Ten Books That Need To Be Written (Part 2)

Part-one of this article focused on five of ten cases of the Fortean kind that I think would make great books. And here are my next five. Like the previous ones, they are all incidents and affairs filled with curious twists and turns. Maybe you'll be the person who tackles one of them. Maybe even more than one of them. And here they are.

BIGFOOT BODIES & MOUNT ST. HELENS
Stories of the US Government having in its possession the bodies of dead aliens abound. The alleged resting places of these rotting ETs include Area 51, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and the Dugway Proving Ground. But what about Bigfoot? Does Uncle Sam have a Sasquatch or several on ice? Yep, according to the rumor-mill, at least. When, in May 1980, Mount St. Helens, Washington State erupted the loss of life to both people and the wild animal population was considerable. Then there are the claims that when the US military was helping the emergency services to do all they could to preserve life and help restore normality, a number of dead (and possibly living but injured) Bigfoot were stumbled upon. The result: they were quickly and secretly airlifted out of the area, for destinations unknown. A "Bigfoot Hangar 18"? Maybe. And if someone is inspired to dig further and write a book on all this, maybe that's the title.

KINGMAN UFO, 1953
A crashed UFO, a dead and charred alien, atomic explosions, a whistle-blower with a fondness for martinis, military experiments with chimpanzees, and a famous Contactee who had alleged, flirty encounters with a hot space-babe. Put all those things together and you have the Kingman, Arizona UFO crash of May 1953. It's a story I have dug into extensively, and have tons of never-before-seen material on. But, my timetable prevents me doing anything on this for the foreseeable future. There is, however, a great story here. It's filled with intrigue, adventure, characters that range from the hilarious to the dubious and the sinister to the credible. And there are numerous theories to explain what really happened. Or what didn't. Someone needs to do something with this story!

DEAD SCIENTISTS
From the final months of 2001 to mid-2005, a number people employed in the field of microbiology - which is defined as the study of organisms that are too small to be seen with the naked eye, such as bacteria and viruses - died under circumstances that some within the media and government came to view as highly suspicious and deeply disturbing in nature. Many of the deaths appeared, at first glance at least, to have down to earth explanations. But, even those who were skeptical of the notion that the deaths were suspicious in nature could not deny one overriding and important factor: many of those dead microbiologists had links to worldwide intelligence services, including the United States’ CIA, Britain’s MI5 and MI6; and Israel’s Mossad. While the frequency of deaths today is less, they are still going on. There are dozens of articles online about this odd state of affairs. But a full-length, comprehensive book? Not a single one in sight. You might be the one to change that situation.

JOHN KEEL'S LIFE
Although I'll pick up a new Fortean book when I see one that interests me, I particularly like to read biographies and autobiographies. Generally, on rock-stars, bands, actors etc. But, what about a comprehensive biography on the one person who I consider to be the definitive Fortean? I'm talking about John Keel, of The Mothman Prophecies and Operation Trojan Horse fame. Keel's very own Jadoo is a fascinating, firsthand account of his early years. However, I think it's well past time for someone to write the full story of Keel's life. Where would so many of us be without Keel's fine input to the field of Forteana? We certainly wouldn't be where we are now, realizing just how seriously weird our world is.

MISSING THUNDERBIRD PHOTO
Back in the 1960s, a photograph, said to date from the late 1880s, appeared in the pages of one of the magazines of the day - possibly True, Saga, or Argosy - displaying the deceased remains of a monstrous bird pinned to a pair of barn doors in rural America. Numerous researchers, investigators, and authors are sure they saw the priceless picture. The big problem today, however, is that the photo can't be found - as in anywhere. It's gone. Almost as if it never existed. Or was supernaturally erased from the past. Admittedly, a full-length book on someone's search for the Thunderbird photo has the potential to be a bit repetitive. But, handled carefully and written in an on-the-road, detective-style, it would work well. Following the author as he or she travels the US (and maybe the world), chasing down each and every lead. Are you the one?