Abductions In My Life

Abductions In My Life - 
Bruce Maccabee's Compelling *Faction*

By Alfred Lehmberg

Increasingly, the UFO—and its sister phenomena, the Abduction enigma—provides for a cutting edge, if alternative, perspective on the whole of Human experience. This "self-achievable perspective" occurs, it is this writer's informed understanding, not as a result of pondering what UFOs are, but as a result of observing what UFOs and relative phenomena do—that they "do," eh? Jacques Vallée and the late Terence McKenna inform same.

What do they do? Could it be said that, initially, they provide for "first time" thinking on that which has heretofore—by direct non-perception or, indirectly, by that previously discussed mechanism of cognitive dissonance—evaded consideration, at all. Consciousness expansion is the all but guaranteed result of ones "first time" thinking. It is ever so.

Correspondingly, these unsettling if expanding anomalies we engage intellectually are in a position to facilitate substantive "firsts," new initiatives, or useful new inventions just alluded to: inventions to facilitate that expanded consciousness. One such recent initiative is perhaps no less than the invention of a NEW LITERARY FORM! Verily!

This singular ufological "first" is discovered in Dr. Bruce Maccabee's book, Abductions In My Life, and proves to be a stunning "first time" accomplishment of particular efficacy... efficacy on most levels the reader cares to name! No hyperbole here!

In a "new literary style" Dr. Maccabee calls "Faction"—fact efficaciously melded with fiction, it is presumed—he introduces a literary form so as the reader is able to tell, easily, plainly, and effortlessly what can be taken as FACT in his novel, and what can be taken for fiction. ...See the innovation of his initiative?

Needing more, the reader may ask, "why?"

Traditionally, if the writer wants to write a factual book, he writes a factual book. If a fiction, then a fiction. Right? The former has citation, the latter is bereft of same. Moreover, it is the "conventional wisdom" that a writer "best serves the reader" by writing one... or the other. What can be gained, your garden variety CSIcopian ether-huffing screwball, sans all imagination and aspect, might scoff, in the mixing of the two?

"Reader confusion at best," Dr. Nickell must sputter in the corporeal. "Reader misdirection at worst," Mr. Klass might proclaim from the klasskurtxian beyond! Well, Dr. Maccabee destroys that arbitrary CSICOPian "conventional wisdom," handily, as is ever the case!

Consider. Many quality books of fiction are fiction heavily rooted in fact. That factual foundation is what gives a work of fiction its compelling immediacy, its stark reality, and its pervading intensity. A difficulty is realized, though—in the service of real education—when the fact and fiction slide so well together that the truths are indistinguishable from the fantasy and the subsequently devalued facts don't penetrate to the reader! It may ring true, but one can't know in a Michener Novel, a Clancy work, or even a King production to all extents, what is and what is not fiction. The facts can't get traction and the readers are not elevated when they could be elevated! The reader should get something back as a result of time spent beyond the merely entertaining, eh? Our accelerated time becomes, increasingly, more valuable.

Consider also that the book of fiction is usually more engaging and attractive to the general reader than the tediously cited nonfiction book. Unfortunately, most nonfiction books with regard to ufology fall into a similar category. They are text-books, in fact, and most quality ufological text books are difficult and not a little tedious to read. As a result of the "giggle factor" inculcated by a "betraying authority" regarding UFOs, UFO researchers try—sometimes too hard—to be serious or to be taken seriously. It shows, tediously, with all but the most gifted writer. Invariably, this translates to a fewer number of people—by an order of magnitude—actually reading said quality book... that potential to inject key information into public consciousness is regrettably lost. Hall's Volume II is an example. It is hugely unfortunate that Hall did for UFOs what NASA did for space flight: make it dull.

Now, Dr. Maccabee is a quality researcher with decades of close tolerance scientific interest in a subject that he knows is of far reaching importance to us all! That lesson must get out, of needs!

To get the maximum number of people interested regarding a ufological research effort—to inject that meme into the social conscience as deeply as he could—he knew he had to get a preponderance of people to read "the book"—ANY quality informational book.

How to get people to do the reading was the problem. Dr. Maccabee's answer to the problem set is an enjoyable and entertaining serendipity in and of itself!

It occurred to him, one discovers, that a book of entertaining fiction laced with facts was the answer he was searching for! But how was he to make it plain where the facts were? How would he make the facts as interesting as the fiction. How could the reader intersect with the fiction and not get lost in the citation? That was the thorny issue. His solution to that problem is brilliant, innovative, and typically cutting edge. Moreover, it is highly effective, completely accurate, and cunningly transparent! See if it is not!

Go. See!

As regards the literary components of the novel, Dr. Maccabee's focused protagonist is no less than a dyed-in-the-wool if very complementarily presented skeptic. Like many of his "persuasion" he was duped by society's unctuously polite—if disingenuous—faux-skeptics, duped into believing that all things ufological were the province of the *misinformed*, the *mentally aberrant*, or the criminally *misinforming* (the "M"-cubed crowd). In other words, UFOs were the result of patent ignorance, cretinism likely caused by irresponsible drug use, perhaps, or the efforts of the odd unethical scalawag or psychopath... exclusively! Other words still? Duped, lying, or crazy... only.

Only!

Anything else was anti-science, lop-eared lunacy, and road-apple-muffin insane! Anyone with any "sense" knew the preceding to be true! Noted CSIcopian Dr. Shermer had "authoritatively" proclaimed it as true to our protagonist! Cut, print, waiter-check-please! Turn in your foil hat!

Consequently, duped by the mendacious, the ill-conceived, and the rank intellectual cowardice of ill-advising Sherm-oids, Klassists, and Nye-ites—et mal sig al—Maccabbee's lead character, reader, is initially, if forgivably, of that described denialist mind!

Chance; however, puts this albeit intelligent and hard-nosed—if uninformed—protagonist in contact with a very believable key adjacent character who didn't seem to fit anywhere in the duplicitous and exclusionary "M"-cubed triad described in its preceding paragraph. A "believer" friends and neighbors; however, reasonable, reasoning, and rational... ...shocking, huh? Get over it. It's true, I suspect, more often than not. It's true with me... but I digress.

As the story unfolds and as an innocent favor to this alternative character, the protagonist does some necessary in-depth ufological research on the way to some truly eye-opening but righteous self-realization—even self-actualization! Cleverly, Maccabee's *invention* of fact/fiction presentation—and the facilitated clarity of separation between them—occurs as a result of the research the protagonist undertakes enroute to his ufological denouement ...or reveals and outdated "paradigm shattering enlightenment"! See, key sections of aforementioned research books are written INTO the story with all their footnotes and citations!

It! Works!

As the protagonist "reads" or reviews research, the reader of Dr. Maccabee's novel reads over the protagonist's shoulder—is along for the ride, so to speak. ...And what a ride it is. Triple "A" tickets with a stellar buffet breakfast, friends!

The protagonist breaks frequently for illuminating inner dialogue, and in that dialogue something very wonderful happens! In a step by step process, and as a result of exposure to quality research material, the protagonist is rationally transformed—transforms himself!—from a knee-jerk re-flex skepti-bunky... into a critical and informed "believer," so to speak, but a believer in the best sense of that word! I'm reminded that "the truth, told to be understood, will be believed..."

This writer is unaware of where that "awakening process" has been traced out, explored, or otherwise dealt with in any other work of fact or fiction. The fact that Dr. Maccabee has accomplished it here—for what this writer believes to be the first time—is fortuitous, seminal, and a validating god send for UFOs! The result? Humankind poetically begins to turn a philosophical corner with this book!

There is an actual and rational path to the reader's OWN ufological enlightenment! Anyone reasonable can go there! Maccabee shows where the stepping stones are across that so very turbulent and reality distorting ufological stream!

As the novel's protagonist is educated, informed ... transformed and enlightened... so too is the reader over his shoulder and in the same manner! The reader becomes the protagonist as is to be expected... and consequently (!), denial... well...it just becomes another river in the Middle East.

Additionally, the characters are drawn real enough to give a damn about, credible enough to believe in, and inventively intelligent enough to provide for a stealthy education! They are genuine persons, reader, in direct contact with the inexplicable and unknown... and once again, they are people who are going to have to wing a response to the high strangeness... on their own and of their individual volition! ...Just like the reader would have to... will have to!

Enroute to what, exactly? Why... maturity, actually—maturity with regard to all the rewards and hazards that maturity entails—or the first step on that path, anyway! These rewards and hazards are presently beyond our imagination in the same fashion that our present way of life is well nigh un-enlishable to persons of just a couple-hundred years in our own past. Still, would a reasonable person of courage have it any other way?

It's a damn fine read, folks! It's a science fiction novel for the person who doesn't like science fiction novels or fiction novels period. It's a work of fiction for the person who likes a great fiction, without a doubt, but also for the person not wanting to "waste time" with a mere fiction! People I shared it with couldn't put it down. ...But there's an *education* slipping in the "Diagon Alley" door of Dr. Maccabee's book, good reader, and it's an education enough to make that rip-roaring fiction held in interestedly trembling hands an actual reality after all! Though a fiction? It's a true story! Such is "faction"!

To paraphrase the good Doctor's book, with every expectation and optimism that can be anticipated, here's hoping that "they" can be friendly... friendlier than us, at any rate. They're the future after all. Contact Dr. Maccabee for a copy at: http://brumac.8k.com/contact.html , and prepare for that future! Read on!