Gabriel Mckee
LightNews LightNews
banner
secret-terror.bsky.social
Gabriel Mckee
@secret-terror.bsky.social
200 followers 190 following 230 posts
Print culture, libraries, religion, science fiction, comics, PKD, Coptic language. "The Saucerian: UFOs, Men in Black, and the Unbelievable Life of Gray Barker" available now from the MIT Press.
Posts Replies Media Videos
secret-terror.bsky.social
Getting ready to present on "Some Narrative Aspects of Cryptozoology" at #NEPCA , which looks at major works of cryptozoology by Sanderson and Heuvelmans alongside creature films of the 1950s (especially "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms"). Here are a couple of my favorite slides from the talk!
A slide from a presentation with the heading “Witness the Plesiosaurus”. At right is an image of a plesiosaur-like creature with a long neck and four flippers, alongside human figure for scale, taken from the book "Loch Ness Monster" by Tim Dinsdale. At left are two quotes: "Imagine an animal of the lizard tribe, three or four times as large as the largest crocodile… witness the Plesiosaurus, which only required wings to be a flying dragon.” (Gideon Mantell, 1827, quoted in Jylkka 2018) “To ’witness the Plesiosaurus,’ as Mantell directs, is an act of imaginative speculation framed, through the legitimizing word ‘witness,’ as part of a normative scientific process."--Jylkka 2018 A slide from a presentation depicting two stills from the movie "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms." The heading reads "The moment of epistemological break." The image at left shows a group of dockworkers excitedly pointing at something in the water. The image at right shows the enormous stop-motion head of a dinosaur emerging from the ocean.
October 9, 2025 at 2:01 PM
secret-terror.bsky.social
The current @forteantimes.bsky.social carries a five-star review of THE SAUCERIAN by the brilliant Andrew May, whose own book "Pseudoscience and Science Fiction" is an excellent resource. Just snippets of the review here, but check out the whole thing in the October 2025 issue!
Headline from book review, reading "Portrait of a ufologist. The biography of the man who first wrote of Men in Black reveals that he mixed fact, fiction and downright hoaxes to stir up the ufological pot." The details of the book being reviewed are: "The Saucerian: UFOs, Men in Black, and the Unbelievable Life of Gray Barker. Gabriel Mckee. MIT Press, 2025. HB, 368 pp., £30, ISBN 9780262049542." Photograph of the cover of the book "The Saucerian," showing the book's title in lime green and yellow over an image of a hovering flying saucer emitting a beam of light over a valley filled with houses and satellite dishes. The text below the image reads: "The subject of this book, Gray Barker, is a case in point. Although he's far from a household name today-- even among serious ufologists-- his work, in the words of author Gabriel Mckee, 'played a key part in the development of the UFO macronarrative.' Mckee is a bibliographic historian by profession, which makes for a different but remarkably insightful perspective on the early development of ufology." The final paragraph of a book review of "The Saucerian" by Gabriel Mckee. The text reads: "In a bizarre twist in 1957, Barker even proposed that one of his hoaxes had been perpetrated by the authorities in order to discredit ufology. Some people may find this hilarious, others may find it reprehensible-- but whichever camp you're in, Barker's lifelong stirring-up of ufology makes a fascinating story. It's one that Mckee tells with admirable clarity and attention to detail. Andrew May. ***** [five stars]."
September 4, 2025 at 2:42 PM
secret-terror.bsky.social
Looking forward to presenting this Saturday at The 2nd Annual Online Symposium on Goth Music and Subculture. My presentation is on the Cure's "Wailing Wall," and is a sort-of sequel to last year's paper on "The Holy Hour"...
Flier for an online symposium. The text reads: "16 August 2025 - 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM (Pacific) - 'A Day'" 2nd Annual Online Symposium on Goth Music and Subculture." Alongside the text are two black-and-white images of black-clad musicians performing on fog-shrouded stages. [The flier also indicates it contains hyperlinks to the conference schedule and the Zoom link for the event itself, but this is just an image, not the original PDF. Both are available at the link in the post itself.]
August 11, 2025 at 7:38 PM
secret-terror.bsky.social
One of these things is... a lot like the other
A screenshot from eBay of two book covers. On the left is "My Visit to Venus" by T. Lobsang Rampa (a British man who claimed to be, or believed himself to be, a Buddhist monk from Tibet); on the right is "Dear Carolyn: Letters to Carolyn Cassaday" by Jack Kerouac (an American man who believed he understood Buddhism). Both covers feature black-and-white line drawings of their respective authors on a plain white background. (Rampa is a bald man of indeterminate ethnic background with a beard, in three-quarter profile facing right; Kerouac is a clean-shaven white man with a short haircut, in three-quarter profile facing left.)
July 24, 2025 at 1:32 PM
secret-terror.bsky.social
Next Saturday (July 19 at 5pm), come to @comicazi (Davis Sq. in Somverville) for a fireside chat about THE SAUCERIAN: UFOs, MEN IN BLACK, AND THE UNBELIEVABLE LIFE OF GRAY BARKER.
A blue square containing the title of the book "The Saucerian" and the logo for the store Comicazi, with a large white X in between them. Below in white is the text: "Join author Gabriel Mckee for a fireside chat about 'The Saucerian: UFOs, Men in Black, and the Unbelievable Life of Gray Barker.' Saturday July 19 - 5pm. Comicazi - Davis Square, 407 Highland Ave., Somerville MA."
July 12, 2025 at 6:36 PM
secret-terror.bsky.social
Bringing thaumaturgy to the final day of #SHARP2025
This account's holder (a white, cis-male-presenting person with sunglasses and a receding hairline) pointing to a street sign reading "No parking - Do not block drive - Magic deliveries only."
July 10, 2025 at 5:16 PM
secret-terror.bsky.social
Delighted to see Tyroc on prominent display in the superhero exhibit at The Strong
An enlarged comic panel showing Tyroc, a superhero associated with DC Comics' Legion of Super Heroes. Tyroc is a Black man wearing a white leotard with a large white collar and several chains across the chest. He is depicted flying downward towards the bottom left of the panel, with his bare legs and white boots bent slightly backwards behind him. He is drawn and colored in a 1970s style, probably by the artist Mike Grell.
July 10, 2025 at 3:25 AM
secret-terror.bsky.social
My paper for #SHARP2025 is "Ufology as a Fandom: Science Fiction Fanzines, Flying Saucer Newsletters, and the Birth of the UFO Subculture"-- check it out at 3:30 Wednesday in the Gamble Room!
The first slide of a Powerpoint presentation, containing the following text: "Ufology as a Fandom: Science Fiction Fanzines, Flying Saucer Newsletters, and the Birth of the UFO Subculture. Gabriel Mckee, New York University, SHARP 2025, July 9, 2025." The text is white on a purple background, decorated with several concentric circles.
July 8, 2025 at 11:05 PM
secret-terror.bsky.social
"THE SAUCERIAN: UFOs, Men in Black, and the Unbelievable Life of Gray Barker" is available now from the MIT Press (and your favorite indie bookstores).

mitpress.mit.edu/978026204954...
Several copies of the book "The Saucerian: UFOs, Men in Black, and the Unbelievable Life of Gray Barker" by Gabriel Mckee. The cover image shows a disc-shaped craft emitting a ray of light over a valley filled with homes, trees, and satellite dishes.
July 7, 2025 at 12:44 PM
secret-terror.bsky.social
Putting the finishing touches on the slide deck for tonight's online talk-- Register free at www.morbidanatomy.org/events !
#graybarker #saucerian #ufos #flyingsaucers #booktalk #onlinelectures
A screenshot showing several slides from a presentation. The title slide shows a flying saucer orbiting the earth and the text "The Saucerian: UFOs, Men in Black, and the Unbelievable Life of Gray Barker - Gabriel Mckee, June 9, 2025". Thumbnails at left show images of Gray Barker and several of his publications, including images of the Flatwoods Monster, a large red and green creature with glowing eyes and clawed hands.
June 9, 2025 at 5:01 PM
secret-terror.bsky.social
In honor of World Goth Day, have a blep
A black cat seated on the back of a chair with its tongue slightly protruding.
May 23, 2025 at 1:48 AM
secret-terror.bsky.social
Returning to an old project this week, feeling very much like:
The "Doctor Manhattan" meme, showing three different panels of a blue-skinned superhuman on the barren landscape of Mars, with the following text: "It's 2013. I am editing an annotated bibliography of Saucerian Books. It's 2020. I am editing an annotated bibliography of Saucerian Books. It's 2025. I am editing an annotated bibliography of Saucerian Books."
May 13, 2025 at 8:34 PM
secret-terror.bsky.social
This Friday (May 16), I'll be speaking at Nerd Nite Hudson Valley, giving a talk on "The UFO Hoaxes of Gray Barker" (a talk I am not giving anywhere else!). Excited to be appearing alongside presentations on agriculture as magic and art as activism.
Flier for an upcoming event. The text reads: "Howland Cultural Center Presents Nerd Nite Hudon Valley. 3 talks on aliens, activism, and agriculture. Friday May 16th, 7:30 PM. Howland Cultural Center, Beacon NY." The image shows a lens-shaped UFO emitting a rainbow of light over a cornfield.
May 12, 2025 at 8:50 PM
secret-terror.bsky.social
Back from a fantastic trip to West Virginia to promote THE SAUCERIAN and celebrate the centennial of its subject, Gray Barker. A truly energizing trip-- The book is out, but I'm not done with this fantastic writer yet.
The headstone of Gray Barker (May 2, 1925-December 6, 1984), with a copy of the biography THE SAUCERIAN laying atop it on the righthand side. A metal sculpture of the Mothman (a being with large wings and red eyes) in Point Pleasant, WV. In the foreground, a copy of the book THE SAUCERIAN is positioned to appear as if it is being held in the creature's clawed hands. The awning of a small movie theater in Buckhannon, WV. The marquee bears the logo of the Colonial Arts Center ( a red C), and advertises performances of Alice in Wonderland from May 9-11. The building formerly housed the Cinema V, a movie theater operated by Gray Barker from 1973-1979. A flyer advertising the movie "The Ghost of Walking Tall" starring Joe Don Baker, screening at the Cinema V at Buckhannon. Several stills of Baker are included on the flyer, and a silhouette of a figure blowing a horn is at the upper left. The primary text reads: "Joe Don Baker is FRAMED in 'the Ghost of Walking Tall.'"
May 5, 2025 at 7:50 PM
secret-terror.bsky.social
It's Gray Barker's centennial week, and I'll be in West Virginia to celebrate! On Friday, May 2 (Barker's 100th birthday) I'll be at the historic Waldomore at the Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library, which houses Gray Barker's extensive archive, which made THE SAUCERIAN possible.
An image listing "The Saucerian book tour: upcoming events." Small cartoon images of the Flatwoods Monster and the Mothman are added at the corners as decorations. The text reads: Friday, May 2 (Gray Barker’s centennial) - Lecture at the Waldomore, Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library, Clarksburg, WV - 6PM - FREE Saturday, May 3 - Appearance at “Gray Day in Sutton,” Flatwoods Monster Museum, Sutton, WV - SOLD OUT! Sunday, May 4 - Reading/signing at Apport Used Books, Emmaus, PA - 2:00 PM - FREE
April 28, 2025 at 11:01 AM
secret-terror.bsky.social
Now up at @bigthink.com - An excerpt from Chapter 2 of THE SAUCERIAN, featuring a brief history of the first few years of the flying saucer story-- the space age of the imagination. Thanks to the folks at Big Think and @mitpress.bsky.social for sharing it!
bigthink.com/books/ufo-cr...
A screenshot from bigthink.com, showing the article "Science Fiction, Project Blue Book, and the beginnings of the UFO craze" by Gabriel Mckee. The lead image is a grainy, black-and-white photograph of a disc-shaped, domed flying saucer.
April 23, 2025 at 1:20 AM
secret-terror.bsky.social
It's publication day! THE SAUCERIAN: UFOS, MEN IN BLACK, AND THE UNBELIEVABLE LIFE OF GRAY BARKER is available NOW! Join me at 7pm on Thursday, 4/24 at Split Rock Books in Cold Spring NY for the official book launch...
Several copies of the book "The Saucerian: UFOs, Men in Black, and the Unbelievable Life of Gray Barker" by Gabriel Mckee. The cover image shows a disc-shaped craft emitting a ray of light over a valley filled with homes, trees, and satellite dishes.
April 22, 2025 at 1:27 PM
secret-terror.bsky.social
Looking forward to presenting on Richard S. Shaver, sf fandom's reaction to him, and how subcultures construct and preserve authority at the Popular Culture Association conference this week.

#shavermystery #fandomstudies #fanzines #sciencefiction #PCAACA2025 #raypalmer
The front cover of the "Experimental Issue" of the Shaver Mystery Magazine, a tattered newsprint publication. The cover images shows a drawing by Richard Shaver of several elaborately-dressed individuals in a luxurious environment, presumably a scene from the cavern world.
April 12, 2025 at 2:19 PM
secret-terror.bsky.social
The official book launch for THE SAUCERIAN, my new biography of UFO tale-spinner Gray Barker, will be at Split Rock Books in Cold Spring, NY on Thurs., April 24, at 7pm. Join me for a conversation with Joe Vergolina on Barker's life and the culture of the weird from the 1950s to the present.
Images of Gabriel Mckee and Joe Vergolina, plus the book cover of "The Saucerian: UFOs, Men in Black, and the Unbelievable Life of Gray Barker", showing a flying saucer over a rural landscape at night. Text reads: The Saucerian: Gabriel Mckee in conversation with Joe Vergolina, Thursday, April 24th, 7pm. The strange but true biography of Gray Barker, the colorful founder of Saucerian Books, a central purveyor and promoter of flying saucer and conspiracist knowledge in the mid-twentieth century. Splot Rock Books, 97 Main Street, Cold Spring, NY 10516.
April 10, 2025 at 12:28 AM
secret-terror.bsky.social
It exists!
A copy of the book "The Saucerian: UFOs, Men in Black, and the Unbelievable Life of Gray Barker" by Gabriel Mckee
April 2, 2025 at 8:00 PM
secret-terror.bsky.social
Do yourself a favor and order vol. 2 of the new edition of Jon Peterson's ( @increment.bsky.social ) PLAYING AT THE WORLD. Vol. 1 covered D&D specifically; vol. 2 thoroughly explores its prehistory: medieval fantasy as a genre, tabletop wargaming, and the origins of roleplaying.
The cover of "Playing at the World (2nd edition), volume 2: Three Pillars of Role-playing Games" by Jon Peterson.
March 30, 2025 at 12:53 PM
secret-terror.bsky.social
From the New York Times Book Review, April 19, 1953: a print ad for the first, Ace Double edition of "Junkie" by William S. Burroughs. The ad copy includes quotes from John Clellon Holmes (without his first name) and Jack Kerouac (identified as "John Kerouac, author of The Town and the City"). 1/
An advertisement for the first edition of "Junkie" by William S. Burroughs (as William Lee). The book, an Ace Double with two titles bound back-to-back and inverted, is displayed fanned open, with the "Junkie" cover highlighted on the right. The advertising text includes quotations from John Clellon Holmes (as Clellon Holmes) and Jack Kerouac (as John Kerouac).
March 14, 2025 at 5:47 PM
secret-terror.bsky.social
I think I may have blundered into a Project.
A large stack of paperback books by T. Lovsang Rampa.
February 9, 2025 at 3:34 PM
secret-terror.bsky.social
🛸GRAY DAY 2025🛸
Mothboys Podcast and The Flatwoods Monster Museum proudly present Gray Day. Join us on Saturday May 3rd, 2025 at The Flatwoods Monster Museum in Sutton, West Virginia to celebrate Gray Barker’s 100th birthday. Gray Day will consist of…
Poster advertising "Gray Day: Celebrating Gray Barker's 100th Birthday," sponsored by Mothboys Podcast and the Flatwoods Monster Museum. The image shows Gray Barker seated at a typewriter; behind him are two Men in Black, the Flatwoods Monster, some flying saucers, the Grafton Monster, Veggie Man, and the Mothman. Artwork by Jonathan Dodd.
February 1, 2025 at 9:27 PM
secret-terror.bsky.social
Given a sample citation and asked to identify the style, ChatGPT quite confidently gives the completely wrong answer. A citation is encoded metadata: This is something AI *should* be good at... but it's apparently not.
Screenshot of a ChatGPT interaction. Full text: Question: What citation style is this (from a bibliography)? Wink, Walter. 1984. Naming the Powers: The Language of Power in the New Testament. Philadelphia: Fortress Press. ChatGPT said: The citation style in your example is Chicago (specifically the Notes and Bibliography system), often used in the humanities, particularly history, religion, and the arts. Here are key features indicating Chicago style: Author's name is listed as "Last name, First name." The title of the book is italicized. The publication year is placed after the author's name, followed by a period. The city of publication is listed before the publisher's name, separated by a colon. Let me know if you need further clarification! Response: That's not correct. Chicago Notes and Bibliography places the date after the publisher, not after the author. ChatGPT said: You're right! I apologize for the confusion.
January 16, 2025 at 4:11 PM