C. B. Colby is best known for eerie and “strangely enough” style compilations that blend mystery storytelling with a true-or-tall-tale vibe. He is relevant to UAPedia as a cultural upstream influence: the kind of popular weird-literature that primes audiences for UFO and paranormal interest.
Colby’s work is more anthology and entertainment than investigation. His entries often present unusual claims in a fast, memorable format—ideal for mass readership and repeated retelling.
He is not primarily a ufologist; his ufology adjacency is through “strange phenomena” storytelling culture rather than case research.
Early impact comes from distribution into schools and youth reading pipelines, making “mystery” normal and shareable.
Prominence is tied to broad readership and nostalgia: his books are frequently remembered as “gateway weird” reading.
Later influence is mainly via reprints, collectors, and continued mention in lists of classic eerie anthology books.
His key contribution is cultural: simplifying anomaly narratives into bite-sized, repeatable stories that travel easily.
Not case-based in the ufology sense; more a library of short anomaly tales.
The presentation style often lets the mystery stand without deep adjudication, encouraging curiosity and suspense.
Critics note that anthology framing can blur fact/fiction boundaries, which can amplify urban legend dynamics.
Strong influence on popular “weird” culture and on readers who later become UFO/paranormal enthusiasts.
Strangely Enough.
Colby’s legacy is as a popularizer of the eerie: not ufology scholarship, but a cultural tributary feeding it.