The Mothman Prophecies

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The Mothman Prophecies
Front Cover
Author	John Keel
Language	English
Publisher	Panther Books
Publication date	1976

This page is about the book. For the movie, see The Mothman Prophecies (film)

The Mothman Prophecies is a 1976 book by parapsychologist John Keel, described as nonfiction.

The book's subject matter mostly concerns events in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, during 1966 and 1967, focusing on sightings of a creature dubbed Mothman. It also includes Keel's theories about UFOs, Men in Black, ghosts, and other paranormal phenomena, as well as the December 15, 1967, collapse of the Silver Bridge across the Ohio River from Point Pleasant to Gallipolis, Ohio.

The book involves Keel as a journalist, direct observer of some events and also presents some fragments of memoir. As such it has been seen as an innovative work of creative nonfiction. The writing style combines reportage and understated humour with fragments of the vivid cinematic approach used by Truman Capote in his work In Cold Blood. It also raises issues with creative nonfiction since Keel's main thesis suggests paranormal phenomena are engaging in elusive communication and it may be easier to appreciate the essence of this communication than make literal sense of it. On page 11, Keel states: "Once you have established a belief, the phenomenon adjusts its manifestations to support that belief and thereby escalate it." Adding on page 55, "I have come to realize that we have been observing complex forces which have always been an essential part of our environment." It is an unusual work of nonfiction since many of the events depicted would appear incredible in the context of a fictional work.

The book was the basis of a 2002 film of the same name.