The strange, but true biography of the colourful founder of Saucerian Books, a central purveyor and promoter of flying saucer and conspiracist knowledge in the mid-twentieth century. Gray Barker (1925 1984) was an eccentric literary outsider, filled with ideas that were out of step with the world. An author and unreliable narrator of implausible stories, Barker founded and operated Saucerian Books, an independent publisher of books about flying saucers and other ideas at the fringes of popular discourse. In The Saucerian, ...
Read More
The strange, but true biography of the colourful founder of Saucerian Books, a central purveyor and promoter of flying saucer and conspiracist knowledge in the mid-twentieth century. Gray Barker (1925 1984) was an eccentric literary outsider, filled with ideas that were out of step with the world. An author and unreliable narrator of implausible stories, Barker founded and operated Saucerian Books, an independent publisher of books about flying saucers and other ideas at the fringes of popular discourse. In The Saucerian, author Gabriel Mckee tells the fascinating story of Barker s West Virginia-based press, the unique corpus of materials it published, and how office-copying and self-publishing techniques influenced the spread of paranormal beliefs and conspiratorial worldviews over the last century. Following the development of UFO subculture, Mckee explores the life and career of a larger-than-life hoaxer and originator of pseudoscientific ideas. Ever an entertainer, Barker established his reputation with one of the first flying saucer fanzines The Saucerian and with his first book, the conspiratorial and sensationalistic They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers. By the close of the 1950s, he had established a publishing imprint that brought out some of the strangest UFO-related books of the era, with a particular emphasis on flying saucer contactees. Saucerian Books became a platform for those whose stories were too unusual, implausible, or crudely written for more mainstream publishers. Though Barker himself was a skeptic, he viewed the world of occult believers as a source of ongoing entertainment. He also may have used the perceived eccentricity of flying saucer research, or 'ufology,' to obscure his homosexuality from his small-town neighbors. From his place on the fringes of midcentury American culture, Barker left an unmatched legacy in conspiratorial concepts that have become prominent pop cultural folklore, including the Men in Black, the Mothman, and the Philadelphia Experiment. As a mastermind behind the fantastical, Barker s promotional efforts were the precursor to contemporary conspiracism.
Read Less
Add this copy of The Saucerian: Ufos, Men in Black, and the Unbelievable to cart. $23.30, new condition, Sold by GreatBookPrices rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Columbia, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2025 by MIT Press.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
New. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 360 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Add this copy of The Saucerian: Ufos, Men in Black, and the Unbelievable to cart. $23.31, new condition, Sold by Ingram Customer Returns Center rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NV, USA, published 2025 by MIT Press.
Add this copy of The Saucerian: Ufos, Men in Black, and the Unbelievable to cart. $26.35, new condition, Sold by Just one more Chapter rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Miramar, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2025 by The MIT Press.
Add this copy of Saucerian: Ufos, Men in Black, and the Unbelievable to cart. $32.95, new condition, Sold by A Cappella Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Atlanta, GA, UNITED STATES, published 2025 by MIT Press.
Add this copy of The Saucerian: Ufos, Men in Black, and the Unbelievable to cart. $34.10, new condition, Sold by Book Culture Inc. rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from New York, NY, UNITED STATES, published 2025 by MIT Press.
Add this copy of The Saucerian to cart. $34.32, new condition, Sold by Paperbackshop rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Bensenville, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2025 by MIT Press Ltd.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
New Region 2 DVD. Shipped from UK in 4 to 14 days. Established seller since 2000. Please note we cannot offer an expedited shipping service from the UK.
Add this copy of The Saucerian: Ufos, Men in Black, and the Unbelievable to cart. $35.95, new condition, Sold by Russell Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Victoria, BC, CANADA, published 2025 by MIT Press.
