Orb of Chatham

"The Orb of Chatham" is a 2005 graphic novel, by Bob Staake. This is the first book to document the Cape Cod's 'Orb of Chatham' legend. The entire story is told with only 215 words and 13 eerie black and white illustrations. What is unusual about the book is that it contains a hidden code that must be solved on a companion web site. It is unclear if the book came before the web site or vice versa, but both work in a fascinating way to take the adult or child reader into a completely dreamlike dimension. The 'Orb of Chatham' is likely the most unusual book to date by Bob Staake, an author and illustrator best known for his whimsical and colorful picture books.

Overview

The story begins with a cryptic overview of the

:"On a late summer night in 1935, five residents of Chatham, Massachusetts, witnesses a large mysterious "orb" moving through the small fishing village on the elbow of Cape Cod. Phone service was uncommon in isolated areas at the time, so the witnesses filed their reports after daylight. Local authorities immediately dismissed them as a hoax. The witnesses' independent accounts were virtually identical; the orb appeared to be made of blackened metal, it was perhaps six feet tall, and it traveled in absolute silence by rolling or floating. One witness reported spotting the orb "hovering" in the air above a local church. Two months later, all five witnesses vanished - on the same October evening - never to be seen again."

What follows is a hauntingly graphic interpretation of what likely happened. The book then directs readers to [http://www.OrbOfChatham.com OrbOfChatham.com] where they must solve riddles to unlock the bigger mysteries behind the story.

External links

* [http://www.orbofchatham.com The Official Orb of Chatham Web Site]
* [http://www.mychatham.com/orbofchatham.html Video Interviews with Orb of Chatham Author Bob Staake]