Ufology lost one of its more dynamic researchers when Karla Turner died of cancer at age 48 in 1996. One of Dr. Turner's most admirable traits was her commitment to putting everything on the table in terms of her research and her own abduction experiences. Others might keep the most fantastic and bizarre facts about their cases under the vest, but Turner firmly believed that even the craziest and nonsensical aspects of any abduction experience was of potential significance and should be openly discussed.

She did exactly that in Into the Fringe, her personal exploration of the abduction experiences she was suddenly forced to come to terms with with over the previous year and a half of her life -- experiences that involved not only her, but her husband, her son and a number of family friends.

A lot of things in this book are hard to believe, especially the experiences of her son's roommate, who was seemingly abducted or visited on almost a daily basis at certain points. Turner's own chronicle of mysterious body markings also suggests much more frequent interactions with aliens than is typical. She also speaks of a great deal of poltergeist-like activity she and those around her experienced -- such as lights or the radio being turned on during the night on a routine basis.

It really is difficult to come to terms with her reported experiences because they include so many strange and atypical factors, but there can seemingly be little doubt about Turner's sincerity. Skeptics would also argue that Turner's acknowledged interest in finding out everything she could about UFOs and aliens colored or otherwise influenced her reported experiences, but I don't think this charge holds much water. For one thing, she describes things seldom if ever reported in previous alien abduction reports. Second of all, Turner was a highly educated scholar (with a Ph.D. in Old English studies) with a firm grasp on reality.

The experiences detailed in this book became the springboard for Turner's own research in ufology and alien abductions, so you'll need to consult her later books, Taken: Inside the Alien-Human Abduction Agenda and Masquerade of Angels, for her conclusions and working hypotheses about what is truly going on. I can tell you, though, that she did not believe that aliens were here to help us and she did not blindly accept any alien abduction at face value, arguing that the aliens are exceedingly deceptive. Her passion and commitment to laying all of the abduction facts out on the table are sorely missed.