I read this book because I watched the show Ancient Aliens. I found the idea interesting but in the show I did not like it too much because the basis of all theories is that, "I don't know, therefore aliens." I gave it a benefit of doubt though because the show is short and they cover a very wide range of history and never really focus in on the core of their beliefs.

This is not to deny that there are mysteries in the past, but then so are there in any field of human study - that does not mean that we have to postulate such excesses based on so little evidence. I can't resist going off on the same vein again - How can anyone imagine talking animals? Surely ancient India was home to intelligent (and highly literate) animals as well as the sporadic aliens, all conspiring to befuddle the poor humans into worshiping them and then mythologizing them. Von Däniken's books have been translated into 28 languages, and have sold 60 million copies worldwide. From his books two full-length documentary films have been produced: Chariots of the Gods and Messages of the Gods. Of the more than 3,000 lectures which Erich von Däniken has given in 25 countries, over 500 were presente Greek: Έριχ φον Νταίνικεν Is Erich von Däniken a genius we can't still understand or is he a charlatan who can't distinguish between myths, facts or conspiracy theories? We can't answer this question now as we still don't know whether all those written in the book are correct. It is only a question that we will be able to answer in the future if we fully unravel the mysteries behind ancient civilizations and time travel. A 2004 article in Skeptic magazine [20] states that von Däniken plagiarized many of the book’s concepts from The Morning of the Magicians, that this book in turn was heavily influenced by the Cthulhu Mythos, and that the core of the ancient astronaut theory originates in H. P. Lovecraft‘s stories “ The Call of Cthulhu” and At the Mountains of Madness.Jason Colavito (who has made or echoed some of the criticisms above) has criticized von Däniken's book Signs of the Gods 1979 for what he describes as making very racist claims while speculating that ancient aliens created varying human races. [54] Popularity [ edit ] We have an author who is a known fraudster and simply cobbled together this stuff by copying it from others and then has it all rewritten by a professional to make it fit for publication. But it is interesting how he seems to have homed in on the characteristics of a conspiracy theory, not just in content, but in style. The endless questions - if we object, he can say "hey, I'm just asking questions! Why don't you want me asking questions? What are you trying to hide!?". The pointless (and often fictitious) details. The appeals to authority and popularity - the various 'Professor Kuehn's - that are too vague to actually be a form of accountability. The hostility to intellectuals and their attempts to control (in this case I think through hubris rather than malice?) what people are taught. The negative argument - rather than methodically putting out a case, he just tries to raise enough skepticism in the mainstream 'theory' that eventually people will go 'ugh, ok, it must have been aliens'. He asserts that the supernatural beings described within many religious texts were not angels but aliens … There are several controversies and conspiracy theories connected with Pyramids. Erich von Däniken is one of the first to come up with multiple conspiracy theories regarding pyramids. Pyramids form a major topic in this book.

The book was adapted as a German documentary film, Chariots of the Gods, produced by Terra-Filmkunst. The film was released in 1970 in West Germany and first appeared in the United States the following year. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 43rd Academy Awards in 1971. [13] [25] a b c d e Story, Ronald (1976). The space-gods revealed: a close look at the theories of Erich von Däniken. New York: Harper & Row. p. 2. ISBN 0-06-014141-7. Citing Der Spiegel, in issue 12/1969 (March 17, 1969), p. 184 and issue 12/1973 (March 19, 1973), p. 145. Aliens will return to Earth within 20 years', Chariots of the Gods author predicts". Yahoo UK. November 4, 2016 . Retrieved March 27, 2017.Lingman, Richard (31 March 1974). "Erich von Daniken's Genesis". The New York Times. The New York Times . Retrieved 10 February 2019.