Fifty years ago this week, a book by an unknown Swiss author theorizing that aliens had established contact with humans centuries and millennia earlier was published. The book was Chariots of the Gods, in which Erich von Däniken posited that many familiar structures--such as Stonehenge, the Egyptian pyramids and the statues on Easter Island--and antique artifacts and works of art with possible images of aliens, space ships and sophisticated technology proved his point that aliens had a wide influence in ancient times. He also saw the development of religions as humans' reaction to contacts with aliens, and perhaps most striking, he theorized that present-day humans are the descendants of alien pioneers.
Many scientists and historians ridiculed Chariots of the Gods, but the book became a popular phenomenon. It was translated into 28 languages and sold more than 16 million copies, with steady sales that continue today. Von Däniken wrote 32 sequels and companion novels on the similar subjects, and his works have led to many documentaries, films, video games, TV shows and, most notably, the Ancient Aliens series on the History Channel. Chariots of the Gods remains a kind of bible in the UFO community.
To celebrate the publication of this surprise bestseller, Berkley has just published a deluxe hardcover 50th-anniversary edition of the book, with a new foreword and afterword by the author ($24).