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Interlopers
Upset stomachs. The collapse of civilizations. Nervous breakdowns. Blame them on a twist of fate, but archaeologist Cody Westcott knows differently. Something is causing these random acts of badness. Something ancient, something evil, something...hungry. We are not alone, but we're about to wish we were....
313 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
13 people are currently reading
223 people want to read
About the author
Alan Dean Foster
499 books2,033 followersBestselling science fiction writer Alan Dean Foster was born in New York City in 1946, but raised mainly in California. He received a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA in 1968, and a M.F.A. in 1969. Foster lives in Arizona with his wife, but he enjoys traveling because it gives him opportunities to meet new people and explore new places and cultures. This interest is carried over to his writing, but with a twist: the new places encountered in his books are likely to be on another planet, and the people may belong to an alien race.
Foster began his career as an author when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was purchased by the editor and published in the magazine in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth, a galactic alliance between humans and an insectlike race called Thranx. Several other novels, including the Icerigger trilogy, are also set in the world of the Commonwealth. The Tar-Aiym Krang also marked the first appearance of Flinx, a young man with paranormal abilities, who reappears in other books, including Orphan Star, For Love of Mother-Not, and Flinx in Flux.
Foster has also written The Damned series and the Spellsinger series, which includes The Hour of the Gate, The Moment of the Magician, The Paths of the Perambulator, and Son of Spellsinger, among others. Other books include novelizations of science fiction movies and television shows such as Star Trek, The Black Hole, Starman, Star Wars, and the Alien movies. Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a bestselling novel based on the Star Wars movies, received the Galaxy Award in 1979. The book Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990. His novel Our Lady of the Machine won him the UPC Award (Spain) in 1993. He also won the Ignotus Award (Spain) in 1994 and the Stannik Award (Russia) in 2000.
Foster began his career as an author when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was purchased by the editor and published in the magazine in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth, a galactic alliance between humans and an insectlike race called Thranx. Several other novels, including the Icerigger trilogy, are also set in the world of the Commonwealth. The Tar-Aiym Krang also marked the first appearance of Flinx, a young man with paranormal abilities, who reappears in other books, including Orphan Star, For Love of Mother-Not, and Flinx in Flux.
Foster has also written The Damned series and the Spellsinger series, which includes The Hour of the Gate, The Moment of the Magician, The Paths of the Perambulator, and Son of Spellsinger, among others. Other books include novelizations of science fiction movies and television shows such as Star Trek, The Black Hole, Starman, Star Wars, and the Alien movies. Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a bestselling novel based on the Star Wars movies, received the Galaxy Award in 1979. The book Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990. His novel Our Lady of the Machine won him the UPC Award (Spain) in 1993. He also won the Ignotus Award (Spain) in 1994 and the Stannik Award (Russia) in 2000.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
June 26, 2021
Interlopers is one of Foster's fine stand-alone science fiction novels that throws a young archaeologist into an inter-dimensional conflict with fascinating repercussions. His characters are likable and sympathetic, and I found his alien menace quite interesting and entertaining. There are a few rough edges in the plot, but it's like one of those great old sf films that you have to just sit back and enjoy what happens next rather than over-analyzing. It's fun entertainment.
January 5, 2023
While the story had a very interesting premise, I'm not fond of how often Foster repeatedly delivered the same information seemingly every chapter. While I'm all for repeating things in a series once a book to refresh the reader's memory, again and again in the same book says either the writer isn't very good, or assumes his reader is an idiot.
However, I did enjoy Ben Browder reading it. I'll admit, his reading is what kept me listening until the end.
However, I did enjoy Ben Browder reading it. I'll admit, his reading is what kept me listening until the end.
August 9, 2017
Archaeologist-in-training Cory Westcott is helping to excavate Apachetarimac, a pre-Inca site high in the Peruvian Andes. He discovers a mysterious sealed cave, full of spectacular Chachapoyan carvings and pictographs, and meets his future wife, beautiful fellow student Kelli Alwydd.
Cory and Kelli finish their Ph.D's, and both win appointments to the faculty of ASU in Tempe, Arizona. Cory deciphers the recipe for a Chachapoyan shamanistic potion. With the help of an ASU chemist, he brews the stuff and drinks it. Nothing much happens -- he gets terrible stomach cramps -- until he passes the Chemistry building and sees a raging fire in his colleague's lab -- and he starts seeing weird creatures, with teeth & tentacles, in every tree and rock in Tempe. Hungry creatures... that no one else can see!
And, as he finds out, the invisible monsters -- the Interlopers -- can burrow inside a person, to feed on their sorrow, pain, anger, discontent -- and control the victim to produce maximum food-value. Or to eliminate a threat -- as Cory discovers when he's visited by Uthu, a possessed Asian, with a 'friendly' warning to stop his research -- or else.
Possession by invisible aliens, who force the hag-ridden to do horrible things, was a common SF theme in the paranoid 40s and 50s -- and it is still a popular explanation for all the troubles in the world: "the devil made me do it." Interlopers reminds me most of an old Jack Vance novel, Nopalgarth (aka The Brains of Earth -- which is worth looking for if you like this sort of thing). And, of course, the fear of a 'demon-haunted world' dates back to the flickering campfires of prehistory...
Interlopers is competent commercial fiction, and I enjoyed reading it. I particularly liked the explanation for all those horrible sitcoms: the Interlopers hate a good belly-laugh (it gives them indigestion), so they've heavily infiltrated TV and Hollywood, to kill off all the good humour shows. And the globe-trotting scenes are nicely done -- the author is a noted traveller. But the book would have benefitted (sigh) from a more diligent editor, who might have blue-pencilled stuff like (in sketching a senior archaeologist) "beneath his shirt and shorts, small, corded muscles exploded like caramel popcorn." Or, describing a tropical town, "aspects of the old South Seas clung to it like lost adjectives from a novel by Conrad." Sheesh.
The bottom line: Interlopers is a "B" book, decent airplane reading -- but Alan Dean Foster's done better.
My 2001 review: https://www.sfsite.com/08b/lo110.htm
Cory and Kelli finish their Ph.D's, and both win appointments to the faculty of ASU in Tempe, Arizona. Cory deciphers the recipe for a Chachapoyan shamanistic potion. With the help of an ASU chemist, he brews the stuff and drinks it. Nothing much happens -- he gets terrible stomach cramps -- until he passes the Chemistry building and sees a raging fire in his colleague's lab -- and he starts seeing weird creatures, with teeth & tentacles, in every tree and rock in Tempe. Hungry creatures... that no one else can see!
And, as he finds out, the invisible monsters -- the Interlopers -- can burrow inside a person, to feed on their sorrow, pain, anger, discontent -- and control the victim to produce maximum food-value. Or to eliminate a threat -- as Cory discovers when he's visited by Uthu, a possessed Asian, with a 'friendly' warning to stop his research -- or else.
Possession by invisible aliens, who force the hag-ridden to do horrible things, was a common SF theme in the paranoid 40s and 50s -- and it is still a popular explanation for all the troubles in the world: "the devil made me do it." Interlopers reminds me most of an old Jack Vance novel, Nopalgarth (aka The Brains of Earth -- which is worth looking for if you like this sort of thing). And, of course, the fear of a 'demon-haunted world' dates back to the flickering campfires of prehistory...
Interlopers is competent commercial fiction, and I enjoyed reading it. I particularly liked the explanation for all those horrible sitcoms: the Interlopers hate a good belly-laugh (it gives them indigestion), so they've heavily infiltrated TV and Hollywood, to kill off all the good humour shows. And the globe-trotting scenes are nicely done -- the author is a noted traveller. But the book would have benefitted (sigh) from a more diligent editor, who might have blue-pencilled stuff like (in sketching a senior archaeologist) "beneath his shirt and shorts, small, corded muscles exploded like caramel popcorn." Or, describing a tropical town, "aspects of the old South Seas clung to it like lost adjectives from a novel by Conrad." Sheesh.
The bottom line: Interlopers is a "B" book, decent airplane reading -- but Alan Dean Foster's done better.
My 2001 review: https://www.sfsite.com/08b/lo110.htm
July 21, 2009
I found the plot holes to be very frustrating. This was not Foster's best work, by far. Contrary to the premise as implied in the opening chapters, infection is absurdly easy, and humans have pretty much no chance of winning. Also, he makes sloppy mistakes in the writing, in key scenes. Just try "blowing really hard" into a kazoo to make a loud sound, for example. Go ahead...we'll just wait right here until you notice the problem. It wouldn't be a big deal, except the sound mattered in the story.
The hospital scenes were similarly clumsy and difficult to believe, especially the hospital's willingness to instantly discharge a coma patient on the day of awakening. The powers and abilities of the Interlopers kept changing, and the power displayed near the hospital, of massive illusion, should mean Game Over for humanity.
Very disappointing novel with interesting characters.
The hospital scenes were similarly clumsy and difficult to believe, especially the hospital's willingness to instantly discharge a coma patient on the day of awakening. The powers and abilities of the Interlopers kept changing, and the power displayed near the hospital, of massive illusion, should mean Game Over for humanity.
Very disappointing novel with interesting characters.
September 7, 2018
I love Alan Dean Foster. Even when one of his books does not seem very promising, I always get hooked after 10 to 30 pages... Not this one :( I'm giving up after one third. Very boring, stupid plot, lifeless characters.. Well Alan is allowed to have a day off!
August 10, 2016
Alan Dean Foster is one of those authors that is about as fickle in his writing as I can imagine. Sometimes his books hit the nail on the head and at other times you feel that he was just collecting a paycheck. With that in mind I went into this book not expecting much after having picked it up second hand. I was expecting an Indiana Jones meets the aliens vibe... and that is exactly not what I got.
However, the book wasn't bad at all and I place it up there with some of his best stuff. It surpassed my expectations quite a bit and was a fun, quick and surprising book. Was it well written? It wasn't Moorcock or Sanderson but it wasn't terrible. The characters were believable and human and the villains were otherworldly and lovecraftian without once invoking Lovecraft in any way. Think more "from beyond" than "call of Cthulhu" for instance.
Archaeologist uncovers evidence of other-dimensional predators that have preyed off of humans for thousands of years, then finds a way to actually see them and freaks out. Goes on globe-trotting adventure to vanquish them (although "adventure" might be a bit heavy, there's only two actual fight scenes in the entire book) and to save his wife. There's really not much resolution to the story, but that may be the whole point of a subject like this.
Do I recommend it? It's hard to really recommend Foster, but if you have a few spare moments and nothing better to read then, by all means, have a bit of fun with it.
However, the book wasn't bad at all and I place it up there with some of his best stuff. It surpassed my expectations quite a bit and was a fun, quick and surprising book. Was it well written? It wasn't Moorcock or Sanderson but it wasn't terrible. The characters were believable and human and the villains were otherworldly and lovecraftian without once invoking Lovecraft in any way. Think more "from beyond" than "call of Cthulhu" for instance.
Archaeologist uncovers evidence of other-dimensional predators that have preyed off of humans for thousands of years, then finds a way to actually see them and freaks out. Goes on globe-trotting adventure to vanquish them (although "adventure" might be a bit heavy, there's only two actual fight scenes in the entire book) and to save his wife. There's really not much resolution to the story, but that may be the whole point of a subject like this.
Do I recommend it? It's hard to really recommend Foster, but if you have a few spare moments and nothing better to read then, by all means, have a bit of fun with it.
February 25, 2014
Author Alan Dean Foster is equally adept at world building science fiction, like his Humanx Commonwealth novels, or small personal near future tales. INTERLOPERS fits into that later category.
Archeologist Coschocton "Cody" Westcott discovers, along with his future wife Kelli Alwydd, discover hidden chambers below the temple they are excavating filled with all sorts of carving and symbols on the walls. They photograph all of it for later research, both making careers out of it.
Later, married and teacing in Arizona, Cody deciphers one set of symbols for some sort of formula. A chemist friend helps him mix it up and Cody samples it.
A whole new word opens up for him. And not a nice one.
He can see Those Who Abide, the Interlopers, who live in natural objects: trees, rock, and such, until a human touches them, invading the body. He witnesses a girl vomit, a man turn violent and kick his dog, two women crash their bikes together just to warn him off.
Only he can see them and does wha he can to prevent them infecting people. But he must do more.
What are they? There must be others that know of them. How can they be stopped?
Foster has a style that pulls one into the story and won't let go.
Archeologist Coschocton "Cody" Westcott discovers, along with his future wife Kelli Alwydd, discover hidden chambers below the temple they are excavating filled with all sorts of carving and symbols on the walls. They photograph all of it for later research, both making careers out of it.
Later, married and teacing in Arizona, Cody deciphers one set of symbols for some sort of formula. A chemist friend helps him mix it up and Cody samples it.
A whole new word opens up for him. And not a nice one.
He can see Those Who Abide, the Interlopers, who live in natural objects: trees, rock, and such, until a human touches them, invading the body. He witnesses a girl vomit, a man turn violent and kick his dog, two women crash their bikes together just to warn him off.
Only he can see them and does wha he can to prevent them infecting people. But he must do more.
What are they? There must be others that know of them. How can they be stopped?
Foster has a style that pulls one into the story and won't let go.
November 21, 2018
I really enjoyed it, another way to conceptualize depression. I thought it was a fun story
March 20, 2019
Starting out with the terror level of The Cave and The Ruins, this exciting story morphs into a statement trying to explain the insanity of the world in a non-political way. Well done.
May 15, 2025
DNF Actually made it two-thirds through after trying repeatedly in the hopes there would be improvement. Boring, ponderous and worst, found the premise to be implausible to begin with and so everything fell apart after that. The protagonist as someone who is portrayed as smart is really dumb. Hard to believe Foster wrote this.
November 28, 2024
I gave up half way through. the story did not make sense to me. Too many holes in the logic as well as the unrealistic actions of the characters. Archaeologists do not act that way. University do not work that way. And if these fantastical creatures really had the power he ascribes to them and are all over and have been around for thousands of years infecting us, humanity would already have been destroyed a long time ago. So, either they would have to be more benign than he makes them out to be, or the creatures less established all over than he makes them out to be. I could go on and on with other examples of things that did not make sense, but you get the point. there is only so much suspension of belief I can do for the sake of a work of fiction.
February 1, 2017
Reads like a ridiculous B-Movie story that could be made ten or twenty years ago with all the good old tropes included. The premise raises interest at first, but the more is explained the more it crosses from "silly but fun" into "are you kidding me?!Oooph!" territory.
Certain literary techniques are employed and then completely abandoned. Characters are stereotypes and get no development, though with a simplistic story, there's no need for that. The resolution at the end feels unearned and anticlimactic. It just ends, as would a pilot to a TV series end - closing the immediate plot, but leaving enough open for an overreaching story arc.
Also, I got lured into it with the Ben Browder, of "Farscape" and "Stargate SG-1" fame, on the mic in the audio version. Boy, was that a mistake. Ben phones it in, literally, reading quickly with no punctuation, rushing the job to cash that cheque.
This is a decent filler or a time waster when nothing better is available, but really not worth a good reader's time.
Certain literary techniques are employed and then completely abandoned. Characters are stereotypes and get no development, though with a simplistic story, there's no need for that. The resolution at the end feels unearned and anticlimactic. It just ends, as would a pilot to a TV series end - closing the immediate plot, but leaving enough open for an overreaching story arc.
Also, I got lured into it with the Ben Browder, of "Farscape" and "Stargate SG-1" fame, on the mic in the audio version. Boy, was that a mistake. Ben phones it in, literally, reading quickly with no punctuation, rushing the job to cash that cheque.
This is a decent filler or a time waster when nothing better is available, but really not worth a good reader's time.
September 13, 2025
I would never consider Alan Dean Foster to be among my top ten science fiction authors--but I have read A Lot of his books. This one, published in 2001, was a very enjoyable read. I read it fast, not stopping to think about holes or weaknesses in the plot. Our intrepid archaeologist Cody Westcott makes an astounding discovery while excavating a Chachapoyan site in Peru. It seems that the human race is under a dire threat by "Interlopers," creatures from another dimension. They have been causing everything from headaches and nervous breakdowns to the collapse of civilizations. Can Cody find a way to fight them?
Foster is a good and competent SF author. I have greatly enjoyed his Humanx Commonwealth books, which include the books featuring "Flinx." I also remember enjoying his novelizations of the Star Trek Animated series, his Star Trek Logs 1-10, which came out in the 70s. He's written a lot of standalones, as well, such as "Interlopers." All of his books are fun reads, a pleasant way to spend a lazy afternoon!
Foster is a good and competent SF author. I have greatly enjoyed his Humanx Commonwealth books, which include the books featuring "Flinx." I also remember enjoying his novelizations of the Star Trek Animated series, his Star Trek Logs 1-10, which came out in the 70s. He's written a lot of standalones, as well, such as "Interlopers." All of his books are fun reads, a pleasant way to spend a lazy afternoon!
August 31, 2015
I can never pass a box of books at a yard sale that says "25 cents each" or, be still my heart, "10 cents each."
And so I came into possession of Interlopers.
It was a pretty good read, although I'm not sure I understand what puts it in the realm of science fiction instead of the realm of horror.
I had a somewhat hard time believing the main character would actually make and drink the concoction that allows him to see the Interlopers. What happens once he can see them is to be expected--they don't want to be seen, they just want to make humanity as miserable as possible so they can feed off the negative energy.
Of course, the primary female character is infected, so she must be rescued. Because we can't have women actually contribute to solving the problem. Been there, read that.
An amusing and entertaining read, but I probably won't ever reread it.
And so I came into possession of Interlopers.
It was a pretty good read, although I'm not sure I understand what puts it in the realm of science fiction instead of the realm of horror.
I had a somewhat hard time believing the main character would actually make and drink the concoction that allows him to see the Interlopers. What happens once he can see them is to be expected--they don't want to be seen, they just want to make humanity as miserable as possible so they can feed off the negative energy.
Of course, the primary female character is infected, so she must be rescued. Because we can't have women actually contribute to solving the problem. Been there, read that.
An amusing and entertaining read, but I probably won't ever reread it.
March 19, 2018
I would normally have rated this a 4, due to the convoluted ending and various opportunities missed in the plot (ie. when he returns, it is autumn, so what would happen if a leaf falls on you with an interloper in it?) But, it did make me think. Due to the very original concept - not surprising for Foster - and the way it seems to explain everything we humans do that is not productive - I had to rate it a 5. For some reason, the idea made me laugh at mistakes I made today and hope for a better world. Irrational? Maybe so, but fiction is not so much about escapism for me as it is a way to deal with reality and think outside the box. This book helped.
ps. Also, I liked that the wife got to be a hero, too, in the end.
ps. Also, I liked that the wife got to be a hero, too, in the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2013
This was an interesting read. For me, it was pure fantasy and I was quite irritated when I found it listed in SciFi. On second thoughts, the genre fits too.
There were a few places where events were not fitting properly (like the kazoo or the easy hospital discharge mentioned in a previous review), but I wasn't bothered all that much by it. I liked the worldbuilding too much.
Worldbuilding is Fosters greatest strength, imho. I liked the way he interwove the interlopers with our everyday world. Recommended for readers of mythology-enhanced fantasy/SciFi
There were a few places where events were not fitting properly (like the kazoo or the easy hospital discharge mentioned in a previous review), but I wasn't bothered all that much by it. I liked the worldbuilding too much.
Worldbuilding is Fosters greatest strength, imho. I liked the way he interwove the interlopers with our everyday world. Recommended for readers of mythology-enhanced fantasy/SciFi
May 27, 2010
Invisible, interdimensional, alien parasites live among us, feeding off of, and causing, negative emotions.
Archaeologist Cody Westcott deciphers an ancient Peruvian text, that describes a potion, which he makes and ingests. This potion gives him the ability to see the alien parasites living among us. When they realize he can see them, they declare all out war on him and his family using human hosts susceptible to evil suggestions.
Archaeologist Cody Westcott deciphers an ancient Peruvian text, that describes a potion, which he makes and ingests. This potion gives him the ability to see the alien parasites living among us. When they realize he can see them, they declare all out war on him and his family using human hosts susceptible to evil suggestions.
December 5, 2015
I couldn't put this book down and really enjoyed reading it. I think it may be one of those books that is difficult to label with a specific genre. It has some science fiction, some fantasy, and some horror. Now, I'm not a horror fan and I'm not as avid a reader of fiction as some but I still really enjoyed it. It was different than anything I've ever read before which made it all the more interesting for me.
February 25, 2015
Alan Dean Foster almost always writes what I like. After the first 75 pages I still didn't care about the characters and saw the story going somewhere I didn't want to go. So I stopped reading. Just not to my taste.
March 18, 2014
In my opion 85% really good/interesting 5% I really wish Foster had explained more about one thing or another 10% disapointed by the plot devices used to end the story. still in my opinion worth a quick read.
June 4, 2008
Audio book version, voiced by Been Browder of Farscape/Stargate SG1. Enteraining. I also have the paperback version but haven't yet read it.
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June 21, 2009Science Fiction
August 17, 2011
An interesting concept, I enjoyed this book, but a little predictable. I still love Alan Dean Foster.
May 23, 2012
This was easy to read, but if you don't want to have bad dreams about what you can't see don't read it! lol
August 17, 2012
Good book; fun plot. I bought it on a whim, and it's been sitting on my shelf for so long...glad to finally give it a read.
November 11, 2013
Interesting concept I enjoyed it! I love sci-fi!!
Also if you like Ben Browder (John -Farscape) listen to the audio book :)
Also if you like Ben Browder (John -Farscape) listen to the audio book :)
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October 24, 2016LOVED it! Alan Dean Foster is by far my favorite Sci-Fi author.
October 27, 2016
Pretty good.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews