Book excerpt: New Saucerian Press proudly presents "Mysterious Ascension: The Strange Case of Valiant Thor" - one of the last books ever written by the iconic ufologist, publisher, and bestselling author, Gray Barker, whose writing informed the plotlines of shows like Star Trek, Futurama, The X-Files, Twin Peaks, The Outer Limits, and The Twilight Zone. Shuttling between his Manhattan publishing office and his secluded cabin deep in the hills of his home state of West Virginia, the prolific Barker single-handedly kept public interest focused on UFOs during it leanest years, and introduced many themes still discussed and investigated by today's paranormal and conspiracy researchers: the Roswell UFO Crash, Men in Black, Ancient Aliens, Nazi UFOs, the Philadelphia Experiment, the Flatwoods Monster, Mothman, MJ-12, secret underground bases, little green men, and the Maury Island Incident. "Mysterious Ascension" and its sister books, "Serpents of Fire," "Saucers of Fire," "Saucers of Fear," "Bigfoot Shootout," "Time-Traveling Through Swamp Gas," and "When Men in Black Attack: The Strange Case of Albert K. Bender" were assembled by Barker shortly before his death, using material culled from deteriorating copies of his notoriously speculative newsletters and gossipy syndicated column - for years the most widely read national column on UFOs, Forteana, and "weird science." This unique edition features a newly updated introduction by Valiant Thor, an Epilogue by Dr. Ogden Pearl, a Note from editor Andy Colvin, and two inspiring interviews with Dr. Frank E. Stranges (Thor's contact on Earth), which shed urgent, much-needed light on riddles such as: UFO abductions, manmade saucers, "alien" healing, antigravity, the MIB, underground bases and tunnels, brainwashing, and remote surveillance. "A welcome follow-up to 'Stranger at the Pentagon'..." -UFO Magazine "Hearing from Valiant Thor again, half a century later, alone makes this worth the price..." -Saucer Journal "Cutting edge, then and now..." -George Plimpton