Michael Barkun, a professor of political science, has traced the origins of the reptilian conspiracy theory. He suggests it began with Robert E. Howard's "The Shadow Kingdom" in 1929, which drew upon theosophical ideas of lost civilizations like Atlantis and Lemuria. Howard's "serpent men" were described as humanoids with snake heads who could change their form and control minds, influencing humanity from underground.

Barkun further connects this to later occult writings, particularly Maurice Doreal's "Mysteries of the Gobi" and "The Emerald Tablets," asserting that Doreal likely derived his concepts from Howard's work. These ideas, Barkun posits, eventually formed the foundation for David Icke's more contemporary theories. While Icke popularized the notion of shapeshifting reptilian aliens controlling Earth by infiltrating governments, Barkun's analysis focuses on the literary and occult roots of such beliefs.

Political science professor Michael Barkun has identified Robert E. Howard's 1929 story "The Shadow Kingdom" as a potential origin point for the reptilian conspiracy idea. Howard's narrative was influenced by theosophical concepts of ancient, lost civilizations like Atlantis and Lemuria, particularly Helena Blavatsky's writings about "dragon-men." These "serpent men" in Howard's fiction were depicted as humanoids with serpentine heads, capable of assuming human forms and using mind control to infiltrate society from subterranean dwellings. This concept was further developed by writers like Clark Ashton Smith and H.P. Lovecraft, contributing to the Cthulhu Mythos.

Barkun's research indicates that the reptilian concept evolved through occult circles, pointing to Maurice Doreal's 1940s pamphlet "Mysteries of the Gobi." Doreal described a "serpent race" with human bodies and snake heads, possessing the ability to take human form, and referenced "The Emerald Tablets" attributed to an Atlantean priest-king. Barkun suggests Doreal's ideas likely stemmed from Howard's "The Shadow Kingdom," and that Doreal's "The Emerald Tablets" in turn influenced David Icke's later work. Icke, a prominent conspiracy theorist, popularized the notion of shapeshifting reptilian aliens controlling global affairs by infiltrating positions of power.