Skip Navigation
Author

Colin Dickey

Colin Dickey is the author of The Unidentified: Mythical Monsters, Alien Encounters & Our Obsession with the Unexplained and Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places.

All Articles
August 28, 2018
Colin Dickey
A Pioneer of Paranoia
How William Cooper envisioned a web entangling global capitalism, the government, and UFOs, and incubated the politics of conspiracy
March 22, 2018
Colin Dickey
Why Dictators Write
What Saddam Hussein’s romance novels and Kim Jong-il’s film criticism reveal about authoritarianism.
February 7, 2018
Colin Dickey
What Winchester Gets Wrong About an American Landmark
The new movie builds on the myth that when Sarah Winchester built her Mystery House, she was overwhelmed by grief.
September 21, 2017
Colin Dickey
When Squid Ruled the Earth
Prehistoric squid were far more numerous, and their reign lasted longer, than the dinosaurs. Why do we know so little about them?
August 7, 2017
Colin Dickey
A Brief History of Invisible Waves
How the discovery of X-rays and infrared made us doubt the senses.
June 8, 2017
MagazineColin Dickey
The New Paranoia
Democrats have always prided themselves on being a voice of political sanity. So why has Trump's election turned the left into a breeding ground for conspiracy theories?
April 26, 2017
Colin Dickey
Why the United States Government Embraced the Occult
A new book chronicles decades of extravagant attempts to weaponize psychic powers.
February 28, 2017
Colin Dickey
The Case for Becoming a Hermit
Why we expect special wisdom from the people who reject society.
February 14, 2017
MagazineColin Dickey
A View to a Kill
By focusing on high-definition thrills, nature documentaries obscure more than they reveal.
January 11, 2017
Colin Dickey
Cash for Words: A Brief History of Writing for Money
Money taints everything, why not writing too?
November 2, 2016
Colin Dickey
Thomas De Quincey and the Making of a Murderer
A new biography reveals how the drug-addled essayist legitimized our excitement for murder.
October 19, 2016
Colin Dickey
The Suburban Horror of the Indian Burial Ground
In the 1970s and 1980s, homeowners were terrified by the idea that they didn't own the land they'd just bought.
September 19, 2016
Colin Dickey
The Foolish Errand of Time Travel
In James Gleick’s new book, humans invented time travel to counter the regret that we only have one life to live.
July 21, 2016
Colin Dickey
The Spiritualist Origins of Ghostbusters
Communicating with the dead hasn't always been about male bonding.
April 11, 2016
MagazineColin Dickey
A Maddening Sound
Is the Hum, a mysterious noise heard around the world, science or mass delusion?
March 14, 2016
Colin Dickey
The Fatalism of Gun Worship
A new book shows our history of helplessness in the face of accidental shootings.
February 11, 2016
MagazineColin Dickey
The Sex Lives of Sea Creatures
We have a habit of looking to the animal kingdom to validate the way we love.

Our Writers

Illustrated headshot of Kate Aronoff
Kate Aronoff
Climate & Energy
Illustrated headshot of Perry Bacon
Perry Bacon
Trumpism & Its Opponents
Illustrated headshot of Malcolm Ferguson
Malcolm Ferguson
Breaking News
Illustrated headshot of Matt Ford
Matt Ford
Law & the Courts
Illustrated headshot of Melissa Gira Grant
Melissa Gira Grant
Gender, Justice, & Law
Illustrated headshot of Heather Souvaine Horn
Heather Souvaine Horn
Climate Change
Illustrated headshot of Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling
Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling
Breaking News
Illustrated headshot of Jason Linkins
Jason Linkins
Power & Plutocracy
Illustrated headshot of Timothy Noah
Timothy Noah
Politics & Economy
Illustrated headshot of Edith Olmsted
Edith Olmsted
Breaking News
Illustrated headshot of Monica Potts
Monica Potts
Politics & Class
Illustrated headshot of Hafiz Rashid
Hafiz Rashid
Breaking News
Illustrated headshot of Greg Sargent
Greg Sargent
Politics & Democracy
Illustrated headshot of Grace Segers
Grace Segers
Congress & Elections
Illustrated headshot of Alex Shephard
Alex Shephard
Politics & Media
Illustrated headshot of Michael Tomasky
Michael Tomasky
Politics & Ideas
Three black-and-white mock-ups for The New Republic in its founding year, 1914, with bold serif typography symbolizing the magazine’s historical commitment to liberalism.
About The New Republic’s history