Aliens: Why They Are Here

by Bryan Appleyard

Since 1947, aliens have poured from the abyss that lies between ourselves and the world. So begins Bryan Appleyard's dazzling survey of one of the most pervasive yet under-reported phenomena of modern times: aliens -- what they are, why they are here, and what they say about us. Before science and technology took hold of our lives we called them different things: angels, demons, goblins. insignificance, our need for aliens has reached the stars. Since 1947 there has been a deluge of sightings, abductions, cover-ups, conspiracies and all their associated sub-plots from cattle mutilation to anal probes. Science fiction both on the page and on the screen is in thrall to our perception of Little Green Men. How did we get here? And what does our fascination with all things alien, whether extraterrestrial or manufactured, say about us in a post-religious world? Bryan Appleyard's brilliant book is both a cultural history and an intellectual tour de force, covering everything from the joyful anthropocentrism of Star Trek to the bloody-minded nihilism of Stanislaw Lem.

Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy, Science

352 pages, Paperback

First published March 7, 2005

Reviews

[Vishnu Prasad · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Aliens' takes you through recorded alien sightings,encounters,cults,belief systems,film and literature.As the journey builds and one closes in towards the core of the book,it is an interesting study on the psychology of man,his fears,desires and their projections.Lot of information,brilliantly written.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re looking for an iron-clad argument and proof that ETs walk among us, this isn’t your book. But if you’re curious as to the philosophical implications of our cultural engagement with aliens since Roswell, this is a fascinating book. Real and fake is a false binary—they’re here.