An extraterrestrial from the planet Vonnador arrives on Earth to assume the identity of Andrew Martin, a Cambridge mathematics professor. The alien’s mission is to eliminate anyone aware that Martin solved the Riemann Hypothesis, a breakthrough the Vonnadorians believe humanity is too violent to possess. Navigating a life of suburban domesticity, the visitor struggles with the physical limitations of a human body, the intricacies of marriage to Isobel, and the strange appeal of Emily Dickinson’s poetry and peanut butter. His clinical observation of human irrationality shifts as he begins to value the emotional connections he was sent to destroy.
Readers interested in the intersection of dark comedy and speculative fiction find here a study of human behavior from an outsider’s perspective. It appeals to those who enjoy social satire that examines the mundane details of daily life, family dynamics, and the inevitability of mortality. The reader gains a categorized list of human contradictions and a perspective that treats Earth as a baffling, occasionally beautiful anomaly. It provides a satirical yet sympathetic look at why people maintain hope despite their flaws and the certain knowledge of their own end.
Insights from The Humans
“To experience a sandwich is to experience life.”
Eating a peanut butter sandwich is a miracle when you really taste it. Most of us just chew without thinking.
“Human beings are a beautiful mess.”
Andrew Martin starts out hating human flaws like aging and sweat. By the end, those messy details are exactly why he stays.
“If you want to be liked, be more like a dog.”
Newton the dog is the only character who sees the alien for who he really is. Dogs don't care about your logic or your math.
“Pain is a giant part of being alive.”
Pain is just the price we pay for being able to feel joy. You cannot have one without the other.
- Published
- 2013
- Language
- EN
