What's in a Name?

Martin S Kottmeyer (editor). An Alien Who's Who. Illustrations by Charles Berlin. Anomalist Books, 2008.
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Prolific Magonia contributor Martin Kottmeyer has assembled an extensive collections of the names of aliens allegedly encountered, channelled etc. by contactees and abductees. For each are given their alleged home, and a synopsis of their messages. The result is an enormous testimony to the poverty of the human imagination, or at least the poverty of the imagination of the sort of people who become UFO contactees. There is sameness about most the names (Acor, Acta, Adela, Affa, Adam Altar and just plain Altar ... the way through to Zolton, Zoosh, Zorotus and last but by no means least Zyloo ). Their messages never produce a single original thought, always the same old recycled Theosophy and new age babble.

Of course some of these people's imagination was so limited that coming up with names like Jemi, The Jilsron and Jitro Cletaw was too much effort. They could use biblical John, Jonah and the like, or just common or garden names. Perhaps the laziest was Christa Tilson who came up with "The Doctor", presumably assuming no one else watched Dr Who.

Displaying rather more imagination were various jokers at the time of the 1897 airship who came up with names like Higlio Hogag and Mrs Neptuniandustireceas! Presumably as sop to the sort of people who believe in contactees and chandlers there is an introduction by Greg Bishop which tries to hint that some of these messages come from a vague elsewhere, but not any of the messages listed here you can be sure. Needless to say Kottemeyer himself does not engage in that sort of speculation.

Also useful for those who want more exotic names for their children, puppies or pop groups (try Sharri and the Shannondoans). - Peter Rogerson. Magonia 98, September 2008.