Chasing Aliens

In Chasing Aliens, Orwell Prize–winning journalist Daniel Lavelle hits the road across America’s UFO hot spots to investigate what people really believe about extraterrestrials—and what the US government might be keeping quiet. Part travel memoir, part investigative journalism, it’s a sharp, funny piece of narrative nonfiction that keeps its feet on the ground even when the stories don’t.

Lavelle follows the modern UFO scene from desert “sky watches” to coffee with self-described Starseeds, speaking with insiders, true believers and sceptics alike. Along the way he unpacks the recent surge in UAP talk—headline-making sightings, whispered briefings, and the uneasy overlap between conspiracy culture and official secrecy—without giving easy answers.

Perfect for readers who enjoy true crime–adjacent investigation, Americana road trips, and big questions about faith, doubt and wonder, Chasing Aliens is curious, humane and wonderfully strange.

Add it to your basket and see what’s out there.