ERO is about how one lieutenant’s life had changed after having become part of the UFO conspiracy machine.
It’s fiction.
I made it all up.
There are aspects of my real life embedded within the story…but not in any of the fantastical, conspiracy theory laden aspects. I have an active imagination, is all. I began the story with a single premise I can’t say, because it actually gives away the story, and added to it from a host of material. Most of the scenes just flowed into the writing as it happened, but, occasionally, I added material I’d read about and thought would make for some cool scenes. One of the continued scenes I added was from a book I found, called Above Black, by Dan Sherman. It blew me away, and I thought, huh, that’d be neat to include. So, I contacted the author and asked him if I could incorporate it into my novel. We did a short Q&A exchange, and he said I could. So, once I incorporated it, I’d sent him a copy of it to review. Never heard back from him one way or the other, but appreciated him letting me incorporate it. Thanks, Mr. Sherman, hope I did it justice and hope you are faring well.
Another instance of incorporation involved using the Communion books, by Whitley Strieber. Though I did not contact Mr. Strieber (or did and had no response, I can no longer remember), I borrowed certain aspects from his work. Those who have read his work will recognize where I have done so. Again, I’m not going to give away the scenes, but when I read Mr. Strieber’s work, again, I was blown away by what I read. If half of what I’d read was true, life truly is more fantastical than many of us realize. And, if you read other works, more frightening. If you are to believe some of this material (see bibliography, below), people have died talking about some of this stuff. And, if you believe some of this material, our lives are not our own, and never have been. That’s the problem with conspiratorial writing. Over the years I have read tons of books on UFOs and extraterrestrials, especially as a kid. As an adult, I scaled back quite a bit…until I wrote ERO. To be honest, some of this material scared me. One book in particular put me into a particular “funk” after having read it (and, it’s the only book I’ve read that actually had a disclaimer up front, almost trying to keep you from reading it!). Other books appalled me. Others, amused.
Are our lives our own?
Is there another, shadow government out there quietly running the world?
Is the Truth obfuscated for dark, nefarious purposes?
Do UFOs and extraterrestrials exist?
These kinds of questions plagued me the more I read about conspiracy theories as I wrote ERO, and tugged and tore at my belief systems. Eventually, I’ve made peace with it. Whatever is going on out there is and has been going on out there with or without my direct knowledge of it and will continue t do so. Do I believe in everything I’ve read? No, I don’t. And it doesn’t matter, because it really has little impact on my life on a daily basis.
You know, short of ETs coming “out.”
We all live our lives as we do, trying to get by, doing the right thing (most of us). All have our belief systems. And what if these conspiracy theories are just another alternate reality that intersects with all our individual realities, in that, it’s not really real…just an alternate present/past/future we touch on when we “go there.” That life is really all sunshine and rainbows and ice cream…but when we start talking “dark,” then this other reality “Venn diagrams” its way into our reality, our consciousness? And, if that is the case, then we can just as easily not allow it into our consciousness by not believing in it.
I know, a bunch of hooey, to most. But, it’s the perfect “conspiracy machine.” This whole world obfuscates everything. And it doesn’t cost those who may be control a dime.
Isn’t that perfect?
Because, those who may be running things…the secret societies, the shadow governments…get what they need. Confusion. What is real, and what is imagined?
If people really had died in talking about any of this stuff, how did others survive while talking about it? To help put your minds at ease, from what I’d read, those who had theoretically died from “talking” had actually, theoretically taken part in the dark, hidden worlds of UFO/extraterrestrial operations (or had actually “known something”)…had been pledged to eternal silence…then spoke out once they “left” the organization. Now, if anyone is any kind of familiar with the science fiction world, you well know, once you enter any kind of weird Secret Society, you never, really leave. At least that’s what we’re told from the like of the SyFy channel and similar ilk. Yet…one or two still claim to do it and survive, and reasons are given, usually they’re smaller players, or not big enough names making big enough splashes, with important enough wave-making…or because the do muddy the waters just enough to be of benefit to the whole obfuscation process.
Or, it could all be fake.
It’s a weird world out there, Horatio
So, all that said, I’m just a know-nothing guy who had a cool idea in his head for several years and finally wrote it down. I have zero experience with any kinds of UFOs (uh, as far as I know…) nor any kind of experience in any kind of “dark operations.” This entire plot came solely from my imagination and into which I incorporated elements of publicly available material, to which I freely attribute my sources and acknowledgement of their efforts. I am grateful to everyone who wrote their books, and, in some cases, were brave enough to do so.
Don’t take anything for granted. Your life is yours…make the best of it and do not let anyone take away any of your rights to it. And, like a favorite television show used to say every week:
The Truth is Out There.
My ERO research material:
ABOVE BLACK, OneTeam Publishing, 1997, 2006, by Dan Sherman, ISBN 0-9660978-0-7
ALIEN AGENDA, HarperCollinsPublishers, 1997, by Jim Marrs, ISBN 0-06-109686-5
Body Of Secrets, Anchor Books, 2002, by James Bamford, ISBN 0-385-49908-6
BREAKTHROUGH, HarperCollinsPublishers, 1995, by Whitley Strieber, ISBN 0-06-017653-9
Communion, Beech Tree Books, 1987, by Whitley Strieber, ISBN 0-688-07086-8
CRASH AT CORONA, Paraview Special Editions, 2004, by Don Berliner and Stanton Friedman, ISBN 1-931044-89-9
DARK MISSION: THE SECRET HISTORY OF NASA, BY Richard C. Hoagland and Mike Bara, Feral House, ISBN 978-1-932595-26-0
Deep Black, Berkley Books, 1988, by William Burrows, ISBN 0-425-10879-1
Dreamland, Villard, 1998, by Phil Patton, ISBN 0-375-75385-0
Leap Of Faith, Harper Torch, 2002, by Gordon Cooper, ISBN 0-06-109877-9
Roswell: Inconvenient Facts and the Will To Believe, Prometheus Books, 2001, Carl T. Pflock, ISBN 1-57392-894-1
Rule by Secrecy, Perennial, 2001, by Jim Marrs, ISBN 978-0-06-093184-1
Sky Walking, Collins/Smithsonian Books, 2006, Tom Jones, ISBN 978-0-06-088436-9
That Crazy Lady Down The Road, Earth Star Publications, 2005, by Judy Messoline, ISBN 0-944851-14-2
THE DAY AFTER ROSWELL, Pocket Books, 1997, by Colonel Philip J. Corso (Ret.) and William J. Birnes, ISBN 0-671-01756-X
The Right Stuff, Bantam Books/Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 1979/2001, Tom Wolfe, ISBN 0-553-38135-0
The Roswell Legacy, New Page Books, 2009, Jesse and Linda Marcel, Jr., ISBN 978-1-60163-026-1
The works of Seth, Jane Roberts, and Rob Butts
The Zeta Reticuli Incident (and Commentary), AstroMedia Corporation, 1976, Terence Dickinson
Top Secret, The Dictionary of Espionage and Intelligence, Citadel Press, 2005, by Bob Burton, ISBN 0-8065-2650-5
TOP SECRET/MAJIC, Marlowe & Company, 2005, by Stanton T. Friedman. MSc, ISBN 1-56924-342-5
TRANSFORMATION, Avon Books, 1988, by Whitley Strieber, ISBN 0-380-70535-4
UFOs AND THE NATIONAL SECURITY STATE, Hampton Roads Publishing Company, 2002, by Richard M. Dolan, ISBN 1-57174-317-0
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Hi Frank,
I look forward to reading ERO. By the way, my three novels deal with the same subject.
Paul Hansen
Thanks, Paul. Looking forward to reading your work, too….
How & when will this be released, Frank? Sorry if I missed that – I noticed it’s not on Amazon (yet). I have “The Uninvited’ on my Kindle, waiting for me, but I found myself in the middle of a house-hunt not too long ago, so my reading is on hiatus for a bit! Sounds interesting! I reserve judgment on most paranormal activity and conspiracy theories (you’re right – it doesn’t affect my daily life), but it is fun (sometimes) to think & read about it!
ERO will be released this Saturday, July 20th! It’ll be available at Smashwords, Amazon, and Nook.
As to me, the paranormal has pretty much defined much of my life! :-] I love the stuff, but not in hunting ghosts and such. I’ve studied it in a more metaphysical way, in understanding life and in trying to make a better life. Seeing that the “paranormal” is not really all that “para.” Not into “evil” out there, which is a whole nother issue/topic. UFO/ETs…well, I have a different view on them, too. Part of that is in ERO….
And thanks for getting The Uninvited! Hope you like it! I hope ERO turns out to be a fun read for you. I had lots of fun writing it!
Are Our Lives Our Own.?
Boy are there layers of possibilities in that question! Many beyond Sci-fi (like relationships, career, spiritual, etc). Huge topic. You’ve always been one to take big bites. Admirable, Frank.
Indeed, and thanks. I try to blend “that” in ERO, and most of my work. And, yes, I’ve always been one to bite off a little more than I can chew, in this department…so, it’s most fortunate I have a healthy appetite! ;-]
Thanks for stopping by, Karen!
Hi Frank –
Which book was it that put you into the funk you describe?
Wondered when that question would come. :-] And, what the heck, missed it on the list! I’ll add it:
Rule By Secrecy, by Jim Marrs.