The Body Snatchers

The Body Snatchers By Jack Finney

I’ve watched all the film versions of Invasion of the Body Snatchers several times, and seen tons of other movies inspired by it from The Faculty to The World’s End, but this was my first time reading the original text. Sometimes, having seen and read everything which came after can dilute the original, but that definitely wasn't the case with The Body Snatchers. The original book is fantastic, and for a Cold War paranoia book, unusually has more heart than its many copies.

The book is the story you know, Pods are slowly replacing the townsfolk when they fall asleep with emotionless replica’s, and Dr Miles Bennell and Becky Driscoll must fight to stay awake and find a way to save their small town. The book follows their rekindling relationship while they uncover the mystery and try to put a stop to it. What differs from the more famous films for me is the relationship between the two, and the ending which I won’t spoil.

I felt more for Miles and Becky in the book. It really was the heart and centrepiece of the story. I could have read about them trying to get back what was lost without the alien invasion in the background, and that’s always a good sign when your basic story and central relationship is as good as the genre elements.

I enjoyed Miles relaying the story from his point of view, it meant we were never ahead of him. I liked how he noticed and was distracted by Becky constantly, it felt more organic and real. I really liked how he described the noticeable changes in his town, how he could see it rotting from the inside, that stuff again all felt very real and relatable even by todays standards––especially the one crumbling road leading into the place.

While some of the science maybe questionable, it was written a long time ago, and honestly, I always think imagination should overrule reality when it comes to fiction. Call me crazy, but I believe in a world of make-believe, we should be able to make shit up, so I have no issue when any of that stuff in the book. I enjoy Hard Sci-fi, but not everything has to remotely be that.

Like many sci-fi’s of the 50’s, it of course mirrors the Cold War and the whole ‘be wary of your neighbours,’ vibe of the time, but I never found it preachy. It didn’t read like a McCarthyism text book. Miles wanted everyone to be ok, including all his neighbours. He tried to see the best in people, even when others noticed slight differences. He wasn’t the main excuser, more the guy stuck with the problem.

The Body Snatchers is an easy read with a great central concept and cast of characters. The relationship between Miles and Becky is the heart, but I like everyone on the periphery as well. The aliens are, ironically, a unique take, and the conclusion of the book for me is perfect for the book––much like the conclusion of The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) movie was perfect for the movie.

For any fan of the films, I’d definitely give the book a read. It’s not one of those books that differs greatly from the adaptation, but there’s enough difference to make it worth reading and finding out where everything originally came from. Highly enjoyable, tense at times, and ultimately, a really well told sci-fi classic.