The Space-Gods Revealed: A Close Look at the Theories of Erich von Daniken

by Ronald D. Story

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060141417
• ISBN13: 9780060141417
• Release Date: January 1976
• Publisher: Harper & Row
• Length: 139 Pages
• Weight: 0.74 lbs.

Customer Reviews

There's gold in them gods....

This is a hilarious and brilliantly-done refutation of Erich von Daniken and the whole "gods from other worlds" con. Among other tidbits, Ronald Story reveals that von Daniken's core "ideas" were borrowed from other writers. He also reveals how far von Daniken strays from scientific method when presenting anicent-astronaut theories, how far he strays from scientific fact, and how relentlessly he substitutes assumption and supposition for evidence. We are given the facts behind the construction of the Easter Island statues and Egpyt's pyramids, as well as explanations for cave-paintings of "astronauts," one-eyed Martians, etc. The book's only fault lies in its assertion that ancient-astronautology is some kind of pop religion. To wit, from the chapter "The New Mythology": "The ancient astronaut theory does seem to represent to many people a solution to the uncertainties that now plague the world." It's too bad that something so silly and specious must follow many pages of meticulous and thorough debunking, but the reader can always skip the occasional mundane digression. This is a skeptic's-bookshelf must.

Great! Required reading for the gullible!

I voraciously read all of von Daeniken's stuff when I was a kid, and thought it was all great stuff. Then, in high school, I got ahold of a slim little number entitled _The Space-Gods Revealed : A Close Look at the Theories of Erich Von Daeniken_, by Ronald Story, and in the span of a couple of hours saw the chariots of the gods tumble into the sea. My first real encounter with the power of rational thought (something not taught in school, in my experience to that point). I have to admit, though, that von Daeniken, on top of all the science fiction I read, did help to solidify my budding atheism, and for that I suppose I owe him some credit.