Pros
- Includes a lot of the mythology surrounding UFOs, the Grays, and abductions
- May provide one interpretation to the motives behind the abduction phenomenon and the Grays
Cons
- Story can be slow at times, and the conclusion doesn’t really satisfy in terms of the fate of humanity
- Aftermath of the weapon used on the US isn’t really explored—there’s almost a sequel waiting to be written there
Whitley Strieber weaves a lot of the UFO and abduction mythology into a work of fiction that may sound plausible to those who study and follow the field, but it’s this blending that may serve to undermine Communion or the credibility of UFO research.
Plot
The Callaghan family—Dan, Katelyn, and Conner—have to face the truth of Conner’s birth and existence: to be the savior of both humanity and the Grays. But a clandestine US military group called the Trust is intent on keeping the alien existence, and their promise of salvation, a secret from the public.
Characters
The main character is Conner Callaghan, a super intelligent boy. His parents are Dan and Katelyn, both professors at a local college. Lauren Glass is an empath who can communicate with the Grays.
Michael Wilkes is in charge of the military group responsible for keeping the aliens a secret.
Adam and the Three Thieves, a group of Grays, make up the aliens in the novel.
Setting
The story takes place entirely within the United States.
The Grays Review
I enjoyed The Grays by Whitley Strieber, but audiences who have not read a single book on the UFO, alien, or abduction phenomenon may find The Grays a little slow and perhaps even fantastic in some of the claims about the breeding program or telepathy.
However, if you’ve read even a few books about the UFO subject, then you’ll find that the story borrows heavily not only from Strieber’s own book Communion, but also from some ideas floating around in the UFO community.
I enjoyed reading about the different plot devices or elements that Strieber uses in the story. For instance, the idea that the Grays are using humans to create some kind of advanced hybrid that has amazing mental capabilities (telepathy, astral projection, mind reading) isn’t really new. Nor is the idea that the Grays are a dying species that represents an extreme of genetic engineering new.
Strieber weaves these theories from the UFO community together into one cohesive story. And the story is interesting enough to pique curiosity, though it is slow in some areas.
My one complaint about the story is that we don’t really get any sense of resolution with regards to the fate of humans and the aliens. What happens to nation after that one event? What happens to the Grays? What happens to humanity?
In fact, there isn’t much in terms of satisfying resolutions. Conner’s bullying doesn’t really end—it just stops because of what happens to the town and people have other things to worry about. He gets the girl at the end, but it’s kind of a surprise since there wasn’t much in terms of relationship development there. Part of me wanted a positive ending that inspired hope, but I just felt more anxious at the end for the characters and the world in the story.
What the book does is blur the lines between fiction and non-fiction. People who read The Grays without any foreknowledge of the research surrounding UFOs and aliens may later dismiss any claims regarding UFO sightings or abductions as confused memories from a work of fiction—much like children who confuse nightmares with reality.
Regardless, The Grays is a work of fiction, and it provides an interesting perspective on the motives of the aliens. If you’re interested in a story about the classic gray alien, then this book may be well worth a read, as it provides a motive for their interference.
Read reviews of other works by Whitley Strieber:
