FLYING SAUCERS ARE WATCHING US by Otto O. Binder

Pulp writer and "renowned UFO and space expert" Otto Binder returns to us with a blockbusting nonfiction treatise, fully documented of course by "widely respected scientists" and proof positive that FLYING SAUCERS ARE WATCHING US! This is ancient astronaut pulp fiction all the way, with Binder spinning off from every conceivable angle of UFOlogy to cobble together his epic tale of ancient space brothers and their grand plan for humanity. He warns that scientists will undoubtedly scoff at this bold proposition, but Binder appeals to Galileo and the power of honest inquiry against dogma. This is straight out of von Daniken's playbook, and Binder even brings in another Ancient Astronaut writer, one Max H. Flindt, to shore up his side. It's some slick showmanship from the canny writer. As for the hard evidence ...

Would you believe, contactees George Adamski and Howard Menger? How about the Mothman and the Men in Black? Yes it's that same old midcentury saucer stew, reheated for the umpteenth time by a writer who needed the money. We have to wade through some pretty dense verbiage before we realize we've been had, again! We've seen this all before and only Binder's skill as a writer keeps it hanging together, barely.

Otto Binder (1911-1974)

Those fabulous (and fake) Dropa Stones make an appearance, as does Ezekiel's wheel and a gaggle of OOP Artifacts, plus the specter of alien pyramids across the world. In fact, pretty much every ancient megalithic site is named by Binder as having been constructed by ancient aliens, including Stonehenge, Great Zimbabwe, and the Great Cahokia Mound. Binder even slips in the Coral Castle of unincorporated Miami-Dade County, FL as an obvious example of extraterrestrial engineering! Biblical giants are connected to Bigfoot, who's connected to UFOs via strange sightings from around the world. Hairy dwarfs get in on the action too, including those vicious buggers from Venezuela (will we never be rid of them?) and wouldn't you know it, Antonio Villas-Boas and his afternoon delight is proof of the aliens' breeding program of which perhaps Bigfoot and the dwarfs are alternate products. You can't call Binder lazy, as he pulls any thread he can including Carl Sagan's openminded musings on ancient ET contact, and various science texts about outer space which are used as launch pads for the goofy stuff. Atlantis was an ancient star base, the Bimini Road a runway, and Charles Fort's weird skyfalls were alien scientists taking out the trash! Don't forget Betty and Barney Hill, Edgar Cayce, and Snippy the Horse! The case of Australian abductee Marlene Travers would ultimately fizzle out, but no matter for Binder, she's in here too, as is the mysterious planet Vulcan.

The endgame for these alien architects? Binder is fair enough to include some Christian perspectives that see the saucers as demon chariots, but he himself is firmly convinced that our space brothers come in peace, to uplift us into the galactic federation. Soon, Earthmen (what about the women, Otto?) will be able to "hop into flying saucers and take vacations on Mars, Jupiter, or Tau Ceti and Beta Sirius!" We'll become "galactipolitan" citizens of the universe, and a new Golden Age will dawn. Binder's not naive, and knows "perfection is indubitably unknown anywhere in this universe" and that "there'll be thorns in this bed of cosmic roses" but, ultimately, the coming of the saucers is cause for rejoicing. Binder had lost his daughter in 1967 and faced the bankruptcy of his magazine Space World, so perhaps the space brothers were a balm for him in dark times. Sadly, Binder passed away in 1974, long before any of his galactic dreams could come true. Que sera, sera.

Belmont Tower Books, 1970 (original pub. 1968)