Erich Von Däniken's admittedly bonkers book "Chariots of the Gods" (about extraterrestrial 'engineers' kickstarting the ancient civilisations on the third rock from the sun) is a fascinating read for 13-year-old sci-fi geeks. As far as pseudo-scientific treatises go, it's up there with the best of them. Von Däniken's ambitious and passionate approach to his theory is infectious from the first page until the end. So much so that it makes you wonder what else he has to say on the subject. Over a career of countless books, each featuring the word "gods" in its title, he has proselytized the notion that we have come from outer space.
