Lettre d'Information Ufologique - Vol 1 No 2 - dec 1989

Magazine Overview

Title: Lettre d'Information Ufologique
Issue: V.1, N.2
Date: December 1989
Publisher: CCOI
Country: Canada
Language: French

This issue of the "Lettre d'Information Ufologique" provides a comprehensive overview of recent developments in ufology, with a particular emphasis on press coverage, conference reports, and an extensive bibliography of relevant books.

La Presse Recente (Recent Press)

The section "LA PRESSE RECENTE" compiles numerous press clippings from various publications, highlighting recent UFO-related news. These clippings mention locations such as the USSR, Saskatchewan, and Ontario, and cover topics ranging from alleged UFO landings in the USSR to sightings in the desert and strange creatures on the Volga River. The articles cited include "L'OUNI rouge" from La Presse, "Un ovni aurait atterri en URSS" from Le Journal de Montréal, and "Aliens? American scientists shoot down Soviet steries" from The Gazette, among many others. The compilation suggests a significant amount of media attention on UFO phenomena during this period.

The UFO Experience Conference

This section details the experiences of attendees at a UFO conference held in North Haven, Connecticut, on November 11-12, 1989. Jean-Pierre Plouffe, André Parent, and Marc Leduc were among the attendees. Plouffe discusses his interactions and impressions of various speakers, including Walter Andruss, whom he found to be a promising contact for MUFON in Quebec. He also mentions brief exchanges with John Keel regarding "Men in Black" and observing Whitley Strieber. The report provides summaries of the speakers' presentations:

• Walter Andruss: Emphasized the Gulf Breeze case and recommended several books by Robert D. Boyd on the subject.
• Jerome Clark: Critiqued Jacques Vallée's theories, particularly his "psycho-socio-religious-etc" ideas.
• William L. Moore: The author expresses disappointment with Moore, finding his credibility diminished and his information on UFO crashes and alien cadavers questionable.
• John Keel: Described as knowledgeable but somewhat disorganized, his presentation nonetheless impressed the attendees.
• Kenneth Ring: Drew parallels between third-type encounters and near-death experiences, a topic the author found uninteresting.
• Whitley Strieber: Described personal experiences of invasion by entities, impressing attendees with his narrative talent. He was also noted for his sarcastic remarks towards media critics.
• Michael Grosso: The author found his presentation on ancient astronauts and Fatima miracles to be somewhat dull.
• David Webb: Presented statistical data from his case files on close encounters, which the author found to be the most engaging presentation, aligning with his own research methods.
• Ellen Crystall: Her personal experiences and photographs were discussed, with the author suggesting some photographic anomalies might be due to moisture on the lens.
• Vickie Cooper: Her presentation was met with mixed reactions, and the author was uncertain about spending money on her book.
• John White: Spoke about UFOs and higher consciousness, but the author did not attend this session.

Les "Meilleurs" Livres Sur Le Sujet Des Ouni (The "Best" Books on the UFO Subject)

This extensive section provides a curated bibliography of books on UFOs, categorized to help researchers navigate the literature. The introduction notes the vastness of UFO literature, particularly in English, and the relative obscurity of Quebecois contributions.

Meilleurs Livres de Recherche en Anglais (Best Research Books in English)

1. Hendry, Allan: "The UFO Handbook: A guide to investigating, evaluating and reporting UFO sightings" (1979). Hendry's work focuses on methodology and the necessity of positive identification of phenomena.
2. Rutledge, Harley D.: "Project Identification: The first scientific field study of UFO phenomena" (1981). Rutledge conducted rare field experiments to systematize the observation of aerial phenomena.
3. Hynek, Joseph Allen: "The UFO Experience: A scientific enquiry" (1972). Hynek established fundamental principles for defining the phenomenon and categorizing reports.
4. Devereux, Paul: "UFOs and Mystery Lightform Phenomena: The Earth's Secret Energy Force" (1989). Devereux highlights natural phenomena that may be related to UFOs.

Meilleurs Livres de Recherche en Français (Best Research Books in French)

5. Vallée, Jacques et Jeannine: "Les Phénomènes Insolites de l'Espace" (1978). Vallée developed a system for codifying UFO phenomena, precursor to computer applications in ufology.
6. Bougard, Michel: "Des Soucoupes Volantes aux ONI" (1976). Bougard synthesized the work of SOBEPS but presented limitations in report interpretation.
7. Pinvidic, Thierry: "Le Noeud Gordien ou la Fantastique Histoire des OUNI" (1979). Pinvidic covered various aspects, including government activities and scientific reports, without resorting to stereotypes.
8. Jung, C.G.: "Un Mythe Moderne" (1963). Jung explored the psychological aspects of UFO phenomena, focusing on the symbolism of round and oval shapes.

Meilleurs Livres Critiques-Sceptiques en Anglais (Best Critical-Skeptical Books in English)

9. Klass, Philip J.: "UFO-Abductions a Dangerous Game" (1988). Klass's critique of abduction reports and hypnotic regression is highlighted.
10. Kagan, Daniel, Summers, Ian: "Mute Evidence: The cattle mutilations mystery-solved!" (1984). This work involved re-investigating and verifying claims related to cattle mutilations.
11. Sagan, Carl, Page Thornton: "UFO's a Scientific Debate" (1974). This manual applies rigorous scientific methods to examine UFO phenomena.
12. Conroy, Ed: "Report on Communion" (1989). Conroy conducted a methodical investigation into Whitley Strieber's life and experiences, offering severe conclusions.

Meilleurs Livres Critiques-Sceptiques en Français (Best Critical-Skeptical Books in French)

13. Barthel, Gérard, Brucker, Jacques: "La Grande Peur Martienne" (1979). This work involved verification of claims related to the 1954 French UFO wave.
14. Monnerie, Michel: "Le Naufrage des Extraterrestres" (1979). Monnerie's work raises doubts about the reliability of reports and investigations, serving as a cautionary note.
15. Méheust, Bertrand: "Science-fiction et Soucoupes Volantes: Une réalité mythico-physique" (1978). Méheust examines how collective beliefs and science fiction influence the interpretation of UFO events.
16. Robin, Jean: "Les Objets Volants Non Identifiés ou la Grande Parodie" (1979). Robin focuses on the mythico-religious aspects of UFO interest and compares them to similar pseudo-religious beliefs.

Meilleurs Livres de Science-Fiction (Best Science Fiction Books)

1. Caidin, Martin: "The Mendelov Conspiracy" (1974). A former Air Force intelligence agent, Caidin writes plausible, almost factual-sounding novels based on UFO lore.
2. Tilley, Patrick: "Fade-out" (1977). Tilley's novel is well-informed about current UFO events and presents a plausible, realistic narrative.
3. Harbinson, W. A.: "Genesis" (1980). Harbinson uses UFO ideas to construct a plausible scenario with an interesting hypothesis.
4. Leonard, G.H.: "Alien" (1977). Leonard's novel mentions Hynek and is partly set in Saskatchewan, concluding similarly to "Close Encounter of the Third Kind."

Conclusion

The conclusion summarizes the value of the reviewed books. Research books are recommended for their scientific rigor and experience in the field. Critical-skeptical books are praised for their conventional scientific approach, emphasizing sampling, validity, and criteria. Science fiction books are noted for demonstrating the plausibility of the UFO phenomenon in its form and content, regardless of the origin of the data.

References Bibliographiques

A list of references is provided, including "The UFO Literature" by Richard Michael Rasmussen (1985), and specific entries for the books reviewed in the bibliography sections.

Evenements du Trimestre (Events of the Quarter)

DECES: The death of Henri Bordeleau, a prominent Quebec ufologist, is announced. His contributions included books, media appearances, and involvement in the 1967 "Terre des Hommes" exhibition. Bordeleau was a proponent of the terrestrial salt theory for UFOs. He was known in France and Belgium and was an industrial psychologist. His later years were reportedly filled with bitterness regarding the stagnation of ufological developments and media attitudes.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the media's portrayal of UFO phenomena, the analysis of UFO conference proceedings, and a critical evaluation of UFO literature. The editorial stance appears to be one of thorough research and critical analysis, encouraging a scientific approach to the subject while acknowledging the vastness and complexity of UFO reports. The inclusion of both pro- and anti-UFO literature, as well as science fiction, suggests an aim to provide a balanced perspective and a comprehensive resource for serious researchers.

Title: Lettre d'Information Ufologique
Issue: W1, N2
Date: December 1989
Publisher: LIUFO
Country: Canada
Language: French

This issue of the "Lettre d'Information Ufologique" (Ufological Information Letter) provides updates from the ufology community, a book review, and subscription details.

News and Correspondence

The issue begins with a report on a meeting that took place on September 24th in Varennes, involving J.P. Plouffe, R. Naud, and A. Parent. Following this, a section on "Courrier" (Mail) highlights correspondence received. Richard Bastien sent a letter of encouragement, noted as a long-time collaborator and investigator with Quebecois groups over the past fifteen years. Philippe de La Messuzière contributed a subscription and brief information on uncatalogued observations. Robert Kurylo is seeking back issues of "UFO-QUEBEC" (numbers 1, 2, 4, and 9). Regarding an April 1988 observation in St-Alphone, Kurylo does not agree that the credibility and strangeness indices are low, stating that there is too little information to make a definitive pronouncement.

Book Review: "The UFO Casebook"

Jean-Pierre Plouffe reviews "The UFO Casebook" by Captain Kevin D. Randle (USAF, Ret.), published by Warner Books in 1989. The book, a 256-page paperback, offers a personal re-examination of modern ufology classics through the author's own investigations. It chronologically covers well-known cases such as Roswell, Mantell, Lubbock, Washington in 1952, and Villas Boas, Sorocco, among others. The review notes that Randle particularly focuses on cases that left the investigators of Project Blue Book perplexed.

The reviewer states that the book's objective is to promote the idea of a conspiracy and a well-kept secret, stemming from the alleged recovery of a UFO wreck by Americans near New Mexico. Consequently, the author's conclusion that the phenomenon is extraterrestrial is not surprising. Plouffe observes that, as is common with many books, the publisher's claims on the cover are more enticing than the content within. Despite this, the book is considered an interesting read, especially for its examination of the author's efforts to confirm or refute the validity of the studied cases, all for the price of $5.95 CAN.

Subscription Information

Subscription to LIUFO:
The subscription costs $5 and covers production and postage costs. Checks or money orders should be made payable to Marc Leduc and sent to B.P. 955, 12 Chemin de la Butte, Lac Beauport, Québec, Canada, G0A 2C0. A phone number for inquiries is also provided: 1 418 849 1446.

Publication Schedule:
The "Lettre d'Information Ufologique" is published quarterly, approximately every three months, and contains at least four pages, plus contributions from collaborators.

MUFON UFO JOURNAL:
The MUFON (Mutual UFO Network) is highlighted as the most important American ufology group and an excellent source of information in English. Subscription details for the "MUFON UFO JOURNAL" are provided, costing $25.00 per year, with a mailing address in Seguin, Texas, USA.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue reflects a strong interest in historical UFO cases and the potential for government cover-ups or conspiracies. The book review leans towards an extraterrestrial hypothesis and suggests a critical view of publishers' marketing. The editorial stance appears to be one of information dissemination within the ufology community, encouraging participation and providing resources for further research, both in French and English.