By KLASS-TV LAS VEGAS
LAS VEGAS -- Wild tales about flying saucers at Nevada's mysterious Area 51 military base are, by now, familiar all over the world. Those stories started on KLAS-TV back in 1989 and have since been featured in movies, TV shows and books.
Two new books explore how the story has evolved over the past 24 years and whether there is any truth to the claims of former government scientist Bob Lazar, who says he worked near the secret base at Groom Lake.
One book by Canadian researcher Grant Cameron alleges the Area 51 tale was part of a planned, but gradual, release of information to the public about the UFO subject. In his book, Cameron said that formal disclosure by the government is unlikely, but that a program of gradual disclosure is underway, using mass media.
"They're sitting there, gradually releasing the core story, using fictionalized versions to protect classified material regarding national security, such as how they fly, how they outrun our jets," said Cameron, who is the author of "UFOs, Area 51, and Government Informants. "They want to protect that, but not have the public stuck back in 1947."
Cameron is expected to speak at the Atomic Testing Museum later this year. On Friday night, another author, aerospace engineer T.L. Keller, will speak at the museum about his new book, which examines the technology of UFOs. The museum's Area 51 exhibit is celebrating its first anniversary.
Keller's speech is open to the public.
