Picturing Extraterrestrials

In this witty, erudite, and thoroughly researched book, art historian, John Moffitt discusses the popular iconography depicting alleged extraterrestrial (ET) visitors and the widespread appeal of this New Age craze as a mass cultural phenomenon. A thorough sceptic, Moffitt is interested in kitschy ET portraiture, not as evidence of aliens among us, but for what this imagery reveals about contemporary culture. By brilliantly placing the present cultural moment in historical context, he demonstrates how typical portrayals of aliens reflect long-running (even ancient) cultural motifs. This sweeping and, above all, entertaining perusal of popular culture presents a sophisticated, yet very accessible and often funny dissection of our current obsession with the possibility that we are not alone.