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The Wilk Are Among Us
First edition. Slight rub at base of spine else fine in dj.
210 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1975
15 people want to read
About the author
Isidore Haiblum
30 books7 followersA quintessential New Yorker, Isidore Haiblum grew up a Yiddish-speaker in a home that was filled with music, books and the sounds of Eastern European languages.
As a young man, Izzy, as he was known to his friends, showed the sharp intellect, boundless curiosity and vivid wit that characterized him as a person and as a writer. He delved into politics and was a champion of civil rights and social justice. He also developed a lifetime passion for music.
At City College of New York, he earned an honors degree for his knowledge of English literature and Yiddish, as well as his gifts as a writer. Despite an affinity for teaching, he chose the more difficult path of becoming an independent author. His 18 published novels carry the unmistakable mark of his quirky sense of humor and fine-tuned ear for languages. They also reflect his love for New York City and the miles walked as he worked out plots. His books have been translated into eight languages.
As a young man, Izzy, as he was known to his friends, showed the sharp intellect, boundless curiosity and vivid wit that characterized him as a person and as a writer. He delved into politics and was a champion of civil rights and social justice. He also developed a lifetime passion for music.
At City College of New York, he earned an honors degree for his knowledge of English literature and Yiddish, as well as his gifts as a writer. Despite an affinity for teaching, he chose the more difficult path of becoming an independent author. His 18 published novels carry the unmistakable mark of his quirky sense of humor and fine-tuned ear for languages. They also reflect his love for New York City and the miles walked as he worked out plots. His books have been translated into eight languages.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 2, 2021
1978 grade F (Might have abandoned it although I usually finished them)
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October 23, 2025First edition. Slight rub at base of spine else fine in dj.
February 21, 2015
Field Being Leonard, some sort of extra-terrestrial squid, is chasing/being chased by Wilk when his communicator/teleporter transports him (and a few other beings) to Earth. Fortunately for them, Wilk are identical in makeup to Humans, but somehow more powerful/conniving. The other creatures are less well adapted to Earth, but make do. Leonard's alien implants change his form to look presentable on Earth, and he is given the task of finding and subduing the Wilk (and other aliens) before too much trouble occurs.
A blog I follow recommended a different book by this author as an example of Jewish science fiction--and perhaps the plural of the alien Wilk, 'yatz', has a Yiddish etymology, but there was very little apparent cultural influence. I would say this is not exactly science fiction, but a weird alien-fantasy in the then-present-day (1970s) western hemisphere. Unfortunately, this didn't have enough weirdness to be challenging or interesting, like Philip K Dick or Robert Anton Wilson, but seemed to emulate that mix of sex/drugs/PTSD. A running joke in the book was that if women flashed their breasts at Leonard he'd revert form to a squid... but the book took itself so seriously most of the time that I thought that gag was already old when it started. In what should have been witty banter, Leonard occasionally talked with folks from his home base who were always inept and their responses contrived. This story was not generally compelling--not enough happened, and we still don't really know anything about Leonard's species, his universe, his organization (of which he's a sociologist), and there seemed to be no consequences for all the trouble they caused on Earth (apart from the 'Tentacles Saves' religion) ... in the week over which I read it, I came to dread picking it up, because I never cared what the main characters were doing or why. Though the deus ex machina ending was a surprise, it wasn't an unpleasant one, and it did tie many of the storylines together. Maybe I'd recommend this to someone who's exhausted the PKD & RAW canon, but I believe there are other, better writers of that ilk (so in general, don't bother with 'Wilk').
A blog I follow recommended a different book by this author as an example of Jewish science fiction--and perhaps the plural of the alien Wilk, 'yatz', has a Yiddish etymology, but there was very little apparent cultural influence. I would say this is not exactly science fiction, but a weird alien-fantasy in the then-present-day (1970s) western hemisphere. Unfortunately, this didn't have enough weirdness to be challenging or interesting, like Philip K Dick or Robert Anton Wilson, but seemed to emulate that mix of sex/drugs/PTSD. A running joke in the book was that if women flashed their breasts at Leonard he'd revert form to a squid... but the book took itself so seriously most of the time that I thought that gag was already old when it started. In what should have been witty banter, Leonard occasionally talked with folks from his home base who were always inept and their responses contrived. This story was not generally compelling--not enough happened, and we still don't really know anything about Leonard's species, his universe, his organization (of which he's a sociologist), and there seemed to be no consequences for all the trouble they caused on Earth (apart from the 'Tentacles Saves' religion) ... in the week over which I read it, I came to dread picking it up, because I never cared what the main characters were doing or why. Though the deus ex machina ending was a surprise, it wasn't an unpleasant one, and it did tie many of the storylines together. Maybe I'd recommend this to someone who's exhausted the PKD & RAW canon, but I believe there are other, better writers of that ilk (so in general, don't bother with 'Wilk').
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews