Star Begotten : A Biological Fantasia by HG Wells
Joseph Davis is convinced Earth is being invaded by Martians. But not in the War of the Worlds way. He’s convinced that since Martians would not be able to survive on Earth, they’re manipulating human chromosomes by bombarding Earth with cosmic rays, slowly turning human beings into Martians.
This a disappointing book in many ways. Firstly, it doesn’t really even seem like a novel (or novella). It’s more of a character study of a few people who might be used in a real novel. There is no action, it’s all discussion among three or four people in the “Planetarium Club”, examining the idea in an academic way. Davis suspects his wife of being a Martian because she’s grown cold and distant in their relationship (!), and suspects that his new son might also be a Martian, although why is never made clear.
Not really worth the time, this one, which is a shame because I really do like HG Wells.
