Zurich, 1973 — Erich von Däniken sold over 70 million books exploring the idea that ancient civilizations were influenced by extraterrestrial visitors, a theory dismissed by many scholars as pseudoscience.
Ancient Astronaut Theories Face Skepticism
Despite academic criticism, von Däniken’s books have been translated into more than 30 languages and captivated a global audience.
- Erich von Däniken popularized the “ancient astronaut” theory, suggesting aliens helped build ancient structures.
- His work faced strong criticism from academics who labeled his ideas pseudoscientific.
- Despite the backlash, von Däniken achieved massive commercial success, selling over 70 million books.
- He opened a theme park dedicated to his theories, which ultimately failed.
Academics authored numerous books refuting von Däniken’s theories, criticizing him for promoting what they considered fantastical pseudoscience. In 1973, German news magazine Der Spiegel even featured a cover story titled “The Däniken Hoax.”
What evidence would satisfy claims of ancient alien contact? Astronomer Carl Sagan famously stated that “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence,” a standard von Däniken never met, according to critics.
Von Däniken spent the early part of his career managing a hotel in eastern Switzerland before a fraud conviction led to an 18-month jail sentence. However, his book’s success coincided with his release from prison, launching him into a new life as a best-selling author.
The New York Times wrote in 1974 that von Däniken “says that the astonishing astronomical information ancient civilizations, such as the Mayan, had is proof that there were some space travellers around to teach it to them.” The article continued, noting this aligned with his questioning of the Egyptians’ ability to construct the pyramids or the Easter Islanders’ ability to erect their massive stone heads.
The newspaper explained his methodology: “His method is to use a negative – ancient peoples couldn’t have done or thought all the things they did – to prove a positive – that the ancient people were the beneficiaries of some kind of cosmological Point 4 (development assistance) programme.”
Such criticism did little to deter von Däniken. “We owe it to our self-respect to be rational and objective,” he wrote. “At some time or other, every daring theory seemed to be a Utopia. How many Utopias have long since become everyday realities!”
Television specials based on his books made him a recognizable figure in both Europe and the United States. In 2003, he opened a “Mysteries of the World” theme park in Interlaken, Switzerland, but it declared bankruptcy after three years.
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