The Mind Parasites (ISBN 0974935999)

Robert Heinlein Without the Sex:
Wilson almost never writes anything that doesn't revolve around his "Faculty X" theories, and this is no exception. He is a philosopher far more than he is a storyteller, though his novels are generally well worth the read anyway. At his worst, Wilson comes off sounding like a pitch-man for EST - his heroes miraculously become supermen of Herculean mental abilities seemingly by nothing but an act of will, and resort to trickery and ruthlessness to control the masses, lessening their impact as sympathetic characters - but at his best, Wilson sounds a genuine note of hope for human self-improvement. This was Wilson's first sci-fi effort, and was written more than a third of a century ago, so it has to be cut a certain amount of slack. The basic plot is simple Lovecraft: evil aliens are keeping the human race down, and it's up to the Supermen to save Earth. You've probably read better, but The Mind Parasites is still worth rummaging around the used books bin to find.

Fascinating:
In 1994, Archeologist Gilbert Austin returns home after providing a lecture at the Middlesex Archeological Society. Before going to sleep he returns the call of three decades old friend Karel Weissman only to learn from his associate's secretary that he committed suicide. Stunned as they stayed in contact and having no idea what motivated Weismann to take poison, Gilbert is further shocked upon receiving the final working research papers of his colleague. Weissman had insisted that mind parasites lived by feeding from the minds of human consciousness. Wanting to ignore what seems absurd; Gilbert soon begins to believe in the Weissman theory as there is obvious proof once you accept the validity of the underlying concept surfaces. At an archeological dig in Turkey he realizes that humanity is in a war of survival that has been ongoing for several centuries. Humanity just did not know it. Gilbert and a colleague Reich struggle to save humanity but they realize it may be too late to fight back as no weapon of sorts can be found that will not destroy the host. The tale seems more like a memoir with much of the story line being passive and introspective, yet extremely deep. Colin Wilson uses the MIND PARASITES as a horror-parable to explore the complex concept that a few can control the many in terms of thoughts. The WMD fiasco and the subsequent Bushie spins support the author's premise although the book was written before the recent communication revolution that enables a select few to manipulate communication to the many. Not easy to read, fans of cerebral reflexive science fiction will appreciate the Big Brother horror portrayed by Mr. Wilson's look at the collective consciousness of the masses manipulated by the brazen minority. Harriet Klausner

a disappointment:
I honestly have to say that this novel was not very satisfactory. The basic premise was quite interesting, but the overall execution seemed fairly amatureish. Most of the sci-fi touches in particular were pretty laughable. Wilson's "The Philosopher's Stone" was much better.

Not Wilson's best:
When I first read this book, I was gripped by 19th century composers like Berlioz, Alkan, Liszt, and I laughed out loud at Wilson's audacious pathological explanation of 19th-c. romanticism on page 58 ff. of my Arkham House edition. It's as others say--this is a novel of ideas. If you can imagine Freud with the Id fleshed out as a character (the mind parasites), then you will be intrigued by this novel. But Colin Wilson unfortunately adopted not just some of the mythos but also some of the writing style of H.P. Lovecraft. The book is hard going, and the narrator, a cerebral Oxford-don type that must have been already dated in 1967, is a bore. Wilson credits Lovecraft, Derleth, and the movie _Forbidden Planet_ in his intro but fails to give any mention of the work he most blatently rips off: Jack Vance's 1951 novel _Nopalgarth_ presents an even more layered version of the Nopal (=mind parasites) and is more fun to read.

Mind Numbing Parasite:
Perhaps some people still enjoy this Lovecraftian style of writing - but it utterly and completely bores the modern reader. Whole sections of needless exposition rendered this book unreadable despite the interesting premise. Poorly executed and written.