Over the Edge

J Allen Hynek and Jacques Vallee. The Edge of Reality; A Progress Report on UFOs. Regnerey, 1975.
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This book consiste mainly of a sort of Socratic dialogue between Hynek, Vallee and parapsychologist Arthur Hastings on the current state of the art in UFO research. Several highly intriguing cases are discussed, including classics such as the Hills, Pascagoula, Father Gill etc., to illustrate the extremely complex nature of the 'UFO experience'. One highly interesting case involves a humanoid report in 1961, in which one of the witnesses allegedly shot at the humanoid, and suffered time lapses, MIB-style harassment, etc. The authors also make some pretty candid comments on amateur UFO groups. As these are reminiscent of those expressed b John Rimmer in his notorious 'Death and Life of British Ufology' article (MUFOB 3, no 3) they have produced the expected furore from outraged UFO groups. Unfortunately, Hynek's own 'Center for UFO Studies' would seem to be little better than its rivals.

In the final chapters the usual hypotheses are discussed, and amateur ufologists will be pleased to learn that the scientific elite of UFO research are as puzzled as they are, and that the standard of speculation is at a typically ufological level. Conservative researchers who are specifically interested in "extraterrestrial hardware" will be chagrined to find that Hynek and Vallee do not support them. l recommend this book to those with a general interest in the UFO problem, and would like to understand why it i2 regarded as complex. It should also be of considerable interest to resear­chers and might stimulate some new areas of speculation. 
  • Peter Rogerson, MUFOB New Series 4, Autumn 1976.


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