AboutSue Kayton Expertise Engineer who has read thousands of science fiction books and short stories. Can recommend stories on specific subjects and comment on technical feasibility. Especially good at older out-of-print books and authors.
Question In the 1960s, I read a fascinating scifi book about a teenage boy who encountered an alien lifeform that was protozoan in nature and invaded his body. From what I remember about the story, the boy awakens one morning with something trying to control his body and is really freaked. Once he become adapted to this alien outer space invader, he develops new powers--at one point he is severely injured by a puncture wound but the parasite(?) seals off the wound and saves his life. I cannot remember much else other than I really loved this book and later lost it. Needless to say, I have been searching for it since without success. Any one old enough to know this book/story?
Answer There are zillions of such stories, mostly "juveniles" that were published in pulp magazines. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of any one of them. Similar plot line in the excellent Isaac Asimov short story "Green Patches" which you should be able to find in many anthologies, including Nightfall and Other Stories, available in most public libraries.
