Episode 151 - Dean Bertram - The Man Who Invented Flying Saucers

My guest for this episode is historian and filmmaker Dean Bertram. Dean’s current project is The Man Who Invented Flying Saucers, a documentary about the relationship between science fiction pioneer Raymond A. Palmer and the writer Richard Shaver, whose stories about his encounters with terrifying subterranean beings called Deros captivated readers in the pages of the magazine Amazing Stories (which Palmer edited at the time) in the 1940’s. The ‘Shaver Mysteries’ as they came to be known would also set the stage for the emergence of the UFO phenomenon in post-war America. In the interview I begin by talking with Dean about how the idea for the documentary came about, after which we discuss Ray Palmer and Richard Shaver and the subtle way that their lives seemed to complement one another. We also talk about the Shaver Mysteries and the themes they explored along with Ray Palmer’s connection to Kenneth Arnold and the enigmatic Maury Island incident. You can find out more about Dean and his documentary at https://www.facebook.com/TheManWhoInventedFlyingSaucers. If you enjoy what I do with Some Other Sphere and would like to support its upkeep, you can make a donation via Ko-fi. To buy the podcast a coffee go to https://ko-fi.com/someotherspherepodcast. Thank you!   The podcast theme music is by The Night Monitor, from his album, ‘Close Encounters of the Pennine Kind’. You can find out more about The Night Monitor's music at https://thenightmonitor.bandcamp.com/.