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The Seeker
Middlefield is a small, sleepy midwestern town, much like any other - until an alien spaceship crash-lands in its midst. Terrified and hysterical, its citizens organize a frantic search for the escaping pilot. But the man who finds Trebar is Gordon Ames, the local minister. At a time of personal crisis, when he is beginning to question his faith, Gordon's life is changed forever by the deep and moving friendship that grows between himself and this strange being. But like Trebar's world, their relationship is doomed.
- GenresScience Fiction
190 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
30 people want to read
About the author
David Bischoff
164 books104 followersaka Mark Grant (with Bruce King), Brad Quentin (with Terry Bisson)
Born in Washington D.C. and now living in Eugene, Oregon, David Bischoff writes science fiction books, short stories, and scripts for television. Though he has been writing since the early 1970s, and has had over 80 books published, David is best known for novelizations of popular movies and TV series including the Aliens, Gremlins, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and WarGames.
Born in Washington D.C. and now living in Eugene, Oregon, David Bischoff writes science fiction books, short stories, and scripts for television. Though he has been writing since the early 1970s, and has had over 80 books published, David is best known for novelizations of popular movies and TV series including the Aliens, Gremlins, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and WarGames.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 22, 2024
The Seeker by David Bischoff and Christopher Lampton wasn't what I was expecting based on summary. I was much more interested in the first portion of the story featuring the human town dealing with aliens than I was the second part from the perspective of the aliens and their backstory. That second part ended up overtaking everything else, end unfortunately it was just a little boring.
December 9, 2022
Most of this novel is not about the town at all, but Trebar’s backstory into arriving on the world. I’m not sure if that’s a spoiler or not, but it’s hard to talk about the book without talking about that, so that is what happens.
In truth, this book is interesting and moves at a good pace for a classic sci-fi, but it’s not particularly innovative when it comes to the alien culture. There are moments here and there that broadened it a bit, but most of their societal setup seems like ours (except, on his world, it’s an oligarchy that runs the whole thing and religion is banned), and aside from a few physiological differences, they are pretty much like us to the point that you sometimes forget you’re reading about an alien. They have jobs, cars, spouses - we only see a small slice of Trebor’s culture so it left me feeling like they tried to make the aliens unique but didn’t quite hit the mark.
While I usually love the alien culture stuff, I found the start and end of the book a lot more compelling, possibly because Trebor isn’t the most exciting person.
There is a pretty cool twist that I was not expecting. In truth, this book had one really solid great thing about it and the rest was pretty mediocre. It’s possible this is due to the structure. The story within a story really ruins the tension in a way, and the backstory element felt like a huge info dump rather than part of the overall tale. The novel had good bones but it felt like they had been put together a little wrong.
Enjoyable but nothing to write home about.
In truth, this book is interesting and moves at a good pace for a classic sci-fi, but it’s not particularly innovative when it comes to the alien culture. There are moments here and there that broadened it a bit, but most of their societal setup seems like ours (except, on his world, it’s an oligarchy that runs the whole thing and religion is banned), and aside from a few physiological differences, they are pretty much like us to the point that you sometimes forget you’re reading about an alien. They have jobs, cars, spouses - we only see a small slice of Trebor’s culture so it left me feeling like they tried to make the aliens unique but didn’t quite hit the mark.
While I usually love the alien culture stuff, I found the start and end of the book a lot more compelling, possibly because Trebor isn’t the most exciting person.
There is a pretty cool twist that I was not expecting. In truth, this book had one really solid great thing about it and the rest was pretty mediocre. It’s possible this is due to the structure. The story within a story really ruins the tension in a way, and the backstory element felt like a huge info dump rather than part of the overall tale. The novel had good bones but it felt like they had been put together a little wrong.
Enjoyable but nothing to write home about.
December 10, 2024
I was totally on board for the first quarter. A preacher having a crisis of faith when a space ship crashes into his small town? Sign me up. But then, for the central chunk of the book, it switches to the alien's perspective. This part reads like a rough draft, like they wrote it as a future human dystopia and forgot to go back and alien it up. In one scene an old "man" pulls out a leather book. They also have libraries and skyscrapers and police officers. There are highways and trucks with headlights, windshields with wipers, wheels, and keys, and you can hotwire them. There are lanterns and cement. Aliens smile and laugh and hug and drink wine.
Theirs is a have-and-have-not society with a one world government and religion is banned. Basically, a Conservative's conspiracy wet nightmare. I was surprised they didn't throw in birth restrictions too. The alien, Trebar, explains to his submissive housewife--in their very classical patriarchal relationship--that religion is illegal, because she doesn't know her own society. He has scales but still sweats from his face when nervous. It's just all too human and my belief could not be suspended.
Praise where it's due though. The preacher, whose perspective makes up the first and last quarters of the book (the better parts) doesn't succeed in coaxing his angry townspeople or in convincing them that Trebar is not a monster. He doesn't redsicover his ailing faith. The story's end is almost like a giant dose of pleasant fatalism. There's value to life but there also isn't. It's hopeful, but things also don't end particularly well. There's a lot of discovering to do in life, but you might not like what you find.
Would have been a solid read if that central section had been fixed.
Theirs is a have-and-have-not society with a one world government and religion is banned. Basically, a Conservative's conspiracy wet nightmare. I was surprised they didn't throw in birth restrictions too. The alien, Trebar, explains to his submissive housewife--in their very classical patriarchal relationship--that religion is illegal, because she doesn't know her own society. He has scales but still sweats from his face when nervous. It's just all too human and my belief could not be suspended.
Praise where it's due though. The preacher, whose perspective makes up the first and last quarters of the book (the better parts) doesn't succeed in coaxing his angry townspeople or in convincing them that Trebar is not a monster. He doesn't redsicover his ailing faith. The story's end is almost like a giant dose of pleasant fatalism. There's value to life but there also isn't. It's hopeful, but things also don't end particularly well. There's a lot of discovering to do in life, but you might not like what you find.
Would have been a solid read if that central section had been fixed.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews