The upcoming biography of Dr. J. Allen Hynek - "The Close Encounters Man" by Mark OcConnell

Coming in mid June is a book I highly recommend. A biography of Dr. J. Allen Hynek by "High Strangeness" blogger Mark O'Connell: "The Close Encounters Man - How One Man Made the World Believe in UFOs" from Dey St - an Imprint of William Morrow - part of the Harper Collins book empire. Mark kindly sent me an advance copy of the book. I plan to review the book and discuss the life and legacy of Allen Hynek in coming weeks and hope that Mark's book reaches a big audience. My preliminary thoughts:
In a wonderful and entertaining "close encounter" with the scientist who created an icon and made it ok to be into UFOs, this book reveals in a compelling and engaging way why Dr Allen Hynek's fight for a UFO science needs to be understood and turned into a powerful momentum for change. The flying saucers, UFOs or UAPs that were a major part of his life have persisted as one of the most enduring and extraordinary mysteries of our times. Hop onboard the wild UFO comet ride of our lives.
Images: book cover, author Mark O'Connell, the iconic "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" poster, and Dr. Allen Hynek and me at his Chicago home in 1984 - a great opportunity to talk about UFO science and the Australian UFO scene.  I recorded an interview with Allen Hynek, which included him and I reading through his Australian visit notebooks.  I hope to make that interview available soon.