The Mind Parasites

The Mind Parasites is a science fiction horror novel by English author Colin Wilson. It was published by Arkham House in 1967 in an edition of 3,045 copies.[1][2][3][4] It was Wilson's first and only book published by Arkham House.

The Mind Parasites
Dust-jacket illustration by Frank Utpatel for The Mind Parasites
AuthorColin Wilson
Cover artistFrank Utpatel
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreHorror novel, science fiction
Published1967 (Arkham House)
Media typePrint (Hardback)
Pagesxxi, 222

The book is based on H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos.[1][2][3][4]

Publication history

The novel was published earlier in 1967 by Arthur Barker (London), but with a different introduction.[1][4] It was then reprinted by Oneiric Press (Berkeley,CA) from 1972–75, initially by Michael Besher (aka Misha PanZobop; Paris, France) and Chellis Glendinning;[5] then by Besher and his brother Alexander Besher.

In 1986, an edition was produced by the Moscow publishing house Raduga, with 29,190 copies printed. The book was formally intended for learners of English. The edition includes a Russian-language afterword by V. Ivasheva as well as page-referenced endnotes (also in Russian) clarifying language usage, concepts, motifs, personal names and toponyms deemed difficult for the learner by the commentator E. M. Mednikova.

In 1994, the first Russian translation of the book was published by a Ukrainian publishing house Sofia, with 20,000 copies printed.[6]

Plot summary

The story is about Professor Gilbert Austin's conflict with the Tsathogguans, invisible mind parasites that menace the most brilliant people on earth.

Critical reception

Reviewing The Mind Parasites for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Joanna Russ gave the book a negative assessment. Russ stated "the Outsider's latest is not in the Lovecraft tradition but in the Boy's Life Gee Whiz tradition, and ought to be called "Tom Swift and the Tsathogguans."" Russ said the book would disappoint Lovecraft enthusiasts, and called it "one of the worst books I have ever read and very enjoyable, but then I did not have to pay for it." [7] David Pringle rated The Mind Parasites with one star out of four. Pringle described the novel as a "stilted version" of the traditional science fiction plot of humanity being controlled by invisible entities, and said The Mind Parasites "doesn't live up to the author's reputation gained in other fields." [8]

Reprints
  • New York: Bantam, 1968.
  • St. Albans, UK: Panther, 1969.
  • Berkeley, CA: Oneiric Press, 1972–1975.[9]
  • Moscow: Raduga Publishers, 1986.

References
  1. Nielsen, Leon (2004). Arkham House Books: A Collector's Guide. Jefferson, NC and London: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 100. ISBN 0-7864-1785-4.
  2. Chalker, Jack L.; Mark Owings (1998). The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History, 1923-1998. Westminster, MD and Baltimore: Mirage Press, Ltd. p. 44.
  3. Jaffery, Sheldon (1989). The Arkham House Companion. Mercer Island, WA: Starmont House, Inc. pp. 86–87. ISBN 1-55742-005-X.
  4. Joshi, S.T. (1999). Sixty Years of Arkham House: A History and Bibliography. Sauk City, WI: Arkham House. p. 99. ISBN 0-87054-176-5.
  5. The Mind Parasites, Oneiric Press, Oakland, California. 1972, First Edition 1972
  6. Колин Уилсон "Паразиты сознания".
  7. Russ, Joanna. "The Mind Parasites" The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, January 1968. Reprinted in Russ, (2007), The Country You Have Never Seen: Essays and Reviews. Liverpool; Liverpool University Press, 2007. ISBN 9780853238690
  8. Pringle,David (1990) The Ultimate Guide To Science Fiction. New York: Pharos Books: St. Martins Press, (p.205). ISBN 0-88687-537-4
  9. The Mind Parasites, Oneiric Press, 1972 First Edition.

Sources
  • Jaffery, Sheldon (1989). The Arkham House Companion. Mercer Island, WA: Starmont House, Inc. pp. 86–87. ISBN 1-55742-005-X.
  • Chalker, Jack L.; Mark Owings (1998). The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History, 1923-1998. Westminster, MD and Baltimore: Mirage Press, Ltd. p. 44.
  • Joshi, S.T. (1999). Sixty Years of Arkham House: A History and Bibliography. Sauk City, WI: Arkham House. p. 99. ISBN 0-87054-176-5.
  • Nielsen, Leon (2004). Arkham House Books: A Collector's Guide. Jefferson, NC and London: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 100. ISBN 0-7864-1785-4.
  • Wilson, Colin (1986). The Mind Parasites. Moscow, USSR: Moscow Raduga Publishers. p. 336. ISBN 5-05-001039-X.


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