Author Michael Albers goes into the nitty gritty of the late '70s cattle mutilation waves in this very rare title gifted with a beautiful cover from cheapie publisher Manor Books. Many of the names that would later turn up in 1984's doorstopper Mute Evidence are here, from the Stigmata newsletter to Officer Keith Wolverton to Dr. Leo Sprinkle. Gabe Valdez and the strange happenings around Dulce are also covered, as is the fraudulent testimony of convict A. Kenneth Bankston as to a secret blood cult killing cattle.
Unfortunately, after a good amount of granular setup, Albers stumbles later on, finishing with a generic summary of the '70s UFO scene and pretty much dropping any idea of interpreting the mutilation mystery. Too bad! The Terror is still worth reading as a time capsule and early, earnest attempt at wrangling a subject that's become a cornerstone of modern UFOlogy.
This was Albers' only book. The Terror is available to read and download at archive dot org.
Manor Books, 1979
I have a question, is the copyright to the author or to a company (such as the books publisher.)? A one-shot author is usually the sign of a writer for hire and one good sign is who the work is copyrighted to.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, the work is copyrighted to Manor Books, "published by arrangement with the author."
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