Description
Author Charles Bowen
Publisher Signet/New American Library (Mentor, Plume & Meridian Books)
Format Mass Market Paperback, Illustrated
Condition very good collectible condition with age tanning and some shelf wear, preserved in an archival sleeve.
Description
This vintage 1977 mass-market paperback represents the true first printing of Encounter Cases from Flying Saucer Review, a foundational anthology collecting major global anomalous tracking files compiled by the world's preeminent ufological journal.
The volume was curated and edited by Charles Bowen, one of the most influential and respected figures in the history of twentieth-century UFO research. As the editor of Flying Saucer Review (FSR) from 1964 into the 1980s, Bowen single-handedly professionalized the field, moving it away from cheap pulp fiction and transforming FSR into a highly disciplined international archive read by scientists, intelligence officials, and serious researchers alike.
This specific collection covers landmark mid-century episodes from around the world, detailing everything from a vehicular displacement mystery in Argentina to close encounters across the British countryside and Japan. Released concurrently with the cultural phenomenon of the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, this volume captures the precise moment when systematic, independent witness documentation was emerging as its own field of historical study. It stands as an essential acquisition for serious collectors of vintage UFO literature, alternative journalism history, and the legacy of Charles Bowen's work.
Why This Copy Belongs in Your Collection
- True First Signet State: This copy features the authentic "First Printing, December 1977" declaration on the copyright page, marking it as a critical primary acquisition for specialized libraries.
- Boutique-Grade Preservation: Most pulp paperbacks from this print run suffer from deep reading creases along the spine or severe edge-chipping across the fragile matte panels. This copy stands as an uncreased, remarkably fresh exception.
Curated Vintage Condition Notes
- Condition: Very Good Plus to Near Fine.
- Details: The original illustrated wraps remain remarkably flat, clean, and vibrant. The spine is square, solid, and completely uncreased, indicating an unread or meticulously handled state. The internal text block is solid, holding clean pages that display uniform, natural light age-toning typical of 1970s pulp paper stock. Entirely free of contemporary signatures, library tracking stamps, or intrusive writing.
- Preservation: Carefully preserved and supplied directly to you housed inside a fresh, premium archival protective sleeve.