That’s about all I remember. Some “being” named “Enoch” that zipped around into and out of peoples’ craniums. I actually had this story in my 10th grade literature.
Anyone???
Was it a kid’s story? Or more mature?
I definitely remember something like this, but it was a teen oriented story. Revolved around two symbionic creatures that crash landed on Earth, killing their hosts. One was a cop of sorts, the other a ruthless criminal.
The story had the teen and the good symb working together to catch the criminal.
No idea on a title, though.
Does this help? Is it even the same story you are thinking of?
I, too, vaguely remember reading this story, or one like it, as a child.
Wish I could remember it better, I’d like to re-read it and see if it was that good after all.
I’m NOT at all certain on the name, but the “Coming into a kid’s cranium” rang the bell.
In my version, to the best of my limited memory, there was a young boy on earth and an ‘alien mind’ out in space somewhere. I don’t remember much else, except something about the kid and the mind talking about various things he did… there was something at the end where the mind had to disconnect, and some kinda pseudo-twilightzone feelgood ending where… eh, I forget.
Geez. That didn’t help at all did it? Sorry.
Hope someone knows what I’m talking about, if that’s not a real book I should probably seek professional help!
It’s by Robert Bloch.
And yes, the story is called “Enoch”, and no, Enoch is not an alien, and yes, the story is good. It’s not a kid’s story–it was published in Weird Tales in 1946.
That sounds like Needle, by Hal Clement. The alien was of a species that evolved from a viral ancestor – just as Terran animals evolved from single-celled organisms. So the alien’s “cells” were on a viral scale, allowing it to flow like a liquid and even infiltrate, and integrate itself into, a human body.
“Enoch” is, indeed, by Robert Bloch (it is obligatory to note that Bloch is the one who wrote the book “Psycho”). You can find it in The Best of Robert Bloch, published circa 1980, if you can find that book.
The other story, about the symbiotic aliens, does seem to be Hal Clement’s classic SF story Needle. It’s well worth reading. Clement wrote a sequel, Through the Eye of a Needle, which is probably harder to find, as I know of onlty one printing. The basic premise of Needle seems to have been used, without acknowledgement, as the basis for the movie The Hidden.
For that matter, the premise of “Enoch” seems to have been used in a few movies without acknowledgement, too. I think there are elements of it in the indie film Brain Damage.
I must be sending out psychic waves. I remember reading this in high school as well. I tried Googling it, but didn’t have much sucess. I was going to post the question here, but never got around to it.
Many thanks!
“Enoch” by Robert Bloch was reprinted in Scholastic Scope, a magazine distributed in a great many American high schools, at some point in the late seventies or early eighties. I remember, because that’s where I first read it; I later ran across it again in an anthology published after Robert Block died.
Creeeeeepy story, man.