From time to time, Infuzemag.com will review a book and the movie based on it in tandem. Here we bring you one such tandem review. Be sure to check out Tess Cox’s review of the film version of Martian Child.

David is certainly not the typical adoptive father.  In fact, he is atypical to the point that he worries it might jeopardize his chances of being able to adopt: he’s a single, gay man and a middle-aged science fiction writer.  But when he sees the Polaroid of a little boy named Dennis a scrapbook of kids who have been officially declared “difficult to place,” he knows immediately that Dennis is meant to be his little son.

It’s a good match, anyway, because Dennis believes he is a Martian.  What could be more perfect for a science fiction writer than having an alien child? 

The Martian Child tells the story of how David decides he wants to adopt, falls in love with little Dennis, goes through the adoption process, and then realizes just what he’s gotten himself into.  Dennis isn’t just a cute kid with a quirky personality: he is a deeply troubled boy.  He often gets angry, even violent, and is prone to stealing from other children and from David.  When he is reminded of certain elements of his past or fears that he may again be abandoned, he goes into screaming fits of rage and profanity.

The fact that he thinks he’s a Martian is just the endearing element of his scarred personality.

David and Dennis’s story is all about how they became a family.  It’s all told from David’s perspective, which can be frustrating at times because he is a little bit irritating.  His story is compelling, though, and as a reader, you really hope that things work out for these two.  You want Dennis to have a break-through and realize that he’s just a little boy and that David’s not going to abandon him. 

The Martian Child was written by science fiction writer David Gerrold, and it’s a very quick read.  It’s the inspiration for the new John Cuscack movie with the same title, and while I usually avoid comparing books and movies, I think that the book version does a bit better at exploring Dennis’s real psychological problems. 

The novel is funny, sweet, and sad.  The dialogue is a little cheesy at times, but I can’t deny that at the heart of The Martian Child is a story about how much we all need love.
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