The Mothman Prophecies

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The Mothman Prophecies
"The Mothman Prophecies", by John A. Keel.jpg
First edition
Author John Keel
LanguageEnglish
GenreNonfiction
Publisher Saturday Review Press
Publication date
1975
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint
Pages269
ISBN 0-8415-0355-9

The Mothman Prophecies is a 1975 book by John Keel. [1]

Contents

Synopsis

The book relates Keel's accounts of his investigation into alleged sightings of a large, winged creature known as Mothman in the vicinity of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, during 1966 and 1967. [2] It combines these accounts with his theories about UFOs and various supernatural phenomena, ultimately connecting them to the collapse of the Silver Bridge across the Ohio River on December 15, 1967. [3]

Reception

Kirkus Reviews wrote that the book featured Keel's theories that "ultraterrestrials" use some form of psychic power to create hallucinations such as Mothman and UFOs. [4]

Official investigations in 1971 determined the bridge collapse was caused by stress corrosion cracking in an eyebar in a suspension chain. [5] [6] [7]

In the May/June 2002 issue of Skeptical Inquirer , journalist John C. Sherwood, a former business associate of UFO researcher Gray Barker, published an analysis of private letters between Keel and Barker during the period of Keel's investigation. In the article, "Gray Barker's Book of Bunk", Sherwood reported finding significant differences between what Keel wrote at the time of his investigation and what he wrote in his first book about the Mothman reports, raising questions about the book's accuracy. Sherwood also reported that Keel, who was well known for writing humorous and outrageous letters to friends and associates, would not assist him in clarifying the differences. [8]

Film

The Mothman Prophecies was the inspiration for the 2002 film of the same name, starring Richard Gere.

References

  1. ↑ Keel, J. 1975. The Mothman Prophecies. New York: Saturday Review Press and E. P. Dutton. 269 pp. ISBN   0-8415-0355-9.
  2. ↑ North, E.L. (1979). "Mysteries in the Mountains and Skies of West Virginia". Redcoats, Redskins, and Red-Eyed Monsters. New York City: A. S. Barnes and Company. pp. 190–196. ISBN   0-498-02085-1.
  3. ↑ García, Justin D. "Mothman". ebsco.com. EBSCO Information Services. Retrieved 19 April 2025. John Keel wrote The Mothman Prophecies, which argues that the rumored sightings of the Mothman between 1966 and 1967, reported sightings of UFOs in West Virginia, and the Silver Bridge tragedy were all interconnected phenomena.
  4. ↑ "The Mothman Prophecies". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  5. ↑ "Claims In Disaster Denied". The Portsmouth Times . 28 May 1976. p. 12.
  6. ↑ Dickey, Colin. "A Strange Creature Was Lurking in West Virginia. Then an Iconic Bridge Collapsed". popularmechanics.com. Popular Mechanics. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  7. ↑ "Gray Barker and The Men In Black: They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers". lib.wvu.edu. West Virginia University Libraries. Gray Barker's book, The Silver Bridge, linked the collapse of the Silver bridge in Point Pleasant with the appearance of the Mothman, a winged being with large red eyes that had been seen in Point Pleasant prior to the bridge collapse.
  8. ↑ Sherwood, John C. (May 2002). "Gray Barker's Book of Bunk". skepticalinquirer.org. Center For Inquiry, Volume 26, No. 3 May / June 2002. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
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