Gray Barker, They Knew
Too Much About Flying Saucers (1956) – Conclusion
After Albert Bender of the civilian-operated International
Flying Saucer Bureau was visited by the men in black, Barker convinced two
friends to interview him. Despite the
fact that Bender replies “I can’t answer that” to a long string of questions,
there are some fascinating moments and tantalizing responses. When asked, “Does the government know about
saucers?” he replies, “They have known what they are for two years.” Bender had been intimidated after coming up
with a theory that Barker suggests may have been too close to the truth.
When asked “Can’t you tell me just where you got your theory?” he says
“I went into the fantastic and came up with the answer.” When asked an open question about writing a
story intended to pull out some clue, Bender responds with the following. “Here is something no one has used
before. Suppose there was another world
out in space, and there the people were black.
What do you think would happen if they came to this planet? Do you think they would help the colored or
the white people? You know the
prejudices that exist here, and if they came to Earth, what do you think would
happen?”
It’s one of the few meaningful replies that Bender provides
in the interview. Sadly, and strangely, Barker
doesn’t really elaborate on the point.
There are no references here to the “men in black” as appearing to be
African Americans, though one strange inquisitor is later described as deeply
tanned. Assuming that Bender’s statement
is accurately reported and sincerely intended (admittedly big assumptions), what does it mean? It seems strange that he would be so evasive
to most questions and then “give away the game” with a straightforward
answer. If the reference to racial
prejudice was just a metaphor, was there another oppressed or maligned group
that these aliens might favor? There are
certainly remarks about Russians and Communists throughout the account – not
surprising considering this is 50's America in the Cold War. Did Bender believe the aliens were “Reds?” Was that the unthinkable inversion of power
that the race comment was meant to reveal? Or was Bender’s remark just a hoax, a game, a
meaningless distraction from some other secret plot?
There isn’t that much serious science in the book, but there are some
interesting speculations. My favorite is
the notion that flying saucers are piloted by interdimensional travelers. In this scenario, “etherians” use “ether
ships” to materialize and dematerialize in our physical universe. “Thus the theory tends to tie in with tales
of saucers that disappear, or travel noiselessly through our atmosphere at
fantastic speeds which would melt ordinary metal.” Barker goes on to link these etherians with
ghosts, suggesting that most supernatural phenomena could be linked to the
Saucer Mystery. It’s a fun theory
because it “explains” so much, even if tangible evidence is lacking.
The book’s final section is devoted to the silencing of
various UFO investigators – most of whom are visited by menacing strangers who
claim or hint that they are from the government. Are these “men in black” part of a web of
international espionage, agents of occult organizations, or actual aliens? There aren’t any solid answers, but lots of
curious reports.
A fabulous sentence at the end really gives you a sense of Barker’s tone and spirit. “I doubt if our forefathers knew anything of flying saucers when they set up an immutable expression of our rights, but if they were living today, and heard stories such as I have told, I believe they would express their conviction that the freedoms they instituted or proclaimed could be interpreted to provide that their descendants have also the inalienable right to chase flying saucers to their hearts’ content.”
Freedom! Saucers! Just don’t let the men in black know that you’re curious…
Image: Odilon Redon (1896)
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