Those that know me well have realized that almost from the beginning of my 50 years of cryptozoological investigations and writings, and then all during the time of my nonfiction books, consultations, and blogging, I have professionally been “Loren Coleman.”

My own personal name game has become confusing in recent years. This has been caused by the mere existence of a younger man on the West Coast, who has written science fiction, gaming, and like-natured books and materials. He has been called “Loren Coleman” by various people online, even though he seems to have tried to use his middle initial, “L.”

The BattleTech author and Catalyst Games guy is, unfortunately, more often called “Loren Coleman” than “Loren L. Coleman.” But, hey, it is his name too.

Sometimes this takes on a humorous aside, for one of my publishers, Simon and Schuster, also produces, at least, one of this West Coast author’s books, too.

Loren Coleman

Loren L. Coleman

Won’t you know it? Simon and Schuster has all of our mutual books listed as “by Loren Coleman,” if you search their site.

That might be amusing, but this name game thing has gotten more serious lately. The West Coast fellow, who allegedly and reportedly has achieved a sizable income from his BattleTech, Catalyst Games, and other scifi works, is being accused of alleged ongoing investigations by various bodies. An individual calling himself “Frank Trollman,” living in Prague, Czech Republic, has done much to bring this business to the attention of the gaming community.

Trollman has been very aware, of course, of the two Loren Colemans, and tried to speak to this in the past. Nevertheless, the fact that the IRS audited my 2005 tax filing, in 2007-2008, because I had an office in my home and my museum was in a separate part of my old house, has caused confusion on the part of some. Indeed, less than precise folks have talked about me “embezzling the IRS,” which I was never accused of, and which was so far from what happened to have been unworthy of a response.

But indications are that a few people may be mixing up my past minor audit with the rather larger alleged pending accusations against Loren L. Coleman.

Anyway, I requested a bit of information and a clearer unfolding of this from Trollman, by asking him the url of his past discussions.

It seems Frank Trollman has now tried again to straighten this all out by posting anew about this two Lorens business, on one of the “dumpshock” (whatever that is) forums.

Trollman’s “There are Two Loren Colemans,” has me as the Virginia (where I was born) and Maine (where I now live) individual. (If you go to the forum and read some of the reactions, you will see a couple people there now calling me “Loren C. Coleman,” which is … oh, never mind; see SR-Fan’s comment below.)

Trollman’s posting can be read here, with the full understanding that Cryptomundo is making no judgments or accusations against the other Loren Coleman by noting this. This is all about trying to clarify the fact of two Loren Colemans are sometimes being mistaken for one. Or actually, that “Loren L. Coleman” is infrequently thought to be the cryptozoologist Loren Coleman, when he is just called “Loren Coleman.”

I first began writing in 1969, wrote my first book (as Loren Coleman, with Jerome Clark) in 1975. Loren L. Coleman’s first book, Binding Force, was published in 1997. He is younger than me.

Nevertheless, one website, Fantastic Fiction, incorrectly has my year of birth (1947) listed for Loren L. Coleman. That site use to list Mothman and Other Curious Encounters (2002) as a book by Loren L. Coleman, but it has recently been removed.