Guest blogger: Nick Pope

Science Fiction, Ufology and Hollywood

By Nick Pope

The relationship between science fiction, ufology and the film industry is complex.  In this guest blog I want to do two main things.  Firstly, examine the relationship between sci-fi and ufology and secondly, take a look at the increasingly popular theory that the film industry (and Hollywood in particular) is part of an official campaign to acclimatise people to an extraterrestrial reality and indoctrinate them, by pushing certain key themes.

I write this article with three separate hats on: my Ministry of Defence background (mainly in relation to my time on the UFO project, but incorporating my more general knowledge of how government works); my position as a sci-fi author and someone who commentates on the genre in the media; and finally, as someone who works with various PR agencies and film companies to promote the release of new sci-fi movies.

Science Fiction Influencing Ufology

Skeptical ufologists have often said that sci-fi has a huge bearing on ufology.  At best, they say, it encourages people to believe any odd light in the sky is an alien spacecraft – the MoD received more UFO reports in 1978 (the year that Close Encounters of the Third Kind was released in the UK) than in any other year.  At worst, they suggest that sci-fi encourages people to make bogus claims of UFO sightings and alien abductions, inspired by the sorts of alien spacecraft and extraterrestrials that they see in various sci-fi films and TV series.  Do either of these theories stand up to scrutiny?  Yes and no.

Taking the Close Encounters of the Third Kind anecdote, this could simply be coincidence, but it’s impossible to tell whether there’s any connection between the movie and the number of UFO sightings reported to MoD.  How, short of re-interviewing every witness and probing their reasons for making a report, could you tell?  Does a sci-fi movie cause people to see a UFO?  No.  Might it make someone more inclined to think an unidentified light or object in the sky has a non-prosaic explanation?  It’s a possibility, but there’s no realistic way in which this could be measured.  

A more likely explanation is that a UFO-related sci-fi film will inspire various TV stations, radio stations, newspapers and magazines to run stories and features about the UFO phenomenon.  Indeed, such features are sometimes deliberately placed by film companies as part of a marketing campaign.  I’ve seen (and indeed written) numerous stories and features that begin with an introduction along the lines of “In the week in which X is released, we look into the UK’s best-known real-life alien encounters”.  Often, particularly in local papers, a UFO story will end with a phrase along the lines of “Did you see the UFO?  Have you had a sighting?  Call our news desk”.  What this does is create a more receptive environment than would normally be the case, making it more likely that someone who’s had a sighting will make a report (UFOs are under-reported, because witnesses fear they’ll be ridiculed or disbelieved, or simply because they don’t know who to contact). 

To summarise, sci-fi movies lead to more media coverage about UFOs and aliens, which may lead to a higher proportion of sightings being reported than would otherwise have been the case.  But measurement of any of this would be difficult, if not impossible.  One would need to do a comparative analysis using annual data on the total number of UFO sightings, and on the total number (and thus the proportion) actually reported.  But it’s impossible to quantify sightings that are never reported!  Moreover, one would need to somehow assign values reflecting the volume and impact of science fiction in any given year, and the volume and impact of associated media coverage, as well as determining the extent to which this impacted upon and influenced UFO witnesses.  Bottom line: there may be an influence, but we can’t be certain about this and could never measure it in any meaningful scientific way.

Ufology Influencing Science Fiction

It’s worth pointing out that the debate can be had the other way around.  Sci-fi writers and filmmakers have clearly studied ufology and drawn freely from material in the literature.  In many cases this is self-evident, as with films like Communion and Fire in the Sky, which are based on - though often take artistic licence with - testimony from UFO witnesses and abductees.  But other sci-fi films and TV series reflect a deep familiarity with the subject.  Movies such as Roswell and series such as Dark Skies and Taken clearly involved detailed research into ufology.  On a personal note, my two sci-fi novels, Operation Thunder Child and Operation Lightning Strike are as much techno-thrillers as sci-fi, blending material from ufology with government and military doctrine, tactics and hardware – to the extent that they needed to be officially vetted by the MoD, prior to publication. 

When making Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Steven Spielberg used Dr J Allen Hynek as a consultant.  Hynek had been scientific consultant to the US Government’s UFO investigative program, Project Blue Book.  He even got a cameo role in the movie - for trivia buffs, he’s the guy with the beard, glasses and pipe, looking up at the mothership.  More recently, one only has to look at elements of The X-Files, both in terms of plot and visualisation, to see that Chris Carter knows ufology inside out.  I helped 20^th Century Fox do some promotional work for the second X-Files movie and when I met Chris Carter at the UK premiere he confirmed that he was familiar with my MoD work on UFOs.  So while life imitates art, art imitates life.  There’s certainly a relationship between ufology and science fiction, but it’s a two-way street.

Science Fiction or Propaganda?

There are two interesting but contradictory conspiracy theories about sci-fi movies.  The first suggests that directors such as Steven Spielberg are ‘in the know’ about the existence of extraterrestrials and that their films are part of an acclimatisation campaign to get us so used to the idea that aliens might exist that it won’t come as such a culture shock and ego-blow when the President announces that we’re not alone - “Disclosure”, as many ufologists describe it.  It’s further alleged that constant depiction of hostile aliens (Independence Day, War of the Worlds, Battle: Los Angeles, etc) is part of a campaign to indoctrinate us to the idea that aliens are hostile.

The acclimatisation theory is difficult to debate with people.  Those who believe it are unlikely to be swayed by arguments to the contrary, or even by direct denials from those involved.  “He would say that, wouldn’t he?” would be the response.  The indoctrination theory, however, bears closer scrutiny and is easier to challenge.  After all, there are plenty of major sci-fi movies where the aliens seem benign.  Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. and Contact spring to mind.  If sci-fi movies are propaganda in an indoctrination campaign, we’re getting remarkably mixed messages.  Proponents of the theory might argue that this reflects a reality where there are malevolent aliens and benign aliens (and maybe some neutral aliens too).  But this is currently unknowable and in any case, the whole concept of good aliens and bad aliens is hopelessly anthropocentric.

The related and contradictory conspiracy theory that I mentioned earlier also involves collusion between Hollywood and the government.  But in this one, aliens don’t exist.  Rather, the powers that be want you to believe that they do, in advance of a “false flag alien invasion” (Google the phrase if you have any doubts that such an idea would have any degree of acceptance), which would be used to usher in a New World Order.

I have personal experience of this conspiracy theory.  As a sci-fi writer and in view of my background on MoD’s UFO project, I’m often asked to do promotional work for new sci-fi movies.  This work generally involves ‘straight’ interviews about the UFO phenomenon or the scientific search for extraterrestrial life (e.g. astrobiology and the SETI project), in which – within broadcasting rules – a plug for the movie is given.  I’ve promoted films that include The X-Files: I Want to Believe, The Day the Earth Stood Still, War of the Worlds and, most recently, Battle: Los Angeles.  As a result, I’ve been accused of being a part of this conspiracy theory myself!

Proponents of these sorts of theories point to the fact that the US government has sought to influence various UFO-related movies.  But I’ve done a similar job at the MoD and can say that there’s nothing sinister about this.  The point is that filmmakers often seek to use military resources (equipment, locations and personnel) in a movie.  Self-evidently, in such a situation the military and the government will negotiate with the filmmakers to ensure that if assistance is given, the military are shown in as positive a light as possible: well-trained and equipped, well-led, able, moral, courageous, etc.  This has benefits in terms of both PR and recruiting.  And it’s not unique to sci-fi, of course.  It transcends genre.  The MoD helped with the making of the BBC Scotland sci-fi series Invasion: Earth and with action thrillers like the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies.  I was involved in the negotiations on both these requests personally and yes, our assistance was conditional on the military being portrayed favourably.  If you want our help, you play by our rules.  It’s not a conspiracy – it’s common sense.

Conclusion

Hollywood is not colluding with the US government to promote belief in the reality of extraterrestrial life, either as a prelude to Disclosure, alien invasion or false flag alien invasion.  Sci-fi movies are just that – movies.  It’s about being creative, it’s about entertaining people and it’s about making money.  Sci-fi movies – even the scary ones – are there to be enjoyed.  Don’t have nightmares; do sleep well.

Author, journalist and broadcaster Nick Pope used to investigate UFOs for the Ministry of Defence and is now recognised as a leading authority on the unexplained and conspiracy theories.  He has written two science fiction novels and commentates extensively on the genre in the media.

Nick Pope can be contacted through his website: http://www.nickpope.net