40 Days of Lent: Day Fifteen

But Of Course

I recently read Mutants and Mystics: Science Fiction, Superhero Comics and the Paranormal, Jeffrey Kripal's survey of the strange experiences and occult beliefs of a number of science fiction and comic book authors. I plan to write more about the book later this Lenten season, but I just wanted to mention one of the endnotes that made me laugh out loud.

One chapter is devoted to the experience and work of Whitley Strieber. Mr. Strieber detailed his experiences being abducted by and interacting with "others" (he does not call them "aliens") in his bestseller Communion, which, as bestsellers do, lead to a number of sequels and tie ins. One of these, The Communion Letters, consisted of letters written to Mr. Strieber by those who had read his book and had had similar inexplicable experiences. In an endnote, Jeffrey Kripal writes

There is also the fascinating demographic fact that Irish surnames appear more often than others among the letter writers.

But of course!