They Walked Like Men [Hardcover]

Clifford D. Simak (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 27, 1975

A Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Author

The aliens wouldn't kill ... They'd take over earth and let man survive -- if he could. A few people tried to tell that Earth was being taken over by alien beings in the shape of bowling balls, talking dogs, dolls that walked like men. The trouble was, no one believed them.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 234 pages
• Publisher: TBS The Book Service Ltd; New edition edition (January 27, 1975)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0856178381
• ISBN-13: 978-0856178382
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Little Known Classic Stands Out from 50's Sci-Fi, October 2, 2000

By 

James Bow "Writer, The Unwritten Girl" (Kitchener, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: They Walked Like Men (Paperback)

When reading this book under the harsh light of year-2000 sensibilities, be prepared for a very 1950s pulp feel. Some of you may find this to be part of the charm of the book, but others might be put off. Still, even if you are put off by the slightly chauvanist style, Clifford Simak's "They Walked Like Men" is worth reading through.

Clifford's premise is actually rather unique for the science fiction books I read. Aliens arrive who want to take over the Earth -- by buying it. A series of covert transactions, each with closing dates close to one another, designed to defeat the human race by causing an economic collapse. Since when have aliens gone at it this way? The book may feel like 1950s fiction, but there are no flying saucers shooting off lasers, here.

Clifford Simak has a very readible writing style. The book is told in the first person and Simak gets you into the head of the lead character, who is a journalist covering the story of the alien's hostile takeover. Simak was himself a journalist, so he seems to know of what he writes. The other characters, the love-interest Joy, his caustic boss, down to the aliens and the strangers on the street, all come across as three-dimensional and interesting. It's a charming read, both because of its dated feel, and because of its original premise.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice 50s-style yarn of an alien invasion., August 23, 1998

By 

Thomas O. Gray "tomgray" (Norwich, VT USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: They Walked Like Men (Paperback)

This is an entertaining alien invasion yarn in 1950s style. The protagonist, a newspaper reporter, puts a series of clues together and then faces the expectable problem of convincing others that he is not a lunatic and that his fears are real. Light summer fare, a bit dated but still enjoyable--I don't think Simak was capable of writing a bad book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My first Simak book and still one of my favorites, February 26, 2001

By 

R. Cusolito "bob_c_03865" (Plaistow, NH USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: They Walked Like Men (Paperback)

This book was my introduction to Simak, and somehow the 1950s pulp-style feeling that other reviewers have mentioned really "did it" for me. The story is interesting, but even more so, the writing style brings back quite a feeling of nostalgia for me. It's not flashy, but it is riveting. Characters are not heavily detailed, Simak usually spends more time advancing the plot. You won't be sorry if you pick this one up, provided you can find it.