Book Review: Dreamland by Bob Lazar

In 1989, Las Vegas investigative reporter George Knapp was introduced to a man who, fearing for his life, wanted to go public with one of the wildest stories ever told.  This man claimed to work at a secret military base he called S4, near the now infamous Area 51.  There he was tasked with reverse engineering advanced propulsion systems from recovered extraterrestrial craft. That man is Bob Lazar.

His story quickly gained traction and became a cornerstone of modern UFO lore, both captivating and dividing the public. Supporters saw him as a whistleblower risking everything to reveal the truth. Critics questioned his credentials and found inconsistencies in his background (which are talked about in the book).

Bob Lazar is a bit of a cult hero in the UFO world. His story has, if anything, become more credible as time has passed. Many of his claims, initially met with scepticism, have since been verified.  So I was excited to pick up a copy of Dreamland—Lazar’s long-awaited autobiography, where he tells his story in his own words.

The book was an enjoyable read. While much of the content will be familiar to those who’ve seen Lazar’s interviews and documentaries, there are a few new details—particularly about his early years and personal life—that add extra colour to his extraordinary tale. Particularly around his early years and personal life.  So that added some extra colour to his extraordinary tale.  He is certainly a very interesting character.

There is palpable excitement as the book dives into those first encounters with the shadowy S4 base and the personnel who recruited him. When Lazar finally got to see, and inspect, one of the actual crafts present at the site, it’s quite the extraordinary moment:

Extract: 

“I entered the craft’s interior through a small access hatch, just wide enough for me to put my shoulders through it with a fraction of an inch to spare. Once inside, I couldn’t stand up straight. Work lights had been installed at various points inside the craft. I maneuvered on all fours, hunched and using my hands to steady me but not kneeling, along a honeycombed access way. Just as the exterior of the craft appeared to be seamless and was all rounded surfaces, so was the interior. It also appeared to be made of the same material of the skin of the craft. I was struck by the idea that it was almost as if the craft had been fabricated from melted wax and then cooled into this shape. Injection molding was the closest terrestrial machining or manufacturing process that I could compare it to.”

There are a couple of descriptions in the book which are difficult to picture.  One example is his description of a “triangular disc” that formed part of the propulsion system.  I had to look up some drawings which Lazar had done in order to visualise what he was talking about there.  Some pictures of what he’d seen would have been extremely helpful to include in the book. 

However, for anyone interested in UFO lore, it's a must read. I suspect that we may find that even more of his story is corroborated over the coming years as more government disclosure happens. 

I shared the book with a couple of friends who are not quite so enthusiastic about the world of UFO lore (although still interested) to see what they made of it. Overall, they couldn’t say in good conscience that they believed everything in the book. That would take a belief in things outside of everyday experience, which not everyone is willing to do.  However, they could not dismiss it either as the details of the S4 installation were very creditable, and ‘rang true’ for them.

So do I believe the story? I’d say I’m about 80% of the way there. It’s a compelling account—but I’ll keep a healthy dose of scepticism, as everyone should.   Until the day we can say definitively whether it’s true or false, read it, enjoy it, and wonder at the mysteries of what might be out there!