Erich von Däniken

Érich von Däniken is a Swiss author, born on April 14th, 1935, in Zofingen, Switzerland. He is widely recognized for his contributions to the genre of speculative fiction, particularly in relation to his views on extra-terrestrial beings and their potential involvement in the creation of ancient structures. Von Däniken was educated at the College St-Michel in Fribourg, where he developed an early interest in the study of ancient holy writings.

His first book, "Chariots of the Gods", was published in 1968 and quickly became a bestseller in the United States, Germany, and several other countries. This book, along with his subsequent works, has been translated into 28 languages and has sold over 65 million copies worldwide. Von Däniken's writing has inspired a wide range of television series, including the History Channel’s Ancient Aliens. He is a prolific author, having published more than 40 books, including "Twilight of the Gods", "History is Wrong", "Evidence of the Gods", "Remnants of the Gods", and "Odyssey of the Gods".

Von Däniken is a member of several prestigious organizations, including the Swiss writers association, the German writers association, and the International PEN-Club. He is known for his extensive research and travel, averaging 100'000 miles each year to remote spots of the Earth. This enables him to closely examine the phenomena about which he writes. His lectures, given in 25 countries, have been presented at over 500 universities. Despite his extensive travel and lecture schedule, von Däniken remains based in Switzerland, where he continues to write and lecture.