The book I was hoping this one was has yet to be written. Denzler doesn't tell us anything we didn't already know about why and how people believe in UFOs and aliens. Mainly what we have here is just compiling the history of reported sightings and abductions, as well as summaries of leading authors (Vallee, Keel). No analysis of the psychology or mass psychology of purported abductees. If you're a true believer, the book probably won't interest you, and if you're trying to understand the believers, it won't answer your questions.

I know from my own experience that the author hasn't begun to scratch the surface of the current types of UFO beliefs. Her index doesn't even include Pleiades! There are lots of New Age types out there who believe that benevolent aliens, the Pleiadeans, are trying to help humanity evolve to higher consciousness. There are umpteen versions of this idea featuring other star systems. There are hostile as well as helpful aliens. In Sedona, Arizona, the New Age mecca (and elsewhere, I'm sure) you can purchase pamphlets mapping the alien bases underneath the Red Rock country, and describing the aerial warfare between the Good and Bad Aliens over the Arizona skies!

I'm sure that there are people who sincerely believe in UFOs without any of this supernatural apparatus. Simple enough, it's fun to believe in the possibility of exciting things that might exist. Denzler discusses pseudo-science, and that is a different category from the New Age beliefs. But why and how do people believe in Pleiadeans, and create and embellish elaborate mythologies involving extraterrestrials as angels, demons and demigods? How do abduction beliefs spread in a population? There's a great book out there waiting to be written...

Although we hear reference to the UFO "controversy" or "debate", the situation more closely approximates an overall donnybrook, a sort of philosophical Star Wars over the relative roles that science, religion, and popular culture should play in defining our place in the Universe. Loosely aggregated camps of "believers" and "skeptics" wage a multifaceted battle on many fronts, and as in the case of a shooting war it is all but impossible for combatants to relate to the perspective of their opponents. The issue is not likely to be resolved soon. Like fifteenth century armies engaged in the Hundred Years War each side has enough resources to keep the fight going, but neither side has enough of an advantage to score a decisive victory. Despite the murky blend of reality and fantasy, the hodgepodge of ramshackle philosophical frameworks, the outrageous examples of gullibility and hermetically sealed minds, the overall fray may have some positive results. It allows people with many different perspectives to engage in dialogues that touch upon great existential issues: who we are, where we came from, our future beyond Earth, and intelligent life other than our own. Tomorrow's historians may interpret the chaotic mixture of materialism, spiritualism, empiricism and mysticism that at once entices and enrages so many people as just one small part of the intellectual effort and emotional turmoil that accompanied our coming of age in the cosmos.

Brenda Denzler's "The Lure of the Edge" is a useful addition to the fray. This well organized and nicely written book is brief, and about a third of its pages are occupied by meticulous notes and a massive bibliography. Its brevity is deceptive. "The Lure of the Edge" invites slow, careful reading because it is richly textured, inspires contemplation and reverie, and offers numerous surprises. There is a certain amount of core material that is required to tell the UFO story, but Denzler's fresh examples, interesting details and steady pace should maintain the interest of many people who are already familiar with that story.

"The Lure of the Edge" contains five chapters, an "Afterword," and a substantial "Appendix." The first two chapters give cogent histories of UFO and alien abduction phenomena. The third chapter grapples with the ambiguous and ever-shifting line between fact and fiction, and explores ideas that are defined by the opposing groups as falling at either the "cutting edge" or the "fringe" of science. In the fourth and fifth chapters Denzler looks at the interplay between science and religion and how these play out in people's thinking about UFOs. Her strong background in sociology and her Ph.D. in religious studies give Denzler an easy and in-depth familiarity with mysticism, spiritualism, transcendent experiences and the like, and allow her to develop better than average discussions of ideas that run counter to the basic tenets of science and skepticism. This means she deserves high marks for her discussions of paranormal and New Age ideas. Denzler reminds us that when we consider the influences of science and religion on UFO and other beliefs we should move beyond "God talk" and consider the systematic thinking of high quality, university-affiliated theologians.

Denzler explores issues from multiple perspectives and generally succeeds in interpreting them within useful conceptual frameworks. She makes reference not only to the major UFOlogists such as Vallee, Keel, and Mack, but also skeptics including Shaeffer, Klass, Condon, and especially Menzel. She does her best to be even-handed and fair. Still, it is impossible for any author to walk an entirely straight line through such minefields, and when Denzler errs it is in a direction that would be favored by religious scholars such as Ian Barbour, Huston Smith and Ted Peters and faulted by thoughtful skeptics such as Paul Kurtz and Michael Shermer.

The Afterword presents her final thoughts on science, religion, and UFOs. Although described as an "Appendix" the final section of "The Lure of the Edge" is a unique contribution. Here we find Denzler's own empirical studies of UFO affinity groups. This original research is based on participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and responses to written questionnaires. Although there are some acknowledged methodological limitations, the results paint an interesting picture of the demographic characteristics of the members of such groups, and provide partial tests of certain theories that bear on UFO beliefs. And, her findings remind us that while some people expect science to give them answers about UFOs, other people would prefer such answers to result from a personal quest.

Brenda Denzler has produced a systematic and enlightening overview of the UFO phenomenon that encompasses scientific, religious, and cultural examinations. While it stands alone as a comprehensive work, it also serves as a rich trove of sources for further research by those interested in all aspects of the phenomenon. Neutral in tone, it allows readers to explore the topic without the bias of either a skeptical or proselytizing author.