The Close Encounters Man: How One Man Made the World Believe in UFOs

2017 Dey Street Books, an imprint of HarperCollins
by Mark O'Connell

The Close Encounters Man tells the remarkable story of Dr. J. Allen Hynek (1910-1986), the astronomy professor hired by the U.S. Air Force to debunk UFO sightings as part of Project Blue Book—only to become an outspoken advocate for the serious scientific study of the phenomenon. Drawing from Hynek’s personal archives, author Mark O’Connell traces his transformation from skeptic to icon, revealing how his work reshaped public perception of UFOs and inspired Steven Spielberg’s hit movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. 

“Ridicule is not a part of the scientific method,” Hynek famously stated, “and the public should not be taught that it is.” To that end, this definitive biography explores Hynek’s decades as the government’s UFO expert, his overlooked contributions to astronomy, and his lasting impact on science, pop culture, and how we imagine life beyond Earth. 

“(A)n engaging encapsulation of the UFO phenomenon… This work is not to be missed.”

 –Best-selling author Jim Marr

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