New Possibilities: Reconceptualizing Extraterrestrial Encounters and Alien Abduction Narratives

This qualitative analysis examines the influence of race, religion, and politics in constructing alien abduction narratives. In the 1961 case of Betty and Barney Hill, I argue both the structured retelling of and shifting motifs in the narrative are inextricably linked to the developmental shift in their personal worldviews and social locations—racial, religious, and political. In addition, my research examines the influence of the Hills’ narrative on modern media and contemporary Ufology. I argue that the sensationalization and popularization by media coverage cemented the Hills’ narrative as the model structure for contemporary alien abduction narratives and mythology. Through my analysis, I will demonstrate that despite changing motifs within each retelling and their fluctuating public credibility, the subsequent literary and media adaptations have canonized the Hills’ narrative as the contemporary model for alien abduction narratives.