink, which is really where the whole story starts.

Then there is a second DVD, which talks to various people about life after death, not directly related to Forest for the most part, although there are some updates. All in all, if you are looking for some mind blowing, in your face proof of life after death, you will not find that here. If, however, you look at this with an open mind, and with no preconceptions, there does seem to be something significant here. Maybe we have been looking at the Life after Death issue in the wrong way. Maybe it’s the subtle flux’s that we should be paying attention to. In the end, I suppose, it’s personal. The people who these events happened to, know they happened. They present their stories and evidence clearly and concisely. A hardcore materialist will just chock it all up to coincidence or deception, but that is not an honest view of this. An honest view says something odd is happening to these people, and it may very well be explained by Forest J Ackerman communicating with them in his own way.

Buy on Amazon.

Love this book. I was skeptical coming in with the title and cover, figuring it was going to be an unfounded, the government has aliens and is hiding them, working with them, etc. Instead I found a grounded, fact based, analysis of different hidden bases around the globe. Some speculation here and there, but the author also goes into showing you how some of these myths spread.

Chapter 5, which deals with the nonsense around the Dulce base in New Mexico starts by created a narrative based on all the stuff you can find online about what is going on there. Judging by the amazon reviews, a few people stopped there not realizing the narrative was not serious. I admit, it threw me for a moment, but he then goes on to tell you exactly how all this came about and possibly why. He looks around the world at all the very strange locales that you can find military bases in. At no point does Mack seriously suggest that aliens are among us, or that these bases are hiding such things. He goes by the facts, through and through. He shows the process of myth making and disinformation. It's a fascinating read.

It's also a quick, enjoyable read. Another one that I found hard to put down. There were a bunch of things in this book I was not familiar with, and that is always a nice surprise. At almost 300 pages, it goes by way too fast. If you are looking for conspiracies and aliens, this is not for you. It does however. deal with some very unusual UFO reports, and some of it is very, very strange. If you want someone who follows and reports the facts, pick this one up!

Mack's Website: https://mackmaloney.wordpress.com/

Buy on Amazon.

I have been a fan of Nick Redfern for quite some time now, and in this, his latest book, he does not disappoint. Nick's writing style reminds me of John Keel at times, in the best possible way. He does his research, and when he relays it to the reader, he does so in a fashion that is very engaging. Monster Files, with it's long but appropriate subtitle, is an interesting endeavor. Nick looks at cases where the government has been involved, in one way or another, with monsters. In some cases, the monsters are used as cover, whether it be a 'Yeti Hunter' who may have actually been a spy, or sea serpents meant to scare off the locals from secret research. He investigates strange Bigfoot sightings, and tries to discern if the government knows more than it seems. There are also Big Cats, Wolfmen, Chupacabras, and much, much more. Don't make the mistake of thinking this is just legend telling, Nick uses official documents, newspaper articles, and interviews the witnesses personally where possible.

This is not just another book on Cryptozoology, but if you have studied the subject enough, you will find you know at least parts of some of the cases in this book. You may not know what Nick is able to expand on, however. He covers the experiments various governments did on animals, whether testing for ESP, or attempting to equip poor cats with spying devices. He relates the strange connection between Bigfoot and UFO's, and the rather terrifying creatures that have haunted our skies. He talks of our government creating vampires, and it is not at all what you think. Overall, this was a fantastic read. Nick is a phenomenal writer, and his material is always well researched and well written. This, of course, is no exception!

Buy it on Amazon.

This is fascinating, well written, and thoroughly researched. What the Author suggests is that many, if not all, of the passage grave sites in the UK are aligned to various astronomical features. Mainstream archaeology only looks for solar alignments, but James shows that many of these sites are linked to lunar phenomenon, as well as constellations. In particular he draws attention to the connections to the star Sirius.

He spends the first part of the book relating the alignments of the different sites, and showing how each is unique. In the second part of the book he discusses the artwork and it's connections to astronomical arrangements. The third part, he explores the theories of others who have preceded him in this work. Finally, in the last part, he explores his own connections and what they may mean.

This is a short, fairly easy read, although a bit dry at the start, it is interesting all the way through. Despite being an easy read, it is not a work of speculation, it is based on research and fact, and is presented as such. Only at the very end does Mr. Swagger allow himself to speculate a bit, and even that seems rather reserved. An enjoyable and recommended read.

Buy It on Amazon.

Review by Chris Bilbee

Encounters with Star People: Untold Stories of American Indians by Ardy Sixkiller Clarke is the first book in what is intended to be a trilogy concerning indigenous peoples’ encounters with the Star or Sky People and focuses on North America. Dr. Clarke is of Cherokee/Choctaw descent and holds multiple degrees (as well as being a professor emeritus), many of which she brings to bear in this interesting and enlightening study. Being a Native American, and being familiar with the details of the various cultures as well as reservation life in general, Dr. Clarke was able to gain the trust of the people whose stories she tells much more easily and completely than someone without her background and experience. Her understanding of the cultures and personal situations of her subjects also lends an immediacy, almost intimacy, to this book that makes it a breath of fresh air in this sometimes stodgy genre. That immediacy is most strongly conveyed in the format Dr. Clarke has chosen. Each chapter begins with a brief introduction, connecting the theme of that chapter’s stories to better known concepts and events in ufology, thus giving the general reader a more familiar point of reference. The main body of each chapter is structured as one or more first person narratives told from Dr. Clarke’s point of view. She will introduce her subject and set the surroundings briefly and then proceed to tell their story. This approach lends these “interviews” a much more conversational, immediate feel than standard, clinical non-fiction prose and gives the attentive reader some small insight not only into each story, but also into the Native American cultures and communities from which these very personal stories originate. Dr. Clake’s intention with this book is not to verify or debunk these people’s stories, but to simply and effectively relay them. I feel she pulled this off with great, if understated, success. To be critical of this book, I must resort to knit-picking; there are a few typographical errors in the text (most usually a missing or misplaced quotation marks), at least in the ebook format. Other than that, and the fact I wished the book were longer (though honestly, I wish most books I have read were longer than they are), I found this book a great investment of my time and money as well as an outstanding addition to any Fortean library.

Above all, this was a fun book to read. Paul is a good storyteller, and can flesh out his experiences and theories in a very entertaining way. This is not about hard science and proving the paranormal. This is about experiences, and the bigger picture. Throughout this book, you get to know Paul a bit. His personality shines through, and he is not shy with his opinions. The essence of the idea here is that the paranormal, in it's many facets, is a work of art of a higher intelligence. That may sound a bit odd, but as you read through, and Paul clarifies what he means by art, it makes more and more sense. In this sense, art is communication. Paul covers ghosts, UFO's, shadow people, synchronicity, alternate universes, the observer effect, reincarnation, and much more. It all kind of interweaves.

Paul discusses his TV show, Ghost Cases, and suggests that ghosts are not what the general consensus believes. He has some pretty fascinating experiences, and you get to follow through his mindset and how it leads to this bigger idea. Throughout it all, you will also get a bit of more obscure history thrown in here and there. He covers an array of synchronicities that happened to him over a short period of time, and what it meant to him. Interpretation is key in the paranormal. And this is a fresh and thought proving way to view it. There is a chapter on time travel, for example, that serves as much as anything, as a thought experiment, and suggests some new ideas.

Overall, if you are interested in the paranormal, and have a somewhat open mind, pick up this book. You will likely enjoy it. If nothing else, it may get you thinking about things in a different way.

Buy on Amazon.

Forgotten Civilization: The Role of Solar Outbursts in Our Past and Future is the latest work by Robert Schoch. Schoch is famous for proving greater antiquity of the Sphinx back in the 90's, and although his conclusions are not accepted by mainstream archaeologists, he is supported by other geologists almost 100%. This book brings a lot of things together, for one he tells the story of his work on the Sphinx, and the backlash that his legitimate and proven conclusions caused for him. One of the arguments he heard against the greater age of the Sphinx (5000+ and probably over 10,000 years old) is that there are no advanced cultures at such an early date in our history who could have built such a structure. Well, enter Gobekli Tepe, a recently discovered site in Turkey, dated 10,000 to 12,000 years old, and the dating is undisputed by mainstream scientists. Schoch explores this very ancient site, and what it may ultimately mean. He also explores the deep mysteries of Easter Island and a possible deciphering of the Rongorongo script that has never been satisfactorily decoded.

Then he changes gears and moves out to our Sun, and the way solar outbursts may have affected our past, and how they could affect our future. He lays out the evidence for a solar outburst so powerful that it may have ended the ice age, and the culture that may have thrived at that time. He expands on what we currently know, what damage smaller outbursts have done to our modern world, and what a bigger one is capable of.

In the end, he explores the problems with modern science, and new research that may eventually overturn the dominant paradigm in many fields. He talks of the evidence of psychic abilities, the power of water, problems with current dating methods and their connections to solar cycles, and much more. It is a very enlightening read, even for someone up on the latest discoveries.

Robert writes in a very complete, and easy to read maner. I found that many times, what he was talking about would bring something to mind, and I would wonder if he is aware of it, often to find him addressing that very question in the following paragraphs. All of his sources are notated, and there is an extensive bibliography. The book itself seems to be a very interesting connection point of Robert's previous work, drawing together geology, archaeology, science, and very cutting edge ideas. Schoch's personality also comes through beautifully in his writing. It is very personal, while maintaining it's scientific integrity.

If you are interested in our distant past, and whether an advanced civilization once existed that was wiped from our memory, then this is a must read. And it is something that should interest you, because if it happened to them, it could happen to us. As safe in our modern world as we may feel, the sun could tear it all away from us in an instant, and we would be back to the caves. Perhaps literally. Knowing what happened at the end of the last ice age may better allow us to prepare for our long term survival.

Buy on Amazon.