Real Aliens, Space Beings, and Creatures from Other Worlds

April 1, 2012

Gr 7 Up-The Steigers, along with half a dozen contributors, canvas every aspect of alien intel, including types (little green men, the Grays, the Praying Mantises) and their relationships to the U.S. presidency, secret societies, Nazis, and religion. The writing is straightforward and action-packed. An abundance of "eyewitness" accounts heightens the drama. However, sources lack credibility. For instance, in many cases eyewitnesses are referred to nonspecifically, as in "Peggy of Dearborn, Michigan" and "a toothless, eighty-year-old farmer from Brazil." Most of the quotes are not linked to a specific book in the bibliography though in a few instances the source is cited in context. The bibliography, though extensive, consists largely of books dating from the 1960s and 1970s, many of which were written by the Steigers. Except for a few black-and-white photographs, the illustrations that appear every few pages consist of black-and-white artist conceptualizations. With one exception, the photos are of people notable in the field. The exception depicts the "first-and to this date-only photo of an MIB [Man in Black alien]," though it looks like Everyman standing in a doorway on a city sidewalk. This is interesting reading but it lacks the requisite substance to qualify as a sound reference work.-Jennifer Prince, Buncombe County Public Libraries, NC

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