Recent picture with two unlikely windmill fighters, completely different generations but deep in the heart same passionate dreamers and both of them having their own cult followers. I have always wondered do they know about each other and naturally, they do, in fact they are on friendly terms if not exactly of the same wavelength.
Erich von Däniken started it all, first, back in the late 1960s, around the time author of these lines came into the world. Cynics would say he only perfected what was being said before, but that goes for everything as I believe that there is nothing new under the sun and everybody was always influenced or inspired by something. It might be that time was simply perfect for what Däniken had to say and his out-of-space alien astronauts theories fell on grateful and appreciative ears of audience who was looking for opinions outside of the box. "Chariots of the Gods" still holds the best-selling record with 62 millions books sold and it had created the whole industry of ancient secret/alien conspiracy books that followed. Däniken himself is 80 now and he is considered grandfather of it all, the creator of the whole genre. Recently I re-read some of his books and enjoyed them for what they were, repetitive and all, even trough bad editions and clumsy translations I could sense his passion.
Graham Hancock is some two decades younger and when you look closely, not so much different from his older colleague. Sure, they arrive from different approach and perhaps disagree in shades and variations, but they are both writers about ancient secrets, civilizations and possible alien influence on our history and development. I still recall excitement from discovering his book "Fingerprints of the Gods" which was basically a continuation of Däniken's path but told far more skillfully. Everything Hancock writes about I enjoy immensely and always looking forward to his next book (I even bought unknowingly, his first fictional novel, believing it to be non-fiction - just to discover that I prefer him as literary Indiana Jones). His book "Supernatural" was one of the best things I ever read and just thinking about it inspires me to re-visit it.
I am very happy to see these two gentlemen together and accordingly to Hancock, older colleague was very pleasant and friendly, even though Hancock himself was a bit critical and harsh - perhaps understanding that youngsters are always more prone to argue, Däniken simply enjoyed meeting someone from the same family of dreamers and embraced him. As much as I love Hancock, I must admit that it is Däniken who left bigger mark and broke the ice first. Everybody else is just a follower.
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