The Mothman Prophecies
The Mothman Prophecies is a 1975 book by John Keel. Synopsis. The book relates Keel's accounts of his investigation into alleged sightings of a large, winged creature called Mothman in the vicinity of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, during 1966 and 1967. It combines these accounts with his theories about UFOs and various supernatural phenomena, ultimately connecting them to the collapse of the Silver Bridge across the Ohio River on December 15, 1967. Official investigations in 1971 determined it was caused by stress corrosion cracking in an eyebar in a suspension chain. Reception. In the May/June  2002 issue of "Skeptical Inquirer", journalist John C. Sherwood, a former business associate of UFO researcher Gray Barker, published an analysis of private letters between Keel and Barker during the period of Keel's investigation. In the article, "Gray Barker's Book of Bunk," Sherwood reported finding significant differences between what Keel wrote at the time of his investigation and what he wrote in his first book about the Mothman reports, raising questions about the book's accuracy. Sherwood also reported that Keel, who was well known for writing humorous and outrageous letters to friends and associates, would not assist  him in clarifying the differences. Film. "The Mothman Prophecies" was the inspiration for the 2002 film of the same name, starring Richard Gere.