SOLVED. Horror - A guy has a large spot on his hand that is evil. [s]

[[deleted user]]

I read this book in the early '90's, I think. I don't know when it was published. The guy also had a girlfriend.

[Naomi]

Dear Jeff,
To get the discussion started……
I am probably way off with this, but your post reminded me of a book I read where there were three or four versions of a teenage boy, and each had a distinctive black mark on his hand (although I think it was a triangle, not a spot). As the newer versions came, the originals got weaker.

This book was possibly The Duplicate by William Sleator.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

It was published in 1988 so it’s the right time frame.

[Naomi]

should have said - one of the advantages of there being copies of him was that he could see his girlfriend whilst also being in other places doing other things, such as dutifully visiting his grandmother. .

[[deleted user]]

Thanks, Naomi. That's not it. Sounds like an interesting concept. Wasn't a movie made with a similar idea? I think it starred Michael Keaton.

Anyway, the main character was definitely a young man. I cannot remember any plot details. I can only remember a "romantic encounter" between him and his girlfriend where she explains the reason she prefers a particular dominant position. But, I thought the concept for the book distinctive enough that anyone who had read it would recognize it anyway.

[Karen]

It might not help at all buy there is a very popular Japanese manga called Parasyte about an alien that takes over a guy's arm:

https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.h...

[[deleted user]]

rockabilly werewolf,

The Cipher is it! Nice job. This one is solved.

[Scott]

The Cipher for the click.

[[deleted user]]

Thanks Scott!

I'll move to the Solved folder when I get a chance to get to my desktop, unless a moderator beats me to it.