Writing a book has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. I’m so grateful to everyone who helped make it possible, starting with Metropolitan Books, my editor Riva Hocherman, and my agent David Patterson of the Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency.

Thanks to the talented reporters, authors, and editors who read early drafts of individual chapters and provided edits, encouragement, feedback, corrections, and affirmations that aliens are real: Stephen Fried, Joe Tone, Nathan Tempey, Mehera Bonner, Brendan O’Connor, Greg Howard, Colin McRoberts, Bronwen Dickey, Dina Litovsky, and Tim Marchman.

Thank you to the people who were gracious enough to grant me interviews, especially those of you who were not particularly happy to see or hear from me but decided to speak anyway.

Thank you to the fellow journalists who talked to me about concepts in this book and helped refine my own thinking, making me sound smarter than I am, particularly everyone at Jezebel and the Special Projects Desk.

Thanks to everyone who helped me access academic studies and other materials: Mark A. Davidson, Stephanie Rains, Betsy Powell, Katie Martin, and Lucien Greaves.

Thank you to Patrick Crawford for designing my book cover, which is even better than I imagined.

Thank you to Spencer Sunshine, who fact-checked my chapter on white supremacist conspiracy theories, and to Laura Bullard, who miraculously fact-checked the rest of the book on a tight deadline and without having a nervous breakdown, somehow.

Thank you to Tessa Stuart, who talked to me about every single concept in this book and provided years of daily, sometimes hourly, encouragement and reassurance.

Thank you to Tod Seelie, for caring deeply about this project from the start, for editing the first draft of my proposal while we drove through a blizzard, for taking my author portrait, and for being present for the worst of these adventures.

Thank you to my brother, Steve, for helping me with research and sending snacks and UFO books, and to my parents, Tom and Fran, for everything, always, and for mailing backup tequila.

Finally, thank you to Megan Dooley Fisher, the Jezebel reader who suggested to my editors that I go on a conspiracy-themed cruise and who launched me down this road. I am grateful, and I will also never forgive you.