Whitley Strieber is an American author born in San Antonio, Texas. He rose to vice president at Cunningham & Walsh Advertising in New York City before leaving in 1977 to write full time.
In December 1985 he reported abduction by small humanoid beings at his upstate New York cabin. He detailed the events under hypnosis and in the 1987 nonfiction book Communion, which reached number one on the New York Times bestseller list.
- Born Louis Whitley Strieber on June 13, 1945, in San Antonio, Texas.
- Graduated University of Texas at Austin and London School of Film Technique in 1968.
- Vice president at Cunningham & Walsh Advertising 1974–1977.
- Published Communion in February 1987 describing December 1985 encounters.
- Operates Unknown Country website and Dreamland podcast since 1998.
- United StatesBorn and based
- Cunningham & Walsh AdvertisingVice President 1974–1977
- Unknown CountryFounder and operator
- University of Texas at AustinB.A. 1968
Background
Louis Whitley Strieber was born on June 13, 1945, in San Antonio, Texas, to lawyer Karl Strieber and Kathleen Mary Drought. He attended Central Catholic High School in San Antonio. He earned a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and a certificate from the London School of Film Technique, both in 1968.
After graduation Strieber worked in New York City advertising. He served as media planner at Benton & Bowles from 1968 to 1970, account supervisor at Norman, Craig & Kummel in 1970, and account supervisor at Sullivan, Stouffer, Caldwell & Bayless from 1971 to 1974.
From 1974 to 1977 he held the roles of management supervisor and vice president at Cunningham & Walsh Advertising. He left the industry in 1977 to pursue writing full time, a goal he had held since childhood.
Strieber's first novels were horror works. The Wolfen appeared in 1978 and The Hunger in 1981; both were adapted into feature films. He followed with Black Magic in 1982 and The Night Church in 1983.
On the night of December 26, 1985, while at his cabin in upstate New York with his wife and son, Strieber reported awakening to small humanoid figures. He described being taken for medical examinations, levitation, and telepathic communication. Additional details emerged under hypnosis sessions conducted by Budd Hopkins.
Strieber published Communion: A True Story in February 1987. The book reached number one on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list and sold over two million copies. He referred to the beings as "the visitors" without concluding they were extraterrestrial.
He founded the Communion Foundation in 1989. Strieber later launched the Unknown Country website and the Dreamland podcast, which began in 1998. He wrote follow-up books including Transformation in 1988 and Breakthrough in 1995.
Strieber has maintained that the encounters were physical events. He has continued to publish on the topic, including Solving the Communion Enigma in 2011 and A New World in 2019. His wife Anne Strieber collaborated on several projects until her death in 2015.
Where They Are Now
As of October 2026, Whitley Strieber continues to write and host content on unknowncountry.com. He released the book Transformation 2026 and maintains the Dreamland podcast with regular episodes on UAP and related topics.
He remains active in public discussions of his experiences through interviews, social media, and subscriber content.
Last updated 25 October 2026