They're Here... Invasion of the Body Snatchers

by Kevin McCarthy (Editor), Ed Gorman (Editor)

Based on the 1955 novel by Jack Finney, a companion volume edited by the star of the original film considers The Body Snatchers phenomenon and includes photos, interviews, and behind-the-scenes anecdotes. Original.

Genres: Horror, Science Fiction Fantasy, Science Fiction

273 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Kevin McCarthy is the author of the highly acclaimed historical crime novel, 'Peeler' (Mercier Press, 2010). Called a '...dark, brooding, morally complex masterpiece...' by the Belfast Telegraph, 'Peeler' was selected by the Irish Times as one of its Top Ten Thrillers of 2010 and as a Read of the Year 2010 by the Philadelphia Inquirer. His short story "Twenty-five and Out" appears in 'Down These Green Streets: Irish Crime Writing in the 21st Century'. Kevin's second novel, 'Irregulars', is published by New Island Books and was shortlisted for the Ireland AM Crime Fiction Book of the Year 2013. His novel, 'Wolves of Eden', published by W.W. Norton, was selected by Amazon as one of its 20 Best Books 2018. His latest novel, 'The Wintering Place' (W.W. Norton, 2022), a follow up to The Wolves of Eden, was selected by Amazon as one of its 20 Best Books of the Month, November 2022. He is represented by Jonathan Williams Literary Agency.

Reviews

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those books where the stars you give will depend how much you care about the topic.
This is a collection edited by McCarthy, star of the '56 version (who also provides a long interview in one section). It includes a couple of looks at Finney's career, discussions about what the film means, comparing the '56 and '78 versions, the challenges of making the 1990s reboot/sequel Body Snatchers and more.
It was generally interesting, but I think one of the biggest takeaways was from a writer who saw it as a kid: focusing on what the pod people symbolizes makes it easy to forget that having everyone around you replaced by aliens is a fricking scary idea. The movie didn't succeed because it was an allegory for conformity/communism/consumerism, it succeeds because it's fricking chilling. Spot on.

[Steven Cady]

This is an interesting compilation of articles about the three Invasion films, although most of the emphasis is on the first. Although each entry is separate, reading them all develops a good picture of various aspects of the films and their relationships. There is also significant material about the orginal author Jack Finney. Fun for those who like the films and those interested in the process of film