| Dr. Miles Bennell, 28, a general practitioner in the small Marin County town of Mill Valley, California, has several patients come in and complain that their loved ones "aren't themselves." He refers them to Dr. Manfred Kaufman, a psychiatrist in San Rafael, and the complaints gradually go away. But then a writer friend, Jack Belicec, shows Miles a body he found hidden away in his house, with unformed facial features and no fingerprints. Gradually it dawns on Miles, Jack and his wife, and Becky Driscoll -- a school friend of Miles who like himself is recently divorced -- that aliens have been taking over the town by growing duplicates of everyone from seed pods. How to escape or stop the menace? This classic science fiction thriller, originally published in 1955 as simply The Bodysnatchers, is better written than most of its genre and time, though it has a more optimistic ending than the 1956 movie which gave it the more familiar title. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear) FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Horror story? Yes Horror plotlets - the bodysnatchers are coming! Descript. of chases or violence - 30 % planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30 % Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10 % Main Character Identity: - Male Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Main Adversary Identity: - an entire race How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - throughout most of the book. How sensitive is this character? Setting Terrain Earth setting: - 20th century Takes place on Earth? Yes Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths scientific jargon? (SF only) - some scientific explanation Sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - vague references only - descript of kissing How much dialogue? - significantly more descript than dialog |
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