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Review of Harbinson's Genesis


 
 
 
 
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                                    June 14, 1991
 
                                    GENESIS2.ASC
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        The following book  review  was  taken from FSR Vol 26 #4 (1980) and
        the response by the author of the  book  "GENESIS" is taken from FSR
        Vol 27 # 1. I believe that the "novel" Genesis is a  must  read item
        for anyone interested  in the field of ufology. I personally fail to
        understand why the normally respectable  Ms.  Randles  "beats up" on
        what is clearly labelled as a novel.
 
                      REVIEW OF A NEW NOVEL THAT CONJURES UP A
                           NIGHTMARISH PICTURE OF UFOLOGY
 
           Normally, Flying  Saucer  Review  would not concern  itself  with
           books of  the  fictional  kind,  for  that is what Genesis, a new
           Corgi paperback by W. A. Harbinson  (published  October 1950, 612
           pages) turns out to be.  The  theme,  however,  is  UFO'S,  so
           it  merited  a mention.
 
              For me it proved to be a horrifying book. Not  only horrifying
           because its content is a kind of souped-up horror story conceived
           around the UFO mystery, but also because of the dreadful image it
           conjures up  both  of  the subject and the people involved in it.
           Again there must be UFO enthusiasts  who,  weaned on the cover-up
           idea that  so obsesses the author, will find sinister  undertones
           in what Corgi Books label " " . . .the epic novel of the world's
           most fearsome secret".
 
              Novels based on ufology are rare: the theme of the very
 
                                       Page 1
 
 
 
 
 
           reasonable Miracle  Visitors  by  Ian  Watson (Panther Books) was
           written around the Vallee/Jung school of thinking.
           This new offering, however, seems to be culled from the hard-line
           ufology of Kehoe, Stringfield  and  Co.  There was  scope  for  a
           literary  exploration  of the cover-up mythology.   Genesis tries
           to do  that,   but  its idea isn't entirely original, for our own
           Gordon Creighton touched on it - albeit in a light-hearted manner
           - in his article " "Those cunning British: the truth at last. , ,
 
              The complex plot introduces  elements from all over the world,
            but  is centered on  Britain -  an  abduction   in  Cornwall and
            regression hypnosis  by  a London doctor - and the plot revolves
            around the activities of two full-time  American ufologists-cum-
            scientists, whose  role  is  never quite explained.   Apparently
            they do  not work for the government, yet they stroll in and out
            of military bases with a freedom  that  is ridiculous to say the
            least. Nor  is  it explained who pays these redoubtable  workers
            during the course of the action between 1974 and 1975.
 
              One of  them  is  an  older  man with an incurable disease the
            other is a Whizz-kid who either  spends  a  globe  trotting life
            following up UFO incidents, or wallows in strong drink in drugs.
            This younger  one  is hell-bent on breaking the  great  cover-up
            mystery before  his buddy dies, and one is forced to assume that
            his methodology is standard both for him and other assoeiates of
            his: in one scene he heats the truth out of one participant who,
            soon afterwards,  dies  of.  a  heart  attack.   Other   methods
            involve getting  his   witnesses  drunk,  in drugged,  and  then
            hurling four  letter  words  at  them he even resorts to rape to
            elicit the truth from one unfortunate.
 
               In parts  of  the text Mr. Harbinson  actually   intermingles
            real events and characters with fictional ones  even the late Ed
            Ruppelt of  Project  Blue  Book fame, and poor James E. McDonaId
            who, unhappily, can no longer  speak  up  for  themselves. Other
            characters are    paraded   who   seem   to   parallel    living
            investigators, and FSR also gets a mention, but fortunately only
            in the  authors  notes,  where it is recommended as " "mandatory
            reading, , - but with a " "selective eye".
 
               Basically the author presents  a  theory  (based  on  obscure
            documents  said  to  have  been  discovered  in   West  Germany)
            that everything   which  we  link  with  UFOS  -  19th   Century
            airships,  the   Tunguska   explosion,    Foo   Fighters,  ghost
            rockets and  the  Bermuda  Triangle - are the  work  of.  a  mad
            genius, at   one   time  associated  with  the  Nazis,  who  has
            discovered - and applied - secrets  of  longevity,  and when has
            found a hide-out in Antarctica.  Naturally this  person  is bent
            on world  domination,  but I'll leave the rest of. the story for
            anyone who may wish to read it.
 
               For myself., all I can do is shudder at the false picture of
            UFO investigators and researchers  that  will be created by this
            monster novel. The horrifying aspect is that  many  may  read it
            who could  well   have   their   own   UFO experience at a later
            date, and keep their peace when  they recall the behavior of the
            fictional investigators. My only hope is that many  readers will
            not be  taken  in  by  the fanciful and artificial nature of the
            book, which as far as the painstaking researchers and careful
 
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            documenters of  ufology  are  concerned,  belongs  to  the murky
            waters at the bottom of another barrel.
 
        HARBINSON RESPONDS:
 
                   GENESIS: Miss Randles please note
                   ---------------------------------
 
             Sir. - Any book published is going to receive both positive and
             negative reviews, and while all authors worth their salt should
             enjoy the former and keep quiet  about  the  latter,  no author
             should take  lying  down  the sort of distortions  purveyed  by
             Jenny Randles in her review of my novel Genesis in the November
             issue of  FSR.  The  following  corrections are therefore to be
             noted.
 
               It is suggested that the author  never  explains  who his two
             leading characters are working for. In fact, in the very first
             chapter (page 16), it is made clear that they  are  working
             for a  civilian  organization   called  the  Aerial   Phenomena
             Investigations Institute.   based  in Washington, D.C. The work
             of that  institute, obviously  based  on NICAP, is discussed by
             both characters in the same chapter. I apologize for not
             discusing  their  income  (another complaint by  Jenny),  but I
             can't imagine many readers being interested.
 
                 lt  is   also   claimed  that  my  two scientists,  who  do
             not  work  for  the government,  stroll  in  and  out  of
             military bases with a freedom  that  is  ridiculous  no say the
             least.,, To say the least. my scientists pay calls on only two
             such  establishments  throughout  the course of  the novel: one
             to Winslow Air Base, Arizona, and the other to NASA.
 
                 Regarding the former, Winslow is not a secret
             establishment and  it  would be perfectly easy for a journalist
             or scientist to obtain the sort  of  pass used by my character:
             regarding the latter.  Rather than have my characters  ""stroll
             in and  out   . . .   with   a  freedom  that  is ridiculous,,.
             I clearly show them being refused entry to NASA.
 
                 Jenny describes the younger of my two scientists as someone
             who ,"wallows in strong drink or drugs.,,  In fact,  that
             particular character, Stanford, has two major confrontations in
             the book - one with an alcoholic  and  one with a drug addict -
             but during  neither scene does Stanford either  ""wallow,,   in
             drink or take drugs; and nowhere in the 612 pages of Genesis is
             it even remotely suggested that he has ever indulged  in  such
             delicious vices.
 
                According to  Jenny, the reader is " " forced  to  assume. ,
             that young   Stanford's   admittedly    violent    methods   of
             interrogation (on  only  two  occasions.  I   might   add)   is
             ""standard for both him and other associates of his.,, In fact,
             Stanford's only  other  associate is clearly shown to be a kind
             and gentle old man who treats everyone  with  unfailing
             decency. As for Stanford, contrary to the monster  suggested
             by the unduly sensitive Ms Randles, he is drawn as an obviously
             intelligent,  amiable  but uncommitted  young  man  whose  two
             outbursts of violence in the latter half of the book  arc
 
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             borne  of  increasing frustration, fear and desperation - a not
             abnormal reaction  under  the  circumstances  described  in the
             novel.
 
               Jenny suggests that one of  the  characters  died  of a heart
             attack because of a beating received by Stanford. This is
             simply  not  true.  The  character  in question   is   actually
             murdered by someone else.
 
               Jenny claims that Stanford ""resorts to rape  to  elicit  the
             truth  from  one unfortunate. ,, This, also, is untrue. The
             girl is  obviously  willing  and Stanford uses no force; it's a
             mutual seduction by two people who hardly know what they're
             doing.
 
               Finally,  Jenny  seems  particularly  offended  than I should
             recommend FSR  as "mandatory reading"   but with  a  "selective
             eye" .,  To  that  l  can only reply that no higher praise than
             ""mandatory reading" can be  applied  to  any  publication; and
             that judging by your own admirably democratic and therefore
             argumentative  letter    columns,   a  ,"selective   eye",   is
             frequently utilized by your most faithful readers.
 
               Any reviewer  is  entitled  to  dislike  a  book; no reviewer
             should be allowed to distort the contents of that book.
 
               Otherwise. l thank you for  the  review  -  and  I  shall, of
             course, continue to read FSR.
 
             Yours in hopes of democratic treatment.
 
             W. A. Harbinson,
             44 Rosebery Road,
             Muswell Hill.
             London N10 2LJ
             March 31 , 1951
 
           PS:  The  novel  doesn't  conjure  up a nightmarish   picture  of
                Ufology  it conjures up a nightmarish picture of the
                possible abuse of current technology: the Ufologists are not
                accused; the scientists are . . . So!
 
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        Vangard note...
 
             We highly  recommend the book Genesis.  It contains much detail
             on many of the secret weapons which the Germans were alleged to
             have been working on toward the end of WWII.
 
             Peter Kelly first told us of  the  book  which was reprinted in
             the 80's.   Copies  of  the  book  are very difficult  to  find
             although some of our contacts did locate several editions.
 
             We recently acquired a copy of Intercept UFO by Renato Vesco
             on which  the  Genesis  book is heavily based.  This book gives
             even more  detail  on the German  devices.   These  range  from
             cannon powered by electromagnetic fields (developed in 1943) to
             cannon powered by vortex rings of highly compressed  air.   Not
             to mention the suction aircraft technology as developed by
 
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             Victor Schauberger, Henri Coanda and other German scientists.
 
             Interestingly enough,  we  stumbled on an article on the Coanda
             Effect in an old Popular Mechanics which will also be listed on
             the board.
 
             To date, there is STILL NO CONCLUSIVE  PROOF  just  what  UFO's
             are, how they actually fly, who or what pilots  them  and  what
             country or  planet  they are from.  Not to mention what do they
             want or what purpose they serve.
 
             Harbinson offers a fascinating  scenario based on documents and
             extrapolation from many sources.  The Airship  mystery  of 1890
             is one  which  we  find  of particular interest since it was at
             that time that Keely demonstrated  his flying machine to the US
             ARMY.  The machine disappeared at about the  same  time  as the
             many mysterious  sightings  across  the  United  States  in the
             1890's.  Files  to this effect  are  included  on  KeelyNet  as
             AIRSHIP1 through 3....
 
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               Thank you for your consideration, interest and support.
 
            Jerry W. Decker.........Ron Barker...........Chuck Henderson
                              Vangard Sciences/KeelyNet
 
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