Brad Steiger

Brad Steiger, born Eugene E. Olson in 1936, was an American writer who authored nearly 170 books exploring topics such as the paranormal, spirituality, UFOs, and true crime. His writing career began early, and he transitioned to full-time authorship by 1967. Steiger's books achieved significant public sales, totaling 17 million copies, and he also penned biographies of notable figures like Greta Garbo and Rudolph Valentino. He co-authored several works with his wife, Sherry Hansen Steiger. Steiger's explorations extended to theories about Atlantis being a technologically advanced civilization and the concept of ancient astronauts, suggesting human descent from extraterrestrial beings he termed 'star people'.

Despite his commercial success, Steiger's work was frequently met with skepticism from academics and critics. They pointed to a lack of scientific evidence, unsubstantiated claims, and insufficient sourcing in his books. Reviewers like anthropologist Bonita Freeman-Witthoft and skeptical investigator Joe Nickell found his content to be unreliable, inaccurate, or pseudoscientific, rendering it of little use to scholars and those seeking genuine understanding of the subjects he covered. Steiger passed away in 2018 at the age of 82.

Brad Steiger dedicated a significant portion of his prolific writing career to exploring subjects often considered esoteric and paranormal. He delved into the mysteries of UFOs, presenting theories that suggested extraterrestrial involvement in human history, famously referring to these beings as 'star people' and proposing that many humans have alien ancestry. Steiger also championed the idea of Atlantis as a real, technologically advanced civilization, as detailed in his book 'Atlantis Rising'. Furthermore, he interpreted physical evidence, such as the Paluxy River tracks, as proof of ancient, giant human civilizations, as discussed in 'Worlds Before Our Own'. His work aimed to present alternative narratives to conventional history and science, focusing on phenomena and possibilities beyond mainstream understanding.

While Brad Steiger's books garnered considerable public attention and sales, they frequently faced strong criticism from academic circles and skeptics. Critics often cited a fundamental lack of scientific rigor, unsubstantiated claims, and a failure to provide credible sources for his assertions. For instance, anthropologist Bonita Freeman-Witthoft found his work on Indigenous American spirituality to be inaccurate and lacking scholarly utility. Skeptical investigator Joe Nickell characterized Steiger as an author who consistently produced material promoting paranormal claims without adequate support. This pattern of criticism highlighted a significant divide between Steiger's popular appeal and the scholarly standards of evidence and verification.