Area 51

by David Darlington

Could the U.S. government - or some other unnamed entity - be hiding captured alien spacecraft in the Nevada desert? Or is this merely a modern myth brought on by half a century of Cold War paranoia? Built under the direction of the CIA in the 1950s, when its location qualified as the most remote and secure place in the continental United States, Area 51 served as the original test site for the U-2 spyplane and F-117 stealth fighter. In more recent years, public interest in Area 51 has arisen from its role in the government's $30 billion "Black Budget", from lawsuits claiming worker illness due to toxic burning, and from sensational charges about UFOs. In the process, this once obscure operating location in the Nevada desert - mere discussion of which can cost an employee a fine of ten thousand dollars and ten years in jail - has come to stand for all that is shadowy and nefarious about the military-industrial-intelligence complex. Lately, however, a feisty guerrilla subculture has sprung up, aiming to explode the secrecy that surrounds this mysterious spot. In Area 51: The Dreamland Chronicles, David Darlington unfolds the history, legends, and characters involved with Area 51, weaving a weird tale of intrigue and outrage that speaks volumes about popular culture and American democracy at the end of the twentieth century.