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Alien Influences
Bountiful is a sun-scorched, inhospitable planet, offering only one comfort to its small band of human colonists: the powerful intoxicant they create from native plants an export to other worlds. But an unspeakable disaster devastates the colony. Six of its children are found dead, their bodies marked in a bizarre parody of the puberty rites of the Dancers, Bountiful's enigmatic sentient race. Even more horrifying is the news that the murderers are not the Dancers--but eight other children of the colony.
What happens when small children are changed by their environment, made into something other, not wholly human or alien? What will become of a society irrevocably torn by nightmarish acts carried out by its most innocent members? And how far will one young man go in his obsessive quest to bring healing to eight shattered children...even if he must cross the boundaries of death itself?
What happens when small children are changed by their environment, made into something other, not wholly human or alien? What will become of a society irrevocably torn by nightmarish acts carried out by its most innocent members? And how far will one young man go in his obsessive quest to bring healing to eight shattered children...even if he must cross the boundaries of death itself?
352 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1994
7 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
About the author
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
1,365 books720 followersKristine Kathryn Rusch is an award-winning mystery, romance, science fiction, and fantasy writer. She has written many novels under various names, including Kristine Grayson for romance, and Kris Nelscott for mystery. Her novels have made the bestseller lists –even in London– and have been published in 14 countries and 13 different languages.
Her awards range from the Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award to the John W. Campbell Award. In the past year, she has been nominated for the Hugo, the Shamus, and the Anthony Award. She is the only person in the history of the science fiction field to have won a Hugo award for editing and a Hugo award for fiction.
In addition, she's written a number of nonfiction articles over the years, with her latest being the book "A Freelancer's Survival Guide".
She has also published as:
Sandy Schofield (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kristine Grayson - romances
Kathryn Wesley (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kris Nelscott - mysteries
Kris Rusch - historical fiction
Kris DeLake - romances
Her awards range from the Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award to the John W. Campbell Award. In the past year, she has been nominated for the Hugo, the Shamus, and the Anthony Award. She is the only person in the history of the science fiction field to have won a Hugo award for editing and a Hugo award for fiction.
In addition, she's written a number of nonfiction articles over the years, with her latest being the book "A Freelancer's Survival Guide".
She has also published as:
Sandy Schofield (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kristine Grayson - romances
Kathryn Wesley (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kris Nelscott - mysteries
Kris Rusch - historical fiction
Kris DeLake - romances
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 5, 2012
This science fiction novel is about the very close interaction between human children and an alien species on an alien planet. It is very well-written, with few editing errors. The author develops the story by shifting perspectives between several of the book's main characters. Loose ends are tied up at the end of the story, and no extraneous plot lines were gratuitously inserted. Descriptions are well balanced and dialogue is believable. Overall, an excellent read.
May 11, 2013
Kind of a weird, depressing novel about abused children who become abused adults, oh and there's some aliens in there somewhere. Actually, for a book called "Alien Influences" I wish there'd have been more aliens. The Dancers are the main exospecies of the book but, after the first 20% or so of the book, they only get talked about (rather than actually appearing). There are allusions to many other species but this book hardly explores alien biology, society, etc, at all.
Other science fiction elements are also very, very light. They take a backseat to the more fantasy/spiritual elements of the Dancers' powers. Also, the worldbuilding was incredibly light. I would've liked to know more about this universe, its history, exactly how far humans have gone into space, how many species they've encountered, and so on. None of this was really delved into. Far more, it's a book about psychology. That's fine I guess but it's not the kind of book I'm into.
The ending lacked any real revelations, and overall the plot was alright, but the book felt like just a series of underwhelming events strung together. The best part of the whole book was the Bodeangenie and its interactions with John and the traders who stole it.
Other science fiction elements are also very, very light. They take a backseat to the more fantasy/spiritual elements of the Dancers' powers. Also, the worldbuilding was incredibly light. I would've liked to know more about this universe, its history, exactly how far humans have gone into space, how many species they've encountered, and so on. None of this was really delved into. Far more, it's a book about psychology. That's fine I guess but it's not the kind of book I'm into.
The ending lacked any real revelations, and overall the plot was alright, but the book felt like just a series of underwhelming events strung together. The best part of the whole book was the Bodeangenie and its interactions with John and the traders who stole it.
October 3, 2020
One of my favorite books, it tells you in complicated ways about the power of believing. Also I like the sci-fi world that hosts the action and presenting its different aspects through the eyes of different protagonists. If you're looking for a hidden gem, this would be it.
It makes me think of anime :)
It makes me think of anime :)
June 18, 2017
This was not quite what I expected, but interesting nonetheless. Aliens don't feature much in it at all; at first, I was expecting the story to be about parental responsibility and ethics as coloured by exposure to an alien culture (The Dancers). Instead, it became a straightforward mystery about what had happened to the children after the deaths. As an aside, I had The Killers song Human stuck in my head for days, thanks to the song's refrain, "Are we human or are we dancer?" Read this book to find out...
June 4, 2023
Reading this was an odd experience, because I'd read parts of it before, and just a few months ago. Finally figured out that the book includes two stories from The Retrieval Artist and Other Stories. Once I got past those parts, it was fun to follow the rest of the story. It's set in the Retrieval Artist world, but doesn't intersect with any of the main characters or plotlines in that.
Rusch's writing, as usual, is first-rate. It's easy to bond with her characters (and to despise the bad ones), and the action moves nicely, between and on various planets. I can't consider it fully science fiction, as there's not much of an attempt to explain how the alien Dancers (or just being around them?) can do something to human children that makes them telepathic and gives them other powers. Which is fine, because I don't think any science could explain it. (Except there's something kind of lame about what you believe will be true, but at least Rusch didn't invoke pseudo quantum physics.) I just considered it a fantasy element, and that was fine. I mean, FTL is fantasy too, and SF is full of that, right?
Rusch's writing, as usual, is first-rate. It's easy to bond with her characters (and to despise the bad ones), and the action moves nicely, between and on various planets. I can't consider it fully science fiction, as there's not much of an attempt to explain how the alien Dancers (or just being around them?) can do something to human children that makes them telepathic and gives them other powers. Which is fine, because I don't think any science could explain it. (Except there's something kind of lame about what you believe will be true, but at least Rusch didn't invoke pseudo quantum physics.) I just considered it a fantasy element, and that was fine. I mean, FTL is fantasy too, and SF is full of that, right?
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October 23, 2025Bountiful is a sun-scorched, inhospitable planet, offering only one comfort to its small band of human colonists: the powerful intoxicant they create from native plants an export to other worlds. But an unspeakable disaster devastates the colony. Six of its children are found dead, their bodies marked in a bizarre parody of the puberty rites of the Dancers, Bountiful's enigmatic sentient race. Even more horrifying is the news that the murderers are not the Dancers--but eight other children of the colony.What happens when small children are changed by their environment, made into something other, not wholly human or alien? What will become of a society irrevocably torn by nightmarish acts carried out by its most innocent members? And how far will one young man go in his obsessive quest to bring healing to eight shattered children...even if he must cross the boundaries of death itself?
December 11, 2018
Rusch, Kristine Kathryn. Alien Influences. Spectra, 1997.
I am most familiar with Rusch through her Diving the Wreck series about a deep space salvage team exploring abandoned and wrecked spaceships. I was expecting something along the same lines from Alien Influences. But what I found is a story much more darkly psychological, science fiction only in that it is set on alien planets. The story most reminded me of accounts of the Salem witch trials. It deals with the murder of a child, at first blamed on alien rituals, but later discovered to have committed by one of the children. One would think that would be the end of the narrative, but the story is more complex and nuanced than that. Recommended if you are game for a creepy, semi-gothic psychological thriller with unexpected twists.
I am most familiar with Rusch through her Diving the Wreck series about a deep space salvage team exploring abandoned and wrecked spaceships. I was expecting something along the same lines from Alien Influences. But what I found is a story much more darkly psychological, science fiction only in that it is set on alien planets. The story most reminded me of accounts of the Salem witch trials. It deals with the murder of a child, at first blamed on alien rituals, but later discovered to have committed by one of the children. One would think that would be the end of the narrative, but the story is more complex and nuanced than that. Recommended if you are game for a creepy, semi-gothic psychological thriller with unexpected twists.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2021
Alien Influences is a soulful, science fiction, thriller. Written in 1994, and set in a distant future. Rusch’s story is stereotypical when it comes to human biases, penal system, and sexual perversions, but rises above the mundane when it tackles the subject material – alien influences on human behavior. John, the protagonist is a well done, strong character. Sadly, Rusch doesn’t do a good job with another key character, the xenopsychologist, Justin Schafer. The elaborate story spread over two decades comes to an abrupt end, and left me with a feeling of slight dissatisfaction. Possibly a 3.5 stars book, but I have chosen to round it down.
February 13, 2024
Between 3-4 stars for the short story, there's a novel with the same title, linked as the same edition as the short.
The story is interesting, I'm between 3 and 4 because there are a lot of unknowns and I felt a lot of paragraphs needed clarifying, it felt incomplete, and more horror than mistery, I don't know if I would like to read the full novel.
The story is interesting, I'm between 3 and 4 because there are a lot of unknowns and I felt a lot of paragraphs needed clarifying, it felt incomplete, and more horror than mistery, I don't know if I would like to read the full novel.
November 9, 2022
Really loved this book. I’m more the hard sci fi fan, but found the characters & story very engaging
January 18, 2016
Alien Influences n’a pas été traduit hélas pour ceux qui ne pourront pas le lire en VO car c’est un des ouvrages dont la lecture me hante encore. J’ai pleuré, j’ai jeté le livre en me jurant que je ne le relirai jamais car il traite d’un sujet qui touche tous les parents du monde : l’enfance. L’enfance abandonnée en terre étrangère, l’innocence de l’enfance marquée puis détruite.
Quid de la SF ? L’histoire commence sur Bountiful planète inhospitalière, brûlée, désertique mais peuplée (et non ce n’est pas une pâle copie d’Arrakis !) où l’homme a installé une petite colonie pour exploiter une drogue puissante mais semble t –il inoffensive que seuls savent cultiver les aliens.
Or un drame vient frapper ce petit groupe : la découverte des corps mutilés de 6 jeunes enfants. Ce crime abominable est-il du aux « dancers » ces ET aux rites étranges ?
Quote : The creatures weren’t walking, although they were upright. They almost glided along the hard-packed sand, and had long, twig-thin bodies with shiny black skin, two legs, two arms and wide, oblong heads with large silver eyes. It was easy to sea why the colonists had called them dancers : they moved with a fluid grace, as if they made every step in time to a music that Justin couldn’t hear.
ALIEN INFLUENCES est un livre sombre et pourtant beau parce qu’il parle aussi d’un groupe d’enfants unis soudés et innocents ; il parle d’enfants qui ne peuvent comprendre leur punition qu'ils vont subir. Il parle enfin d’un enfant devenu adulte qui par humanité va essayer de s’adapter et de sauver les autres : Beth, Allen et Dusty, Pearl, Max, Vérity et Skye. et surtout lui - John - qui les aime mais qui pourtant dira lui-même
quote : I can’t carry you all through my future !
Il est également question ici de différences telles qu’elles deviennent incompréhensibles pour l’humain adulte mais qu’en est il de la perception des enfants ?
Chaque chapitre est un fragment du puzzle de leur vie vue à travers les actes et pensées de personnages ordinaires dont les décisions vont peser sur leur destinée si particulière.
Petit à petit les fils s’entrecroisent, une fresque plus vaste se dessine qui nous conduit sans échappatoire à la révélation finale. Justin, Anita, Harper, Dania sont des humains pris dans l’imbroglio de cette tourmente mais les enfants eux, qui sont -ils vraiment ???
L’auteure est connue en France pour sa série LES FEY (de la bonne fantasy n’en déplaise à certains) et pour des épisodes de la série STAR WARS mais elle a surtout écrit cette merveilleuse série THE RETRIEVAL ARTIST que je recommande également.
Rusch fait dans ALIEN INFLUENCES la démonstration de sa perception profonde des motivations et de la psychologie humaines et du gouffre qui nous sépare de celles d'aliens. Elle n’hésite pas à faire mourir ses personnages principaux quand cela s’avère nécessaire et logique. Ses descriptions sont réalistes, souvent crues mais elle n’en rajoute pas dans l’horreur et c’est cette différence entre la richesse de l’intériorité des personnages, de leurs sentiments de leurs sensations et la froide réalité du monde physique, politique, économique dans lequel ils évoluent qui fait d’elle une véritable créatrice d’univers et qu’une fois commencé, il n’est plus possible de poser le livre avant le mot fin.
Quid de la SF ? L’histoire commence sur Bountiful planète inhospitalière, brûlée, désertique mais peuplée (et non ce n’est pas une pâle copie d’Arrakis !) où l’homme a installé une petite colonie pour exploiter une drogue puissante mais semble t –il inoffensive que seuls savent cultiver les aliens.
Or un drame vient frapper ce petit groupe : la découverte des corps mutilés de 6 jeunes enfants. Ce crime abominable est-il du aux « dancers » ces ET aux rites étranges ?
Quote : The creatures weren’t walking, although they were upright. They almost glided along the hard-packed sand, and had long, twig-thin bodies with shiny black skin, two legs, two arms and wide, oblong heads with large silver eyes. It was easy to sea why the colonists had called them dancers : they moved with a fluid grace, as if they made every step in time to a music that Justin couldn’t hear.
ALIEN INFLUENCES est un livre sombre et pourtant beau parce qu’il parle aussi d’un groupe d’enfants unis soudés et innocents ; il parle d’enfants qui ne peuvent comprendre leur punition qu'ils vont subir. Il parle enfin d’un enfant devenu adulte qui par humanité va essayer de s’adapter et de sauver les autres : Beth, Allen et Dusty, Pearl, Max, Vérity et Skye. et surtout lui - John - qui les aime mais qui pourtant dira lui-même
quote : I can’t carry you all through my future !
Il est également question ici de différences telles qu’elles deviennent incompréhensibles pour l’humain adulte mais qu’en est il de la perception des enfants ?
Chaque chapitre est un fragment du puzzle de leur vie vue à travers les actes et pensées de personnages ordinaires dont les décisions vont peser sur leur destinée si particulière.
Petit à petit les fils s’entrecroisent, une fresque plus vaste se dessine qui nous conduit sans échappatoire à la révélation finale. Justin, Anita, Harper, Dania sont des humains pris dans l’imbroglio de cette tourmente mais les enfants eux, qui sont -ils vraiment ???
L’auteure est connue en France pour sa série LES FEY (de la bonne fantasy n’en déplaise à certains) et pour des épisodes de la série STAR WARS mais elle a surtout écrit cette merveilleuse série THE RETRIEVAL ARTIST que je recommande également.
Rusch fait dans ALIEN INFLUENCES la démonstration de sa perception profonde des motivations et de la psychologie humaines et du gouffre qui nous sépare de celles d'aliens. Elle n’hésite pas à faire mourir ses personnages principaux quand cela s’avère nécessaire et logique. Ses descriptions sont réalistes, souvent crues mais elle n’en rajoute pas dans l’horreur et c’est cette différence entre la richesse de l’intériorité des personnages, de leurs sentiments de leurs sensations et la froide réalité du monde physique, politique, économique dans lequel ils évoluent qui fait d’elle une véritable créatrice d’univers et qu’une fois commencé, il n’est plus possible de poser le livre avant le mot fin.
September 26, 2015
I first go introduced to this story through Rusch's blog, where she posts a free short story every Monday. So I had already read snippets of this book through those stories. I'm pretty sure she stitched the rest of the book together around those stories. They take up much of the early parts of the book.
My favorite story, the one about the girl who is indentured to a hotel that caters to all sorts of aliens, was an enjoyable revisit. However, I feel like the start of the book was a little weak for me because i'd already read the short stories and they didn't mesh together enough. Regardless, I very much enjoyed this book. The focus is on humans and their role in a universe with many different kinds of aliens. And you can see those alien cultures without really visiting with most of them. And I really liked that too. It gives a feeling of depth to a world when you can clearly see parts of it not being explained, but it's hard to pull off right. Rusch delivers. Which is why I love reading her books.
My favorite story, the one about the girl who is indentured to a hotel that caters to all sorts of aliens, was an enjoyable revisit. However, I feel like the start of the book was a little weak for me because i'd already read the short stories and they didn't mesh together enough. Regardless, I very much enjoyed this book. The focus is on humans and their role in a universe with many different kinds of aliens. And you can see those alien cultures without really visiting with most of them. And I really liked that too. It gives a feeling of depth to a world when you can clearly see parts of it not being explained, but it's hard to pull off right. Rusch delivers. Which is why I love reading her books.
February 1, 2018
Dieses Buch war eine positive Überraschung für mich. Zwar kein Meisterwerk der SciFi, aber gar keine schlechte Unterhaltung.
Ich denke, man merkt ziemlich schnell, was der Inhalt der Kurzgeschichte ist, die diesem Roman (laut Danksagung am Ende des Buches) zugrundeliegt. Doch schon diese kleine Idee hat etwas, das einen zumindest weiterlesen läßt.
Kurze Zeit hatte ich den Eindruck, jetzt wäre der Autorin nichts mehr eingefallen (manche Teile der Erzählung ziehen sich doch ein bißchen) - aber wie sich die weitere Geschichte nach der "Aufklärung" der Mordfälle noch entwickelt, ist schon wert, gelesen zu werden.
Ich denke, man merkt ziemlich schnell, was der Inhalt der Kurzgeschichte ist, die diesem Roman (laut Danksagung am Ende des Buches) zugrundeliegt. Doch schon diese kleine Idee hat etwas, das einen zumindest weiterlesen läßt.
Kurze Zeit hatte ich den Eindruck, jetzt wäre der Autorin nichts mehr eingefallen (manche Teile der Erzählung ziehen sich doch ein bißchen) - aber wie sich die weitere Geschichte nach der "Aufklärung" der Mordfälle noch entwickelt, ist schon wert, gelesen zu werden.
October 10, 2016
I'm re-reading this. It's been long enough since I read it that I didn't remember it although I did figure out whodunit pretty early on.
I loved how this book made me think about alien influences on growing minds. I was hooked by the different points of view although it did seem disingenuous that so many people had such similar backgrounds. Just a bit too much six degrees of Kevin Bacon, if you know what I mean.
I'm not sure that I'd like a sequel to this. I'd like to explore the alien influence idea more but I think this story was told well and doesn't need revisiting. It's whole unto itself.
I loved how this book made me think about alien influences on growing minds. I was hooked by the different points of view although it did seem disingenuous that so many people had such similar backgrounds. Just a bit too much six degrees of Kevin Bacon, if you know what I mean.
I'm not sure that I'd like a sequel to this. I'd like to explore the alien influence idea more but I think this story was told well and doesn't need revisiting. It's whole unto itself.
September 23, 2010
I have some major issues with the worldbuilding -- it seems that the government completely forgets everything that is currently known about child psychology, and particularly the role of magic thinking in children's logic, in their rush to judgment. It really left me with the impression of a second-order idiot plot, in which the story only works because the entire society behaves like idiots collectively.
June 9, 2016
Ich habe das Buch auf Empfehlung gelesen und wurde vom Cover etwas hinters Licht geführt, weil es irgendwie mehr nach einem Kinderbuch aussah. In Wahrheit ist Fremde Einflüsse aber wirklich tiefgründige Science-Fiction, die mich zwar bewegt hat, aber trotzdem nicht so umhauen konnte wie z. B. die Bücher von Phillip K. Dick.
April 11, 2011
This book has a lot of flaws. But I've re-read it a number of times because the IDEAS are really good. If you can overlook the mistakes in structure, the story is thoughtful, engaging, and a little uncomfortable to read -- in a good "avoid complacency and abandon assumption/privilege" way.
September 23, 2009
It's a strange book. Sometimes a little disturbing, sometimes sad. But overall, it's a nice story with an interesting ending.
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February 26, 2018Wow. I honestly thought that I would finish this.
Guess it was just so good in the beginning that once things started to slow down I didn't really care for it anymore. The book is split into two you could say and once the kids where grown up I lost interest.
Guess it was just so good in the beginning that once things started to slow down I didn't really care for it anymore. The book is split into two you could say and once the kids where grown up I lost interest.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews