The X-Files: The Official Archives by Paul Terry (book review).

‘The X-Files: The Official Archives’ is a copy of what was left of the files from the office of FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder after the 1998 office fire. I did have a ponder on this. After all, I thought when Jeffrey Spender was briefly in charge, he shredded many files and Mulder unshredded them. Even so, you would have thought Mulder had a set or three microfiled copies somewhere.

Considering the nature of these files, you do have to wonder why some evidence is blacked out. I doubt if either Mulder, Scully, Doggett or Reyes would have censored the evidence and why would it be needed in a highly secure government agency like the FBI. Who else unannounced late at night would wander in their offices after all. I might well have believed seeing more fire damage. I should point out that each file has a variable number of pages, often including evidence although some photographs are partially obscured so the examples with this review should not represent these. Oddly, of all the FBI agents involved, only Special Agent Dana Scully is shown properly photographically once and nothing to do with her own kidnapping and abduction. I’m not sure if I would include both Mulder and Scully as hospitalised after the National Forest Insects case, though.

The X-Files shown here are for terrestrial menaces, so don’t go looking for any little grey men here. As if aliens existed and came to Earth. Oddly, I do think you would be looking for omissions. I mean what happened to those two delightful children Teena and Cindy. It isn’t as those they would poison anyone. Ah, you need to look under ‘The Litchfield Project’. I did wonder what happened to those two went but the report but this report remains highly classified although you do have to wonder about their further education. They appeared to do well in chemistry.

The status of Cecil L’lvely is also questionable but, considering his dual nationality, you do have to wonder whether he was returned to the British or Irish for internment. This book does depend on you having some knowledge of the X-Files while reading and there were only four that I couldn’t really place.

I’m not sure if I agree with Special Agent Leyla Harrison’s later report that the ice worms have any connection with the ‘black oil’ as it was more sophisticated in controlling people.

Something I never understood about the flukeman. If like its more tiny ancestors where dividing into two ended up with two entities, why didn’t this humanoid version do the same thing. Such a pity the records are incomplete.

When it comes to Blue Blue at the Heuvelmans Lake in Georgia and the references to other cryptoids, I have to confess I do have to wonder where the cliffs are around Loch Ness as its mostly forest and surrounded by a road.

I did wonder when there would be any mention of members of the ‘Lone Gunman’ and it really wasn’t until one of the early Doggitt cases when that happened with the ‘The Ibogan Temple/Mkultra’ X-File.

This is the type of book you want to curl up and read in the near dark, looking up warily every time your house creaks and there is a sigh at the door and a knock on the window. You know, just to make you jump a little to keep you on your toes.

As you can guess, this is a fabulous book if you love ‘The X-Files’ first run, often using material from the series, with a noted generous help from Chris Carter in the credits, although you should keep it away from any young sprogs you have in case the photographs seriously unhinges them. I would have to have a serious think about which files were omitted. I do hope that the success of this book pushes for a sequel looking at the extra-terrestrial cases. I mean, it’s not as though there were be any secret government interference this time, is there? Cue music. Check which finger has gone Kirlian blue.

GF Willmetts

November 2020

(pub: Abrams, 2020. 304 page illustrated large hardback. Price: £35.00 (UK), $50.00 (US), $63.00 (CAN). ISBN: 978-1-4197-3517-2)

check out website: www.abramsbooks.com