Customer Reviews

The Mind Parasites

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Imagination works in strange ways. This book helped me to open some new doors in my mind. And I think it changed also my view on the world.
I've read it several times (at least 3) after some years in between. Even if story loses its novelty, some ideas and thoughts are quite remarkable till this very moment. I would recommend this to any person, which is more or less seriously interested in SF and related imaginative reading.
Currently I have 2 writers on my "top of the pyramid" - polish one Stanislaw Lem and Colin Wilson. Whatever you might think about their literary styles, ideas and stories are remarkable and mind provoking and well worth time spent to read them - even if you will do this several times.

To say 'mind altering' is an honest warning to the reader. A premise that could be a reality to a gripping story, or to a new outlook at Life

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.

This book has been the perfect illustration to the theory, that what is running your life, what is running the "show" is not on the surface, and therefore ordinary actions, like goal setting, and inspirational hype won't do lasting good to influence how your life will turn out. Ever since I read this book (which was about 10 years ago) I have been able to fool the mind parasites... and have a great life, thanks to this wonderful book.

25 years ago I read this book overnight. Could not put it down. Raved to several friends about it. Loaned the book to a classmate whom I never saw again. I've never seen that book again or another copy of it even though I've looked for it off and on all those years. It made quite an impact on my and my life. I want my wife and teenage children to read this book. The feelings it evoked and a new twist on ancient principles make it an undiscovered classic worth the effort of seeking. Seeking for truth is part of the book's theme. The plot you have to read to appreciate. Good luck on finding this collectable.

This is the first book by Wilson that I have read. Although he is more well-known for his non-fiction books, like 'The Occult', I started with this novel on a whim, looking to kill some time and rid my bookshelf of some paperbacks that were not in great physical shape.

I'm glad that I did. I thoroughly enjoy Lovecraft and Wilson's sampling of Lovecraft's universe to roll out his phenomenological narrative is a compelling read.

I tend to sample novels and see if they can grab my attention. Once I began Wilson's book, it was hard to turn away. I would not say that Wilson is a Sci-Fi master, as his observations seem a bit dated, compared to Asimov, for example, who remains a pillar within that genre. However, his blend of psychological reflection, Sci-Fi and Lovecraft is unique, and his own overlay of a personal philosophy is successful.

The novel is written as a first-person narrative (basically) and does not feel overly contrived. There are moments when Wilson over-reaches his scientific prognosis for humanity, but the larger narrative is still enjoyable, 30+ years after the novel was written.

Like Lovecraft, SciFi, philosophy and psychology? Give this book a spin. I will be looking for other Wilson titles now, as he is a good writer, and keeps you interested, even in the slower passages.

Strangely enough, they had published this book in the USSR, in English. I bought it, I've read it and gave it to a friend. He never returned the book, so I had to buy another copy. This repeated around 10 times, while they had the book in stock.

The book, although being pure fiction, teaches you how to penetrate deep into your own mind, something that is much harder to achieve, say, by just practicing yoga.

My god this is such a good book and I can't find it anywhere. I had a worn down copy over 20 years ago which I loaned to half a dozen friends, whom I then tracked down and from whom I retrieved the book, snatching it out of their hands as they kicked and screamed and cried and demanded that I GIVE them the book because they loved it and they wanted to lend it to other friends. . .fat chance. It is MY bookand I don't want to lose it, so I said, for all those years, and now, I can't find the darn thing. Now, I have three children (10,12,and 14) and they all love Sci-Fi and I keep telling them about Mind Parasites and they want to read it. By George, so do I. WHY is this book so hard to find. It is among the ten best Sci-fi books ever written, an entire head and shoulders above the Foundation Series, which can be had at any street corner. The world is upside down.

Consider---a popular book which uncloaks the existence of parasitic entities, alien brain-suckers which take active measures to remain concealed... and now the book is no longer available... and all the friends to whom I once lent my dog-earred copy now mysteriously vanished... is it possible---?? (more seriously, it's a good book, and the only one I know of to take a stab at explaining why it is, everytime you're just THAT close to figuring out the big question---it's suddenly time to get a snack.)

I read this book as a teenager. The phrase "couldn't stop reading it" is overused, but that was literally true for this one, more so than any other book I have ever read. I stayed up all night reading it. I wish I could find the copy I had. I wonder where I got it? I wonder what I did with it? (I mean, it's not the best book I ever read overall, but it sure was interesting!)