Inhuman Beings (Paperback)

by Jerry Jay Carroll (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Jerry Jay Carroll's second novel, Inhuman Beings, is a cynical, hilarious blend of Raymond Chandler and Philip K. Dick. Former cop Goodwin Armstrong finds his detective agency getting mysteriously muscled out of business, and his only lead is a wacky dame who calls herself Princess Dulay. The princess has detected psychic vibrations indicating that aliens--in a ship the size of a bowling ball--have invaded Earth. It's no joke to Armstrong, as first his fleabag hotel mysteriously explodes, and then his contacts begin to disappear--or worse, start acting very unlike themselves. He can't trust anyone, or anything, as elevators plummet, security cameras swivel to watch his movements, and kamikaze seagulls plunge through skylights to attack him. Carroll's dialogue is witty, his hero engaging, and his story swift-paced. Altogether, Inhuman Beings is a satisfying science fiction adventure that proves to be just as entertaining as Carroll's first novel, the lighthearted fantasy Top Dog. --Blaise Selby --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
Former cop Goodwin Armstrong, 44, is a divorced San Francisco PI battling the forces of a chain franchise detective agency, Security Concerns, when psychic Ronda Rabin, aka Princess Dulay, hires him. She claims aliens have invaded the U.S. and are planning a hostile takeover. The rest of Carroll's second novel (after Top Dog) is a by-the-numbers run that uncovers the aliens among us in the San Francisco police chief and mayor and their missing wives. Mysterious communication failures, blackouts, a plunging elevator, a seagull attack and assorted arsons preceded by blue flashes bring Armstrong to reporter Gilmore Ford, who steps in to help when it appears the alien takeover is rapidly moving to the White House. Despite a few visually interesting scenes at a Renaissance Fair, and an exciting missile launching into the Atlanta headquarters of Security Concerns, Carroll's narrative loses energy long before its explosive conclusion. Moreover, too many echoes of cinematic/TV models?including Men in Black, Independence Day and The X-Files?drain the originality from this SF mystery/adventure.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Ace; Ace Mass-M edition (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441006124
• ISBN-13: 978-0441006120
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,225,928 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Author of TOP DOG takes on noir & aliens, May 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Inhuman Beings (Paperback)

The author of Top Dog - "Wall Street" meets "The Lord of the Rings" - this time blends film noir with an alien conspiracy theory. Again, he spices things up with a flashy manipulation of sarcasm. Goodwin Armstrong is a typical ex-cop/gumshoe, down on his luck. Just when he thought things could any worse, a survivor of a brutal divorce, Security Concerns, a "Private-Eyes-R-Us," begins to kill his business. His financial situation forces him to take on a case involving a psychic, Princess Dulay. She believes that aliens have invaded, and are taking over people in the San Francisco are. Also, they are killing psychics because they can sense the aliens' presence. Armstrong takes on the case, and through a long and painful process becomes a believer and fighter for the cause.

Carroll manages to take many elements and genres and skillfully blends them into an entertaining plot. Driving his tale is some strong and well-developed characters. Carroll's narrative has the traditional feel of a quest, but with modern dressings. His real strength lies in his ability to create substantial, believable characters that a reader can sink his teeth into. The story elements are not anything new, but he plays them off each other in a clever and invigorating style. Grounding his characters in reality allows his to take the reader deeper into reality. He structures the tale so that it unfolds as memories from Armstrong, whom they are holding in a government type facility. This device allows him to create mystery and build suspense. The result is a fast and fulfilling read.

Jerry Jay Carroll is the reining master of recombinative fiction, a refreshing voice. He not only makes everything old new again, but knows how to plot, develop characters and heat things up. INHUMAN BEINGS is what "The X-Files" should be, with a little "Dr. Strangelove" thrown in for good measure. Hey, somebody should get this guy to write for television.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lots of Fun, July 6, 2001

By A Customer

Jerry Jay Carroll's "Inhuman Beings" is a nicely written and highly entertaining novel that moves swiftly from start to finish, despite the fact that the plot is very familiar. It's your basic down and out hero encounters aliens "body snatching" human beings and taking them over as part of a large scale invasion of the planet. I particularly enjoyed the early and middle stages of this novel but was somewhat disappointed with the late stages, as in many ways it degenerated into an "Independence Day"-like finale. But it's lots of fun and if you enjoy this sort of storyline it's worth reading. Certainly better books with basically identical themes are Jack Finney's classic "Body Snatchers" (Invasion of the Body Snatchers) or Heinlein's "The Puppet Masters". Or, if you're looking for a horror twist where a down and out P.I. encounters demons and satanic forces (instead of aliens), William Hjortsberg's "Falling Angel" (the novel on which the film "Angel Heart" was based), or Greg F. Gifune's "Drago Descending" are also terrific reads. Overall, Carroll's "Inhuman Beings" is a fine novel and is certainly worth reading, but if you're looking for the definitive novel of this kind, read Jack Finney's "Body Snatchers" first.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clever, suspenseful and witty! Couldn't put it down!, November 7, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Inhuman Beings (Paperback)

Carroll has a beautiful writing style. His characters are real, his dialogue is convincing and he knows how to keep you interested. I particularly enjoyed his sense of humor and his appreciation for the absurd. Some examples: "The bold scarf tied under his chin represented a rival theory of art"; ""Gloria had a tongue rough enough to sand floors"; "I told lawyers Mulhenny couldn't find his ass if he grew an extra hand back there"; "Feelings are important. Mr. Rogers says so"; "I feel like I've been here long enough for continents to form"; and "Anarchists don't pay parking tickets." (The trick to writing great metaphors is to not sound pretentious. Carroll has real style!) I can't recommend this book enough to science fiction fans who enjoy a good story and great writing.