Here’s my personal list of 100 essential UFO and phenomena books, organized by category. It's a bit oldskool, but goes far beyond Elizondo…
Classic UFO Books
1. The Flying Saucer Story by Donald Keyhoe (1950)
2. Behind the Flying Saucer by Frank Scully (1950)
3. The UFO Experience: A Scientific Inquiry by J. Allen Hynek (1972)
4. Passport to Magonia: From Folklore to Flying Saucers by Jacques Vallée (1969)
5. The Interrupted Journey by John G. Fuller (1966)
UFO Sightings and Encounters
6. The Betty and Barney Hill Abduction by Budd Hopkins (1988)
7. The Rendlesham Forest Incident by Larry Fawcett and Barry Greenwood (1980)
8. The Roswell Incident by Charles Berlitz and William Moore (1980)
9. The Phoenix Lights by Lynne D. Kitei (1997)
10. The Roswell UFO Conspiracy: Exposing a Shocking and Sinister Secret by Nick Redfern (2011)
Alien Life and Theories
11. Chariots of the Gods? by Erich von Däniken (1968)
12. The Gods Never Left Us by Robert Bauval (1999)
13. The Sirius Mystery by Robert K.G. Temple (1976)
14. Ancient Skies by Philip Coppens (2005)
15. The Ancient Alien Question by Philip Coppens (2011)
Government Cover-Ups and Conspiracy
16. The CIA and the UFO by Richard Dolan (2009)
17. The Majestic 12 by Stanton T. Friedman and Don Berliner (1997)
18. The UFO Cover-Up by Jim Marrs (1989)
19. The Disclosure Trilogy by Richard Dolan (2012–2014)
20. Dark Fleet: The Secret Nazi Space Program and the Battle for the Solar System by Michael Salla (2020)
Skeptical Perspectives
21. Skeptical Inquirer on UFOs by Kendrick Frazier (1983)
22. The UFO Phenomenon by James R. McGovern (1983)
23. The UFO Book by Jerome Clark (1998)
24. The UFO Enigma by J. Allen Hynek (1998)
25. UFOs: Reframing the Debate by Robbie Graham (2012)
Scientific and Academic Approaches
26. The UFO Phenomenon: A Scientific Analysis by Peter A. Sturrock (1996)
27. UFOs and the National Security State by Richard M. Dolan (2009)
28. The UFO Casebook by Allan Hendry (1979)
29. UFOs: The Scientific Evidence by Stanton T. Friedman (2013)
30. Science, UFOs & Theories by Richard F. Haines (2014)
Modern UFO Sightings and Encounters
31. The Alien Autopsy by Robert O’Neil (1992)
32. The Alien Abduction by John E. Mack (1994)
33. Close Encounters of the Fifth Kind: Contact Has Begun by Steven Greer (2013)
34. The UFO Highway by Stan Gordon (2014)
35. The Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar (2017)
Psychological and Sociological Aspects
36. The UFO Experience: A Psychological Investigation by Robert M. Pynadath (1973)
37. The UFO Abductees by Carol M. Christensen (1988)
38. The Cult of Alien Abduction by Chris Aubeck and Jennifer Stein (2000)
39. The Psychology of Alien Encounters by David J. Hufford (2015)
40. Abduction: Human Encounters with Aliens by Susan A. Clancy (2017)
Ancient Civilizations and Lost Knowledge
41. The Lost Civilization of Mu by James Churchward (1931)
42. The Atlantis Connection by Brad Steiger (1983)
43. The Hall of Record by Edgar Cayce (1972)
44. The Secret Teachings of All Ages by Manly P. Hall (1928)
45. The Lost Cities of Ancient Aliens by David Childress (2014)
Esoteric and Spiritual Perspectives
46. The Mystery of the Cathedrals by Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas (1996)
47. The Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot (1991)
48. The Field by Lynne McTaggart (2002)
49. The Missing Secrets of UFOs by Ron M. Jones (2011)
50. The Universal Mind by Carl Sagan (2013)
Famous UFO Cases
51. The Kenneth Arnold Sighting by Robert B. Palmer (1971)
52. The Mantell Crash by Bill Jorgensen (1998)
53. The Kelly-Hopkinsville Encounter by Loren Coleman (1975)
54. The Travis Walton Abduction by Travis Walton (1978)
55. The Flatwoods Monster: A Legacy of Fear by Frank Feschino (2015)
UFO Sightings in History
56. The Nuremberg Celestial Phenomenon by Andrew D. Basiago (2010)
57. The UFO Sightings of the Ancient Greeks by Mark McElroy (2011)
58. The UFO Sightings of the Ancient Egyptians by Mark McElroy (2011)
59. The UFO Sightings of the Ancient Sumerians by Mark McElroy (2011)
60. The UFO Sightings of the Ancient Chinese by Mark McElroy (2011)
UFO Sightings in Other Countries
61. The UFO Sightings of Brazil by John A. Keel (1970)
62. The UFO Sightings of Argentina by Alejandro Lazo (2007)
63. The UFO Sightings of Chile by Alejandro Lazo (2007)
64. The UFO Sightings of South Africa by J.P. Lockhart (2008)
65. The UFO Sightings of Australia by Andrew L. MacGregor (2010)
UFOs in Popular Culture
66. The X-Files by Chris Carter (1993)
67. Close Encounters of the Third Kind by Steven Spielberg (1977)
68. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial by Steven Spielberg (1982)
69. Independence Day by Roland Emmerich (1996)
70. Men in Black by Barry Sonnenfeld (1997)
UFOs and Science Fiction
71. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells (1895)
72. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells (1898)
73. The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein (1966)
74. 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke (1968)
75. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (1979)
UFOs and Paranormal Activity
76. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (1959)
77. The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson (1977)
78. The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty (1971)
79. The Conjuring by James Wan (2013)
80. The Shining by Stephen King (1977)
UFOs and Secret Societies
81. The Illuminati by Adam Weishaupt (1776)
82. The Freemasons by Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas (1997)
83. The Knights Templar by Henry Lincoln (1975)
Modern UFO Books (Post-2010)
84. The Alien Deception by Bill Chalker (2012)
85. The Truth About UFOs by Peter Robbins (2012)
86. The Secret Space Program: The Alien Connection by Michael Salla (2013)
87. UFOs and the National Security State: Chronology of a Cover-Up by Richard M. Dolan (2014)
88. The Giza Death Star Deception by Joseph P. Farrell (2011)
89. UFOs: Generals, Pilots and Government Officials Go on the Record by Leslie Kean (2011)
90. Close Encounters of the Fifth Kind: Contact Has Begun by Steven Greer (2013)
91. The Expanse Series by James S.A. Corey (2011–2021)
92. The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu (2015)
93. The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (2017)
94. Area 51: The Night That Changed the World by Annie Jacobsen (2011)
95. The UFO Cult by Christopher Partridge (2015)
96. Aliens, Gods, and the Bible by Chuck Missler (2019)
97. The Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar (2017)
98. Atlantis and the Coming Ice Age by Frank Joseph (2015)
99. The Lost Star of Myth and Time by Walter Cruttenden (2015)
100. The UFO Casebook: A Scientific Investigation of UFOs and Other Phenomena by Bruce Maccabee (2012)
This list ensures a wide scope of topics, from historical accounts and ancient civilizations to government cover-ups, alien theories, and modern UFO sightings.
by upquarkspin
2 Comments
Here’s a short summary explaining the purpose and value of this book list:
It is a comprehensive guide to the most influential and informative books on Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs), extraterrestrial encounters, and related phenomena. This curated list spans classic works, contemporary research, skeptical perspectives, and scientific analyses, offering a balanced and thorough introduction to the subject.
For those unfamiliar with UFO literature, this list serves as an invaluable starting point. It covers a wide range of topics including:
1. Historical sightings and famous cases
2. Government investigations and alleged cover-ups
3. Scientific approaches to UFO study
4. Cultural impact of UFO phenomena
5. Psychological and sociological perspectives
6. Ancient astronaut theories
7. Modern developments in UFO research and disclosure
Whether you’re a skeptic, a believer, or simply curious, this list provides a solid foundation for understanding one of the most intriguing and controversial subjects of our time. It encourages readers to draw their own conclusions based on a wide array of reputable sources and perspectives.
You could add in a few regarding deliberate deception and obfuscation, like Mirage Men.
Well done otherwise.