SOLVED. SF Alien that can take over the mind of creatures around it. [s]

[AB]

In my mind, I see this alien as a blob, but it controls the world around it by controlling the creatures around it. Seeing from the birds, takes over the minds of the people who then physically move it onto their spaceship.

I read this book in the late '60s

[Andy]

Was this a novel or a short story? Could be "Green Patches" by Isaac Asimov, perhaps.

[Justanotherbiblophile]

The GR Green Patches links and other reviews only give the first half of the story; the part OP is interested in is detailed on the wikipedia page.

However, upon reading the story itself, there is no 'taking over' of minds by the hive, just mind-reading. All of the alien's motive power comes internally.

[Andy]

True. The bit about taking over birds' minds is ringing a faint bell with me, but I don't have another specific suggestion yet.

[Justanotherbiblophile]

Andy wrote: "True. The bit about taking over birds' minds is ringing a faint bell with me, but I don't have another specific suggestion yet."

IKR? So many 'aliens taking over minds' tropes, and I can't seem to pick many out of the titles - or the ones I do don't match up. Anasazi one is not what OP is looking for. Nor is it that species from Known Space, although I think maybe that's a 'see out of other's eyes' bit.

[AB]

Green Patches is not the book/story I'm thinking of. Although I definitely see the similarity. This "book" might be considered a novelette. The object/book I remember holding in my hand was actually 2 books (I have no idea what the other one was). I remember it because you could turn the book upside down and there was the other book/story.

This one was definitely a "take over minds" story since the alien took over the minds of the people who put it on the ship. I remember thinking "How do you kill something that controls the people around it so it can't be killed."

[Andy]

Ah. An "Ace Double" - here's a list of all the Ace Double titles, which is at least a start https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...

[AB]

After skimming that list around the time I would have bought the book I found 1 book (2 titles) that ring a bell, but I can't find a description of them (only opportunities to buy them). The titles are:

Alton's Unguessable by Jeff Sutton
The Ships of Durostorum by Kenneth Bulmer

Any thoughts?

[Andy]

This description https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... seems to fit the book you're looking for

"Uli - a small egg shaped beast with an eye at one end - has the power to project portions of his being into other creatures, such as the birds and the rodents. His plan is to infect the crew one by one, and to use the ship to take him back to the Empire of the humans where he can begin his conquest of the galaxy. "

[AB]

This sounds so right. Now I've got to find a copy of it for confirmation. Thanks a lot.

[Andy]

Looks like it's available on Abebooks https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Sear... (and you can see the cover art there too).

[Kris]

Here's the Google Books preview of The Ships Of Durostorum / Alton's Unguessable (the first book) by Kenneth Bulmer - Andy's suggestion:

https://books.google.com/books?id=yHM...

[AB]

Yup, that’s the book I was thinking of
Alton’s Unguessable

[Andy]

Great!