The Martian Child: A Novel About A Single Father Adopting A Son

By David Gerrold

Book Overview

A Novel about a Single Father Adopting a SonBased on a True Story "Oh. One more thing: Dennis thinks he's a Martian . . . ." Soon-to-be parents are instructed to "expect the unexpected." Good advice, it turns out. Especially for the anxious or apprehensive parent who is considering adoption.How can one know about an adopted child?All David Gerrold knew for certain was that he wanted to be a parent. As a single gay man he thought adoption would be the most direct route to fatherhood. But he soon found out-to both his joy and dismay-that the emotional route to fatherhood was anything but direct. In fact, it was a roller-coaster ride that changed his life forever.When he first saw the picture of eight-year-old Dennis beaming up at him from the photograph in the adoption book, David knew this was the boy for him.But these were the facts: Abandoned as an infant by drug-addicted parents. Documented abuse. Shuffled from one foster home to another. Deficit hyperactivity disorder. Ritalin to control his violent emotional outbursts. For his antisocial behavior: Disipramine. The conclusion from experts: Dennis was "hard to place." A polite bureaucratic euphemism for unadoptable. It was a depressing assessment that David could not- would no t-accept.He needed Dennis. And he believed Dennis needed him. It was that simple.Until the reality of single fatherhood set in.A searingly honest, funny, moving, and heartfelt portrait of the joys and perils of parenting, The Martian Child is David Gerrold's valentine to the redemptive value of love,in this case a father's love for his son. A son who thinks he's a Martian.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0765303116
• ISBN13: 9780765303110
• Release Date: June 2002
• Publisher: Forge Books
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.7" x 0.8" x 5.6"
• Age Range: 13 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 9 and higher

Customer Reviews

Based on a True Story

David is a single man who wants to adopt a boy and start a family of his own. As soon as he sees a photo of Dennis, he knows that Dennis is the one. But Dennis is a hyperactive child with emotional problems resulting from his being abused by former guardians. And he believes that he's a Martian. Can David deal with this troubled boy and love him unconditionally? I read The Martian Child last night in just a couple hours. While it's a short read, I teared-up several times. Dennis is a truly amazing child, and David is a wonderful father. This is a beautiful and humorous heartwarming story about a man who is willing to put the son that he loves above everything else in his life. We not only get to see the change in Dennis as he slowly adjusts to stability and a father who loves him, but also a change in David as well.

so far, I have read the back of the book.

I know the author. His son, is my best friend. And The Book is amazing. I can't wait to read it. I am ready to buy it asap. Mr.David Gerrold is a awesome, and cool dad. In my opinion, I wish more fathers were like him. Honestly, to God, I wish my dad was like him!!!

On Being a Father

David Gerrold was caught off guard when trying to adopt his son when the caseworker said that the boy thought he was a Martian. I was a bit put off by the cover, which seemed to be poking fun at "the Martian child".But the story itself is excellent. A child's "I am a Martian" comment CAN be handled without ridicule, and in a way which makes the truth of that statement irrelevant to the relationship. The important part of this book IS the relationship, and the process of becoming a father. In fact it shows what it MEANS to be a father much better than any book I have read. This is not "Father knows best", where the father is perfect and knows all the answers. It isn't a cute story for children, though I would recommend it for adopted children AND their parents. Instead it is a process of discovery from the father's perspective, where he learns and grows as he goes on. It about the FATHER's insecurities, worries and joys -- something that is rarely discussed or explained. I strongly recommend this for anyone considering adoption, for any parents with "problem" children (ALL perents, in other words) and for the children themselves, so that they can gain a rare look into what it means to be a parent.

An unexpected discovery.

I happened upon this in the local bookstore today, and read it in one sitting. Quite effective novel that appears to be very closely tied to the author's own experience as a single father in adopting an 8 year old boy. Mr. Gerrold doesn't sugarcoat the experience, as chroniclers of adoption often do. He makes very clear the doubts and indecision that can bedevil anyone taking this step. But he also doubly underlines the rewards.He has found a unique way to give a structure to the story, by wrapping it in the concept of a child who thinks he's an alien. But for the first half, this book seems pretty much a typical journal of the the adoptive experience, when it makes a 180 degree turn. Not right or left either, but up. I was really worried at first at what the heck Gerrold was up to, but by the ending, it all makes more than sense--or logic.This book has has helped me realize that I really do want to make this the next step in my life.

David Gerrold's best book ever!

In 1992, David Gerrold adopted 8 year old Dennis. Two years later, he wrote a surprising novelette about the adventure of adoptive parenthood. The novelette version of The Martian Child won well-deserved (and long overdue) Hugo and the Nebula awards. Now, David Gerrold has expanded his original story to novel length and answers the two questions he raised in the original story: Why did he want to adopt a son, and who is the real Martian child here? Gerrold writes about parenting as if it is a privilege. Dennis is a very lucky boy to have a dad who cares so much. The people who like David Gerrold's other fiction (The War Against The Chtorr, The Dingillian series) might be puzzled by this book, because it's such a departure from his usual style of hard-nosed adventure. This book is light-hearted and intensely personal, but it's also courageously honest in several startling ways, because David Gerrold has been neurotically candid about his own journeys; in many ways, it's a breakthrough effort. Parts of this story made me cry, other parts had me laughing out loud. (Pickled mongoose!) I read it in a single sitting. It's a feel-good book with an ending that's both satisfying and uplifting. This is the very best story that David Gerrold has ever written. I'm giving a copy to my Dad for Father's Day.