John A. Keel (March 25, 1930 - July 3, 2009) was an American journalist and influential UFOlogist best known as the author of The Mothman Prophecies. In the 1950s, he spent time in Egypt, India, and the Himalayas investigating snake charming cults, the Indian rope trick, and the legendary Yeti, an adventure that culminated in the publication of his first book, Jadoo. In the mid-1960s, he took up investigating UFOs and assorted forteana and published his first knockout UFO book, UFOs: Operation Trojan Horse.