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When History is Crazier than Science Fiction

The TV show you can't watch without questioning your whole existence!

By S. L. HarpelPublished 3 years ago 4 min read
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Nothing like being dragged to your husband's work party where you are meant to mingle with all the other spouses while the employees congregate together and discuss all that work crap that they claim they hate talking about.

For someone like me--naturally awkward--it's especially difficult to have small pointless conversations with a person I can't even remember the name of even though she told me no more than five minutes ago.

What I would love to be doing at that moment instead?

That's easy. Snuggled up in my bed, a ball of yarn I'm magically crocheting into yet another blanket no one needs (apparently you can buy those things at the store! who knew?), while I'm double-fisting mini-size chocolate bars-because mini means fewer calories obviously-and watching my ultimate favorite binge show.

But then the woman across from me mentions something that draws my attention in:

"I'd rather be abducted by aliens than sit through my husband giving me a play by play of one of his stupid spreadsheets."

My ears perk up like a toddler noticing the sound of a bag of chips opening while your hiding from them in the pantry.

"Did you say you believe in aliens?"

She didn't really mean the off-hand remark and only half commits to a shrug in the affirmative. It's enough for me though.

"Have you heard of the Ancient Alien Theory?" I ask as I scoot to the edge of my seat.

Whether she welcomes it or not, she just turned on my nerd-dar and I've dubbed her my best friend for the party. There is no escaping me as I begin to vomit everything I know, think, or speculate about aliens.

Ancient Aliens might seem like an oxymoron, but it's actually the title to one of the longest-running not-so-historic series on the History Channel.

The series is based on a theory suggested in science fiction tv and books as early as the 1950s but really took off with Erich Von Daniken's Ancient Astronaut theory in the 1960s.

Daniken proposed that there is proof among our ancient relics that an alien species not only created us but then continued to visit us and give us knowledge. Early man, misunderstanding their technology, worshiped these early beings as gods.

I was first introduced to the man behind the theory in 6th-grade science class-of all palaces.

My slightly eccentric teacher, Mrs. Smith, liked to play unusual or interesting movies as a treat when we had some free time in class. Her favorite? The early mini-series that Daniken starred in proving that Ancient Egyptians not only knew aliens personally but had access to technologies that we today cannot even explain.

Now, I might be a gullible person-that's not a question actually, I know I am-but I bought his theory hook line and sinker.

Where other kids in the class moaned and stared off in the distance with a hazed look to their eyes just waiting for time to pass and the bell signalling lunch to ring, I was completely absorbed in everything Daniken said.

At that age, it started an obsession with everything Egyptian. I even said my firstborn was going to be named Egypt. Luckily I grew out of that.

As I grew up, however, my focus honed in on the actual Ancient Alien Theory. You can imagine my elation then, I am sure, when I learned that the mini-series had done so well they turned it into its very own show!

With sixteen seasons since 2009, it is one of the most extensive non-fiction series on the *totally not fictitious* alien theory today.

Though I, at least, consider the Ancient Alien Theory a pretty well known and logically sound hypothesis, it's actually surprising how many people think you are a nutter when you mention people like Daniken or his padawan the wild hair Giorgio A. Tsoukalos.

So I've learned to keep my interesting personal theories as well as my wealth of information-from watching the entire series at least five times through while I wait for the next season to start-to myself unless prompted.

Even my husband and children *finding me curled up in my bed, earplugs in, and iPad in hand* roll their eyes and ask, "Are you watching that alien thing again?"

"Heck Yes! And you are going to thank me when the Anunnaki come back and I already speak their language from deciphering matching hieroglyphics in Egyptian and Incan temples thanks to this freaking amazing show!"

So unless you are ready to get a regurgitated word vomit of a whole lot of information you really don't care about, don't you dare mention the word alien, ancient, or frankly just history in my presence!

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About the Creator

S. L. Harpel

S. L. Harpel is a self published author of the Protectorate Series. She is homeschool mom by day and crazy insomniac writer by night. When she isn’t pumping out books she can be found doing weird old lady crafts like crocheting blankets.

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